New Low-Priced MacBook From Apple With FireWire

Apple‘s new, lightweight MacBook, which includes the IEEE 1394 (FireWire) interface, reflects continued support for FireWire by the company and among users worldwide, the 1394 Trade Association said.

The new $999 white MacBook has already been well received throughout the user community. Built around the Intel 2 GHz Core 2 Duo processor, the new white MacBook comes standard with 2GB 667 MHz DDR2 RAM – up from 1 GB on prior models – along with an NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics card and a 120GB hard drive. It also incorporates the popular Mac OS X software, along with the highly popular FireWire.

"The inclusion of 1394 in its latest new MacBook is a welcome sign of Apple’s attention to user enthusiasm for FireWire, and should end concerns about the future of FireWire in the PC," said James Snider, executive director of the 1394 Trade Association. "Apple users clearly see FireWire as an essential component for their work, and are glad it is included in the white MacBook. We welcome the enthusiastic response we’ve had from MacBook users, and Apple’s continued support for FireWire, which the company helped popularize in the 1990s and has included in almost all of their popular MacBook computers."

In addition to the white MacBook, FireWire has appeared in other impressive new products early in 2009. It is available in new mid-priced notebook PCs from Lenovo, ASUStek, and Hewlett-Packard — all introduced prior to the International CES in Las Vegas. Other new 1394-equipped products brought to the market this year are the new PV-GS2 DV camcorder from Panasonic Corporation, and the new Inspiron 15, an entry-level notebook from Dell.

Earlier this month Wipro-NewLogic, the semiconductor IP business of Wipro Limited, announced the inclusion of its IEEE 1394 software stack in the Microsoft Auto platform, targeted at vehicle infotainment solutions. The 1394 Automotive standard is now being adopted by automakers worldwide for in-vehicle entertainment, navigation and other applications.

The 1394 Trade Association is a worldwide organization dedicated to the advancement of the IEEE 1394 standard. The 1394TA recently entered its 15th year of promoting 1394 and its one billionth 1394 port shipped. FireWire is used today in mass-market computer, entertainment, and professional products, and in a wide range of specialty applications such as music, defense, aerospace, industrial, and robotics products.