IEEE-1394 (also called Firewire™) is a new high performance serial data bus. It is a true plug and play interconnect that supports data rates of up to 400 Mbits/sec. This means that when a user wishes to add a Firewire appliance to their Firewire compatible computer all they need do is load the software and plug it in. The Firewire bus will allow for up to 63 devices to be "daisy chained" and connected and disconnected on the fly. Firewire is acknowledged as the data bus of the future. It is supported by leading manufacturers that include Apple, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Texas Instruments, HP, Compaq, and Sony.

Unlike SCSI compatible products, with Firewire there is never the need for a user to reconfigure their computer or worry about dip switches or terminations whenever a new appliance is added or removed. Even when it is powered up! 

The primary application for Firewire is to provide personal computer users with a low-cost, scalable, high-speed serial interface to external peripherals that include disk drives, printers, and a wide variety of multi-media appliances including digital cameras.