Hello. I was just wondering if anyone can tell me if OSX still has any issues with handling firewire devices? I am asking specifically about firewire external hard drives. If all the bugs are fixed by now because of Tiger, what versions of Panther are known to still have firewire issues? I ask this because Panther is what I will still be using for a while.
thanks everyone!

I upgraded to Tiger over the weekend and my external FW drive mounts.
It also worked with all versions of Panther...most recently 10.3.9.

Hope this helps.

Is this what you are talking about?

Apple has identified an issue with external FireWire hard drives using the Oxford 922 bridge chip-set with firmware version 1.0.2 that can result in the loss of data stored on the disk drive. Even with the improvements available in this update, Apple recommends you update the firmware on your FireWire drive. Please contact your drive manufacturer for more information. Download Details.

ok, so just to know if I am clear here...regarding the issues with data loss happening on firewire drives hooked up to a mac running panther, is that issue still a problem today? Or has that issue been totally taken care of and has disappeared? Is there still a chance of buying a firewire external drive that might lose data in panther??? Please explain anyone, thanks!

I have a LaCie D2 160-FW/400 for about 3 years. I've done the firmware updates when available, but to date I've had no problems with the drive, tho I use it mainly to clone my bootdrive & backups. It is possible that older drives could still be in the dealerships which may require firmware updates, but my guess is that most of the newer drives would be compatible. Your best bet tho' is to check out the suppliers websites for tech info on the drives your considering.
I should add, that no hardware solution is without risk. Hard drives fail, data losses occur & there is no substitute for multiple backup stategies to protect your important data.