USB 3.0 Overview

USB 3.0 is the next major version of "USB," or "Universal Serial Bus." USB 1.0 was released in 1996 as the brainchild of a group of companies led by Intel, and has since become the most common interfacing method for peripheral-to-computer connection. USB 2.0 was released in 2000, offering massively increased transfer speeds in addition to being backwards compatible.

Now, in an age where hi-def is the standard, greater amounts of bandwidth are needed for even standard products--and this is where USB 3.0 shines. USB 3.0 promises speeds in excess of 10x what USB 2.0 offers, with data transfer speeds around 4.8Gbps as well as backwards compatibility.

Power-consumption has also been addressed by USB 3.0, as devices which need more power can now have access to it, while devices needing less power can utilize USB 3.0's 'power saving' states. Additionally, devices can power-down portions of their hardware not in use to save energy.

The switch to USB 3.0 will not happen overnight. Much like how USB 2.0 took years to fully implement, USB 3.0 will be something that enters the market gradually, propelled by computer manufacturers who decide to include the technology on the products they ship. USB 3.0 products are actually available now, albeit in limited numbers; however, if you wanted to be the first kid on the block to own a USB 3.0 device, you could go pick up a Seagate USB 3.0 external harddrive or flash disk. Just don't let anyone know you won't be able to use it for a year or so.