Firewire (via PC Card/Firewire converter/Bridge) VS USB for

[curiosity]

I am currently looking for a way to capture about 1-2 hours worth of video/audio from my VHS recorder to my laptop, preferably in sync), and preferably something that will work with both NTSC and PAL(Australian version), that I can then burn off to a VCD
I have a HP Pavilion N5470 laptop, with an Athlon
1.0 GHz processor, 256 Mb of ram and a 20 Gb hard
drive. It has USB, presumably 1.1, ports and PC Card/PCMCIA slots. I are looking for a good, reasonably priced
video capture system.
From what I've been able to gather from trawling around the web and through this site, the USB devices just don't provide an acceptable quality output, part of the problem being the inherent speed problems associated with the USB 1.1 standard. (USB 2.0 being mostly in RSN mode as far as product is concerned.)
On this basis I have been investigating the option of using a Firewire to PC Card converter and then one of the bridges available to do Analogue to DV conversion. (Unless anyone has a a better alternative, e.g. a device that plugs directly into the PC Card slot, or an external storage device that then uses USB to transfer, not in real time). The concept being that Firewire has a throughput of 400 Mbps as opposed to the 12 Mbps of USB 1.1, in high speed mode.
If I may, I would like answers to the following:-
a) Is my logic correct. Will the increase in throughput improve the quality of the final product, or will all the conversions and the devices I will need to go through result in such a degradation I won't gain anything? Has anyone tried this path? (Apart from Deathwish who's Dazzle bridge doesn't work properly.) If so, could you please indicate what hardware you are using. Including the firewire to PC Card? (Particularly if the device does audio.)
b)Does anyone know of a capture "system" as indicated in a) that isn't going to set be back about $US300. The "little aussie battler", i.e. the Australian Dollar is taking a hammering at the moment?
c) Has anyone found a USB device that produces good quality output. Preferably one that is under US$100?
d) Does anyone know of a site that has a good review of someone implementing a)?
e) Am I the only idiot who keeps typing firewall instead of firewire, or is this a general problem? (Forgive me if I didn't catch all of them).
I am only a newbie to all this so if I've said something in the above that's total rubbish and made you laugh out loud, then forgive me and at least I would've made somebody happy today. (Type slowly when you reply so I can understand what you're saying).
If someone could please take pity on a poor aussie and answer my questions I would be most grateful.
Thank-you.

[Greg12]

i would like to know to. i'm buying a new laptop soon.