Maybe I agree with that, but I also know that firewire helped usher in the digital video era. It allowed the transition from tape based acquisition when media cards were prohibitively expensive. Audio/Video/Deck control all down one single cable straight from the camera to the computer was what really kicked the prosumer market into being able to lean closer to pro than consumer. Now that media cards are actually affordable, that does seem like ancient history. I could see how you might think of firewire as a failure if you're looking at it as a USB type transition, but for the camera/video professions, it served a very good purpose even if short lived