The "USB killer" is dead: Apple drops FireWire support in macOS 26
10 months ago
- #FireWire
- #LegacyTech
- #macOS
- FireWire, Apple's 90s connectivity standard, is being removed from macOS 26 'Tahoe'.
- macOS 26 beta no longer supports FireWire devices, including first-gen iPods.
- FireWire (IEEE 1394) was developed by Apple with Sony and Panasonic, introduced in 1999.
- Initially faster than USB, FireWire was popular for pro tasks like video/audio editing.
- Apple stopped including FireWire ports in iMacs by 2011 but maintained software support.
- macOS 26 will also be the last version to support Intel-based Macs.
- Apple prioritizes cutting legacy tech over backward compatibility, unlike Microsoft.