If you tried to plug in a FireWire device like a first-gen iPod to any Mac running the macOS 26 developer beta, you may be surprised to find nothing happens. That’s because there’s no more FireWire support.
Apple could do a 180 and not do this, but that’s unlikely. Take a fine comb and look through the latest developer beta, tell me if you find any mention of FireWire anywhere – not even System Profiler has it anymore. They’re saying on AppleInsider that even with a Thunderbolt Dock, it won’t let you connect any FW device to macOS.
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iPod classic Compatibility with macOS Tahoe
An individual online was able to test out multiple generations of iPods with the macOS 26 developer beta 25A5279m, so you can see for yourself what does and doesn’t work.
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(Photo: Credit goes to Michi @NekoMichiUBC on X)
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A little history on FireWire
Think of FireWire as like a late 80s version of Thunderbolt – the idea back in the day was to create a replacement to the Parallel SCSI bus, while also giving audio + video connectivity. Development started in that late 80s timeframe, later presented to IEEE, finished in 1995.
Macs started carrying FireWire as early as 1997 as a BTO/CTO option, however, was not included onboard on any model until 1999. Even then, not all models carried it. The mid-2012 13″ non-retina MacBook Pro was the last model Mac to carry any sort of FireWire port.
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(Above: Mid-2012 13″ MacBook Pro ports.)
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See more on FireWire history: IEEE 1394 – Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
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My Experience and Perspective on FireWire
I was born in the mid-90s and grew up in the 2000s, seeing Windows 95/98/XP long before getting my hands on my first ever Mac in 2008. FireWire never crossed my mind except when needing to boot off an external drive, or clone a Mac. That being said, I always looked at it as a utilitarian and helpful interface.
I have a small box full of cables I can’t do without, and this includes a FireWire 400 cable and another 800 cable. In the rare instance something happens to my Power Mac G5 Dual 2.0 or if I desire to tinker with another PowerPC Mac, there’s a solution.
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(Above: FireWire 400 port. Credit: www.skipstone.com/compcon.html)
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Where this leaves FireWire beyond 2025
At Low End Mac we not only believe in the long term value of Mac hardware, but also the gear you get for your Mac as well as any tech you use. Low End Mac is about practical technology, and FireWire has been practical, easy-to-use and “good enough”.
As these types of devices are largely no longer made, it will be up to us collectors, enthusiasts and possibly even historians to find value in preservation.
