How to tell if you have a firewire card installed

[Meg-san]

Is there a way to find out if there is a firewire card installed on your computer? I know usually you'd be able to tell by the model bought, but mine's an Athlon 1200XP (about, I think) running on Win2000 Pro that I had custombuilt about 3 years ago. I can't remember if we decided to put a firewire port in the computer, although I know that we have USB ports on the front and back. Is there a way to tell without having to open up the case and check for myself?
And which is the cheapest firewire card I can get that does the job well? I don't really want to spend alot of money as I'm about to dish out alot just to buy the iPod in the first place-and after my vacation in the UK I'm back to being a pennyless high school student again.

[Ichijoe]

My first impression on this matter is, is if you had to ask then you most likely do not have a FireWire Port on your Computer It's not like FireWire 400 has the same following as USB2.0 on the PC.

But, If you want to do a quick check without an external visual inspection of your Box. Click: Start->Control Panel->System->Hardware (Tab)->Device Manager. If your fourtnate enough to see the 'IEEE 1394 Bus host controllers' on your list then you have a FireWire 400 Port Somewhere on your Box if not!?...
You guessed it!!!

[Meg-san]

Thanks for the help ichijoe! I checked and, as you guessed, there is no firewire port installed in my computer. Can you reccommend a cheap one that'll be alright to buy?

[Ichijoe]

It might prove cheaper (in the long run), to just get the FireWire & USB to Dock Cable (given that you have a Dockable iPod! i.e. 3G+) for ???18(EUR) this way you can charge with the AC Power 'Brick' and transfer your stuff with USB2.0. While true that FireWire 400 is a bit faster then USB2.0 it's not like you'll notice the difference. Otherwise I'd say anywhere between ???20 ~ ???40(EUR) should get you a FireWire 400 PCI Card...