Mac laptop interface: firewire, usb or usb 2 ?

when it comes to the quality of the sound and so on,
is one that much better than the other, when using interfaces bring in XLR inputs, 1/4 inch and/or MIDI?
thanks very much,
kyle
ibook 1 gig Mac OS X (10.3.7)

Like Hang says, for audio quality the keys are the mic preamps on those channels and the A/D converters, not USB vs. FireWire. I would think very few people around here would have experience with lots of different makes and models, though I'm sure some have tried a few. I'd recommend looking at reviews of various models online and in magazines, see what they say about the quality of the audio.
As far as USB vs. FireWire, FW is going to give you more bandwidth overall, and there are FW interfaces that are "stackable," which will allow you to add units as your needs grow. The USB interfaces are probably more limited to what you can do in that regard. You'll have to determine what your needs are now as well as how they might grow to decide.
One last thing, some manufacturers support Macs better than others. Edirol (Roland) gets driver updates out for OS updates fairly quickly, for instance.
iMac G5 20", MacBook Mac OS X (10.4.8)

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Poll: Firewire/USB bootability

I often start up my PowerMac G5 from a Firewire external hard drive into OS X Tiger. According to my understanding, ever since the first G4 Mac was introduced (in 1999?), Macs have been able to start up from FireWire external hard drives. I even read a post that a USB external device was able to boot a PowerBook G3 into OS 9 (www.macintouch.com/usbflash.html).
This feature of external bootability has been one of the advantages of Mac over Windows. PC's with Windows XP/Vista (as opposed to Intel-based Macs with Windows) have always been unable to start up from USB/Firewire external devices. When a Windows guru needs to start up his/her PC from a hard drive placed outside the PC, he/she has to open the PC and pull out the ribbon cable from the inside of the PC and stretch the ribbon cable to the hard drive outside the PC. Because bare ribbon cables are subject to environmental electromagnetic interference, the data transferred in such a configuration are not reliable. So, Mac people are lucky regarding the external bootability. (By the way, if a Windows guru gets tired of opening the PC every time he/she needs the ersatz "external" booting, then he/she would put a ribbon cable connector on the PCI slot door like www.startech.com/ststore/itemdetail.cfm?ProductID=SATAPLATE1)
However, Apple can drop old features from new products. I would like to know whether Intel-based Macs are still able to start up from external volumes.
Anyone who has ever tried to boot an Intel-based Mac from a Firewire/USB external device, please let me know whether it was successful.
I also would like to know whether anyone was successful in having a USB external hard drive boot a PowerMac G5 into OS X. My Maxtor OneTouch external hard drive has both a USB 2.0 port and Firewire ports. With USB connection, this Maxtor drive fails to boot my PowerMac G5. On the other hand, with Firewire connection, it is successful.
Furthermore, I would like to know whether anyone was successful in booting an Intel-based Mac into Windows XP/Vista on an external Firewire/USB hard drive with Boot Camp.
I also would like URL's of Apple's announcements that confirm or deny external bootabilities.
<edited by host. see new [url=http://discussions.apple.com/help.jspa#terms]Terms of Use, section 2.4[/url].>
If you are a novice user who are unsuccessful in Firewire/USB booting because you do not even know how to select the startup volume by the Startup system preference or by the Option Start, then refrain from participating in the poll although you are welcome to leave a message.
Thank you in advance.
Andy

According to my
understanding, ever since the first G4 Mac was
introduced (in 1999?), Macs have been able to start
up from FireWire external hard drives. I even read a
My PowerBook G3 can boot off Firewire too. Mac bootability from an external drive goes back to the old external SCSI hard drives a couple decades ago, so my PowerBook 160 (circa 1992) can also do it. Learning that Windows can't boot from an external drive always gets an "You have got to be kidding me" reaction from Mac veterans.

I have iPhone 4 with newest update and Mac laptop with Snow Leopard and current version of iTunes. When I hook the phone up via USB, iPhoto pops open and reads the pictures for import, but iTunes doesn't do anything. Not seeing the device as a USB, either

Sorry, thought that was the body of the question, so the title is long. When I plug in my iPhone 4 (newest update) into my Mac laptop (current version of iTunes, Snow Leopard), it does not read the music, apps, etc., or open iTunes at all. It syncs the pictures, but it doesn't not show as a USB device, either. I have gone through the Troubleshooting assistant, restarting both comp and laptop, using different USB ports, etc. If it is of note, when I look at the option to Sync through Wifi on the phone, it says that sync will happen when my computer (by name) is "available." Not sure if this is a phone issue or laptop, leaning towards laptop, since iPhoto syncs. Willing to buy Lion if that will fix the problem! I would appreciate any help that is given.
Regards,
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cynecasey wrote:
... my computer is still running Mac OSX 10.5, because I don't feel the need to buy a new laptop every 2 years.
You have written a very long story, and I admit I have skipped most of it. But I think the question is you are on iOS 7, and cannot get the latest version of iTunes (11.1.5) on your computer because your OS X is too old.
The fact that you chose not to update your hardware does not mean you could not update your software!
OS X 10.5 is very old (about four years). iTunes 11.1.5 (current version) requires at least OS X 10.6.8 to run. Very likely, you could upgrade your computer's software to at least OS X 10.6.8 and then download the current iTunes on it.
You would start here:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard
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moyboy,
Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
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MAC Mini & 2.5 USB Hard Drive Issue

Strange thing happening with a new MAC Mini:
For Christmas, I bought my wife a brand new MAC mini. Everything has been working fine. So, for our anniversary, I bought her a 120 gig USB hard drive (I know, I'm such a romantic
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It seems that the USB hard drive being plugged in while powering the MINI up is giving me some grief.
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No Operating System(s) are on the USB drive. Just pictures and movie files.
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Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.
Gary

I'm sorry. I should have been more detailed in my description. It is a Toshiba drive. here are the specs:
The Toshiba HDDR120E02X 120GB Hard Drive is USB-powered and includes an internal shock sensor and ramp loading technology. Ready to go out of the box and certified to work with Windows XP and Vista as well as Mac OS 10.3.9 or later.
Technical Information
Storage Capacity
120GB
Drive Performance
Data Transfer Rate
480Mbps External Maximum USB 2.0
Interfaces/Ports
Interfaces/Ports
USB 2.0 USB
Physical Characteristics
Form Factor
External Hot-swappable Portable
Miscellaneous
Compatibility
USB 1.1
Plug n Play
I didnt have it hooked to the keyboard though. I have had some trouble trying that in the past, so, other than my mouse, nothing else is plugged into the keyboard.
Thanks again for your help.

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