When the USB 1.1 interface and compatible devices came out in the late '90s, computer users greeted them with open arms. We no longer had to keep track of which device connected to which port (serial, parallel, SCSI, etc.) We could just plug and play our USB devices and have the computer automatically configure them. No add-on cards were needed. Plus, since USB devices were hot swappable, you could plug and unplug them as much as you wanted without having to reboot your PC or run setup programs. And with multiple USB port jacks, we had the option of hooking up as many as 127 different peripherals at one time.
Speed is the difference
USB 2.0 uses the same cables and connectors as USB 1.1, but while they look the same, they don't perform the same. When it comes to speed, USB 2.0 leaves USB 1.1 in the starting blocks by racing to a data transfer rate of 480 Mbps. That's 40 times faster than USB 1.1's maximum rate of 12 Mbps and nearly 100 times faster than the first serial port. Even with multiple high-speed peripherals connected, USB 2.0 races along with no bandwidth bottlenecks.
Backward compatibility
Conveniently for us, USB 2.0 is backward compatible. This means that any device used with USB 1.1 can still be used with USB 2.0, albeit at the existing 12 Mbps rate. However, to take full advantage of the benefits of USB 2.0, you should upgrade current USB 1.1 systems with USB 2.0-compliant PCI cards and use USB 2.0-compatible devices.
Now's the time to upgrade to USB 2.0
USB 2.0's increased bandwidth makes it ideal to handle today's high-volume files and is great for external hard drives, CD-R/RW drives and digital cameras. The enhanced speed means there's less waiting for song transfers to MP3 players, CDs to burn and photos to download from a digital camera to a PC, to list a few examples. Plus it will also come in handy when dealing with high-volume data, multimedia storage devices, interactive gaming, videoconferencing cameras and the next generation of printers and scanners.
More and more products available
Peripheral manufacturers have realized the benefits of USB 2.0 technology and are making more and more USB 2.0 products every day. Start planning your USB 2.0 strategy and upgrade your PC and peripherals to get the benefits of high-speed technology. You can currently find USB 2.0 products in these categories at
2006-11-30 18:01:47
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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Hello Ryan F,
I have a Mac and I use my various USB ports all the time. I've got a USB web cam and of course my trusty thumb drive. Plus, you can use keyboards, mice, game devices, microphones, printers, scanners, and other external devices. It was a great invention.
--Rick
2006-11-30 18:08:24
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answer #2
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answered by rickrudge 6
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turn it each of ways off, and which could even contain unplugging it from the wall because of the fact they nonetheless consume potential throughout sleep mode. via ways there are various the type to take care of extra potential around the homestead than merely turning off a working laptop or laptop.
2016-12-29 17:57:06
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answer #3
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answered by Anonymous
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