The 1394 Trade Association points to a new report from Digital Tech Consulting that says consumer and PC products will exhibit “solid and consistent growth” of FireWire-equipped consumer and PC products.
The trade organization, of which Apple is a member, is hoping to combat the perception that FireWire is on a downward spiral — a position held by market research firm In-Stat in a June study.
The report indicates that the worldwide total of FireWire-equipped devices will increase more than 20 percent in 2008 and into 2010 in key categories, such as digital set top boxes, digital televisions and PC peripherals. DVD-equipped PCs, non-PC optical disc drives and DVD aftermarket kits will also see growth, according to the study.
The DTC report cited by the trade association did conclude, however, that camcorders — long a mainstay of FireWire connectivity — will continue to move away from FireWire in the future.
The 1394 Trade Association points towards recent product introductions as success stories for FireWire, including Fujitsu’s N6460 laptop, the first notebook PC to feature both FireWire and a Blu-ray Disc drive; and Plextor’s PX-810UF external DVD-Recordable drive, a Mac and PC-compatible model.