External HDD vs Internal Speed
Would an External FireWire 400 HDD @ 7200RPM be just as fast as my internal HDD? (I guess at 5400RPM), or will FireWire limit the data transfer speeds?
eMac G4 1 GHz, iMac G3 400 MHz, Mac OS X (10.5.1)
While Firewire 400 may be theoretically faster than IDE, firewire hard drives are actually IDE drives with an IDE-to-Firewire bridge, so IDE transfer rates would control the maximum speed. If the drive installed in the Firewire box is a faster drive (higher RPM, larger bufer, and/or faster IDE speed) than the one in your eMac, then it will probably be faster, but don't expect an earth shattering difference.