| The Universal Serial Bus (USB) was first | | | | The creation of increasingly sophisticated |
| launched in 1996 by a group of IT Companies | | | | gadgets and peripherals spotlighted the |
| known as the USB Promoter Group. | | | | limitations of the original version of USB. |
| | | | USB 1.1 was not able to fully support the |
| This first version was known as USB 1.1 and | | | | speeds needed to run gadgets like digital |
| was a standardized serial connection that | | | | movie or video players, mobile phones, video |
| aimed to provide a replacement for parallel | | | | phones, Web cameras, digital cameras, MP3s or |
| and serial ports. Intended for mid-speed and | | | | digital music players, PDAs and Palmtops. |
| slow computer peripherals, it created an | | | | |
| intelligent serial bus. | | | | When USB 2.0 version debuted, with 40 times |
| | | | the speed of the previous version, it offered |
| In the early years, many people utilized USB | | | | the capacity to operate most of the newly |
| on their own computers and it proved to work | | | | released technologies. |
| well for most applications. In recent years, | | | | |
| however, USB 1.1 has proved to be too | | | | One of the most important features of USB 2.0 |
| limited. While USB 1.1 managed to remain | | | | is that it is backward compatible. In other |
| useful to more modern technologies, some | | | | words, USB 2.0 hardware can be plugged to |
| loopholes in the initial version were pointed | | | | computer's old USB 1.1 port and will function |
| as the source of major problems. | | | | properly because both versions use same plug. |
| | | | USB 2.0 can transmit data at speeds between |
| USB 1.1 was limited with a slower | | | | 1.5 megabits to 480 megabits per second, but |
| transference rate of only 12-megabits/ sec. | | | | if USB 2.0 hardware is connected to a USB 1.1 |
| During the rise of the USB 1.1 in the market, | | | | port it will not attempt to transmit data at |
| the Institute of Electrical and Electronics | | | | its maximum speed of 480 megabits per second. |
| Engineer (IEEE) unveiled the FireWire, also | | | | Rather, it will slow it's rate of |
| called i.LINK(tm), which had a transfer speed | | | | transmission in order to operate properly and |
| of 400 blazing megabytes per second, then | | | | compatibly with the older hardware. |
| considered a fantastic rate of transfer. This | | | | |
| transfer speed made the uploading of a full | | | | Upgrading a computer to include USB 2.0 ports |
| motion video from a camcorder convenient. It | | | | into a computer is a simple procedure. When |
| threatened to push USB 1.1 out of the market, | | | | USB 2.0 ports are added with a PCI port card, |
| as it was not able to compete with this | | | | the original USB 1.1 ports are retained and |
| newcomer. | | | | will continue to function normally. |
| | | | |