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USB

By , About.com Guide

Definition:

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a uniform connector designed to simplify the process of connecting peripherals, such as printers or keyboards, to a computer. USB allows you to plug or unplug a device, without shutting down and restarting your computer.

USB 2.0 (also known as Hi-Speed USB) can reach data transfer speeds of up to 480 Mbps. USB 1.1 could only reach data transfer speeds of up to 12 Mbps.

Examples:
USB devices support plug-and-play and hot-swapping. When you plug a USB device into your computer, which you can do without shutting your computer down first, your computer will automatically recognize it.
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