This year Apple decided to drop support for FireWire hardware (which I still use). For some things like optical drives it’s still the best option, especially with a lot of hardware attached. It’s not my trigger to defect, but it’s getting closer.
The last time I used FireWire I had acne and a skateboard was my main source of transportation. I am now middle aged. Surprised to see anybody saying FireWire support is the hill they will die on.
I don't really get how FireWire is best for optical drives. I have been using USB CD/DVD/BluRay drives for over a decade now without an issue.
I have a lot of devices and have an app that supports a lot of device types. FireWire (like Thunderbolt) means daisy chaining those devices with a single port on the host. With USB I need hubs which need external power and may or may not work at full speed with different cables and all devices need cables long enough to go back to the host or hub.
