Originally posted by Anderton >
All the laptops I've seen have the 4-pin connectors as well. The FirePort has an AC adaptor, so you can use that while running in a 4-pin setup (as I did). If you have the "full meal deal" 6-pin thingie, then you don't need the adapter (which is the case when I use it with my desktop computer).
I have a 6-pin FireWire PCMCIA card for my laptop, but -- dig this -- you need to power the CARD with an AC adapter! The card regulates the voltage and passes it through to the 6-pin port.
I asked a laptop manufacturer about this and he said something like "Centrinos blah blah current consumption blah blah out of spec blah blah" very technical stuff. Translation: If you're using a laptop, you're probably stuck with a 4-pin FireWire port and an external AC adapter for your FireWire accessory.
Free powered 6 pin Firewire connector on every Mac laptop! I have never even heard, until now, of a PC Card that needed its own power supply... wow.