Death of 1394?

IEEE 1394 faces major challenges, and its market share is stagnating, reports In-Stat (http://www.in-stat.com). The peak year for 1394 devices is expected to be 2008, and a slow decline will set in beginning in 2009, the high-tech market research firm says. IEEE 1394 (1394), also called FireWire or i.Link, is a high-speed serial bus specification found primarily in three markets: PCs, PC peripherals, and Consumer Electronics.\ \ “1394 suffers from being the second-choice technology in many product segments,” says Brian O’Rourke, In-Stat analyst. “For example, 1394’s historic one-third penetration of the PC market is now dwarfed by high-speed USB’s 100% penetration. This has helped high-speed USB become the interface of choice for PC peripherals.”\ \ Recent research by In-Stat found the following:\ \ - 1394-enabled device shipments will grow by only 0.2% annually through 2011.\ - 1394 had created an ecosystem, with digital camcorders at the center, but there has been slippage in this ecosystem recently.\ - From 2005 to 2006, 1394 penetration of digital camcorders fell from 85% to 77%.

- Mark Kellner SEE RELATED:

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