Okay #hardware #nerd types and #DataHoarders or #DigitalArchivists...
I'm using #Ubuntu #Linux on an old #iMac with #dvgrab to download the exact copies of all my #MiniDV tapes in #DV format.
But I have to say... This thing is a monster.
Can anyone recommend a laptop with #Firewire 800 that also runs Linux well?
Sticking my neck out again, I don't think you will find many/any laptops (other than maybe refurbished apple) with firewire.
There are adapters for pc's with 'slots', but drivers might be dodgy?
My opinion only as I last touched a firewire connector about 10 yrs back is that a USB to firewire adapter may be your only option. It could well lose you some speed, if you can get it working. The massive conglomerate retailer we don't mention has some listed.
@RichRARobi Yeah, I was going back through my memory of all the laptops I've owned, and the last one with FW800 was a PowerBook.
I did some more digging and found a MacBook (Core2Duo) with FW400, which would work, but I'm worried it wouldn't run the latest Ubuntu... Although I suppose I could skip the GUI entirely to cut down on memory usage.
I know Sony used to make laptops with "i.Link", and I vaguely remember old Thinkpads with the teeny-tiny-firewire port... But I was hoping someone might know of something better.
@RichRARobi Actually did some more digging tonight - I found a Thunderbolt 2 to FW800 adapter among my box of FireWire cables. Which led me to finding a MacBookPro with TB2 port… which *also* has a FW800 port.
I think I might be on to something…
@JustinDerrick
Quick look on a.... tb2 to tb3 adapter is possible, tb3 is usb-c.
Could work, but messy? They look expensive, and you might find direct adapter from firewire to tb3 ? Usb-c is more likely supported.
P.s. I might be getting confused with usb3, 4 , best check which number is what !!
@RichRARobi Actually, after I got all 30+ tapes converted, I saw this article, which would solve my problem…
https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2026/minidv-with-raspberry-pi-firewire-hat/
In my last post, I showed you to use FireWire on a Raspberry Pi with a PCI Express IEEE 1394 adapter. Now I'll show you how I'm using a new FireWire HAT and a PiSugar3 Plus battery to make a portable MRU, or 'Memory Recording Unit', to replace tape in older FireWire/i.Link/DV cameras. The alternative is an old used MRU like Sony's HVR-MRC1, which runs around $300 on eBay1.
Justin Derrick
RichRARobi