SuperSpeed USB 3.0 is your new best friend!

Forget the ever so slow USB 2.0 devices, behold a new era is here. USB 3.0, aka SuperSpeed USB, is the next amendment of the Universal Serial Bus originally made in 1996 by an association led by Intel.

USB 3.0 promises high transfer rates up to a whopping 4.8Gbps (compared to 2.0 with 480Mbps), increased device current draw to better handle power-sucking devices, increased maximum bus power, support for new transfer types, and new power management features. They also tell us that it will come with new cables and connectors that will allow for high speed data transfers, including backwards compatibility with USB 2.0 computers and devices.

Did you think that USB 2.0 was fast? Think again! Because there are ever increasing demands in data transfers with the increase in high-definition video, terabytes of storage and huge megapixel count digital cameras, when it comes down to a measly 480Mbps, it really isn’t that fast.

SuperSpeed USB 3.0 isn’t only about huge data transfer rates, but is also perfect for improving the interaction between the host computer and device. It can be utilized to use more power when needed and less power when it isn’t needed. Pretty nifty huh? More juice sucking devices could be bus powered, while devices that were battery powered that formerly used bus power, could literally charge quicker. And when only a small amount of power is needed, the device or host computer will turn idle, the power saving state.

USB 3.0 has been intended right from the start to work with USB 2.0. Even though USB 3.0 has different physical connections including cables to take benefit of the lightning fast ability, the actual shape of the connector itself remains the same, the usual rectangle with the same four USB 2.0 contacts in the same location.

Devices such as external hard drives, external Blu-Ray drives, digital video cameras, video display solutions and High Definition cameras and Webcams will all have eased pressure when used with USB 3.0. All these including the high end flash drives have pushed the 2.0 limits quite hard so luckily 3.0 will come and give us more leg room.

Good news but when will it actually hit the market, you may ask? USB hubs and controllers are anticipated to be obtainable near the later year of 2009. On a mass scale, host controllers, devices and products that support SuperSpeed are expected to be available not before 2010.

USB 2.0 might be slowly done away with, similarly with USB 1.1, but until manufacturers start to equip motherboards with USB 3.0 ports, USB 2.0 will continue to live on for a short while longer. Get set to experience USB data transfers like you have never seen before!


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