Follow the USB to a better computer

You may not believe me, but a better computer is only a plug away. Many of the things that we were once hesitant to do because we perceived them as difficult, such as set up a network or add more drives, have been simplified. UBS are the three little letters that have our computers filled with visions of grandeur and delight at what they can become when properly outfitted.
The Universal Serial Bus or USB allows you to connect multiple devices to your computer without having to go under the hood and install it. Most computers have USB slots although some older systems do not. Some newer systems are even sporting USB 2.0 slots. If you don’t know what a USB port looks like, then look at the back of your computer and it is the two rectangular female slots. Some newer computers have the USB ports located in the front of the computer.
USB ports are generally slower than their internal counterparts. This obvious area of deficiency led to an inevitable technological evolution. Long story short, the USB 1.1 gave way to the USB 2.0 or highspeed USB. See the true power in technology is how fast it can transfer information and this is where the USB 2.0 excels. It was designed to transfer at a rate of about 480mps which is comparable to its’ rival called Firewire. This is not to say that if you have a USB 1.1 port that you got a raw deal. The truth is that USB 1.1 is fast enough for most devices and peripherals that you might decide to connect to your system.
Devices that use Plug and Play or Bluetooth technology make using your USB a viable option to going out and purchasing a new system. Everything from keyboards to hard drives has an external version on the market. An external CD burner can go for less than $200. Large portions of these devices use Plug and Play technology. Plug and Play allows you to swap devices in your USB port without have to restart your computer. The other emerging technology out of the USB port is called Bluetooth. Bluetooth has actually been around for a while but I think that it will be a household phrase very soon, much like CD burning or mp3. Although Bluetooth is more common in cellphones and pdas’, more devices are on the market that allow you set up your own network at home only without any of the wires or hassles of installing network cards. The truly industrious person could actually network their cellphone and pda to their computer if they all had Bluetooth technology. The networking range for Bluetooth is about 30 to 150 feet depending on the strength of the radiowaves. Investing about $20 in an USB hub will save you the problem of too many devices and not enough ports. USB ports were designed to simplify some aspects of your computing experience. So if you have, use it.