Before the advent of USB technology, computers could only be attached to such things as printers and modems through serial ports or parallel ports. Most desktop computers were only equipped with a couple of serial ports and one parallel port, and those were usually occupied by a printer, a modem and a scanner. If one wanted to plug in any other apparatus, it required a bit of work to turn the tower around and detach (and then, a while later, re-attach) whichever item you could possibly do without.

Out of the “Stone Ages”

USB changed all of that. For starters, the USB port could be located on the front of the computer, not the back. It allowed for faster and more convenient mobile storage than a CD-RW or a ZIP drive, and eventually, even greater volume. With nearly all computers supporting USB connections today, the old methods by which computers would “talk” to their ancillary devices became all but useless.

The Need for Speed

At its inception, in 1995, the USB could only move 12 megabytes per second. Of course, computers were only pushing about 128 megs of RAM at that point, so it probably seemed pretty fast at the time (keep in mind that the earliest Isuzu automobile lost a race to a horse). Nowadays USB ports hum at 480 mbps, fast enough to handle PDAs, MP3 players, cell phones and other popular devices that could never have come to fruition with the “old” technology.

The next generation, USB 3.0, is expected to move data at speeds ten times faster than their current capabilities. This will accommodate the latest advances in Smart Phones, e-readers and “tablets” like the iPad. It will also lead to greater expansion of wireless devices that can deliver the same speed as those connected with cables. USB has not only leveled the playing field, but elevated it as well.