Amazingly i found a high end laptop that by some fluke has firewire. i'm actually buying a crazy Sager through xoticpc. the Sager N9170. you can customize what you want in it.
still, in reviews of it everyone was surprised or even confused to see a firewire port (the smaller port size) and they refer to it as 'legacy' technology... meaning it's from the past.
this fireface (using Apple's "firewire") is the only time i've invested in Apple technology and the last time i will.
Ironically i had to buy the fireface because apogee quit supporting windows drivers - they only develop for mac. sad.
i'll get to use my fireface a few more years and then that will be it.
recently i started running my apogee mini-me through the fireface via the S/PDIF and it's amazing! the mini-me does sound better on my voice than the fireface but only a little.
they're colored differently i guess.
alright... crisis averted for the moment. RME now develops for USB (3 i assume?) as we look forward.