I think controller cards <B>are</B> the only way to add firewire or usb 2.0 to any computer. As for brands, I've only had experience with Koutech. I bought the card from newegg for only ~25 dollars.
Apple customers unhappy that the company dropped FireWire from its newest notebooks are venting their frustrations on the company’s support forum in several hundred messages. “Apple really screwed up ...