USB 2.0

• Technology name: Hi-Speed USB
• Specification released April 2000
• Data transfer rate of 480 Mbps, 40 times faster than previous generation
• Real-world speed: Downloading a 25 GB HD movie from your home server to your notebook takes about 15 minutes
• Contains four wires inside the cable
• Unidirectional
• Backward compatible with previous generations of USB
• Power delivery for Hi-Speed USB Devices: 500 mA.
• Power-management mechanisms to allow aggressive management of I/O power consumption
• Hi-Speed USB devices do not need to be altered to comply with SuperSpeed USB, because SuperSpeed USB is backward compatible.
• Look for Certified Hi-Speed USB logo to ensure USB host or device has passed Hi-Speed compliance tests

USB 3.0

• Technology name: SuperSpeed USB
• Specification released Nov. 2008
• Data transfer rate up to 5 Gbps, 10 times faster than Hi-Speed USB data transfer rates
• Real-world speed: Downloading a 25 GB HD movie from your home server to your notebook takes about 60 seconds
• Contains nine wires; five additional wires
• Bidirectional
• Backward compatible with previous generations of USB
• Power delivery for SuperSpeed USB devices: 900 mA.
• Extended battery life of host; improved power delivery for SuperSpeed USB devices
• To achieve SuperSpeed USB data transfer speeds, both host and device must be SuperSpeed USB-enabled and SuperSpeed cabling must be used.
• Look for Certified SuperSpeed USB logo to ensure USB host or device has passed SuperSpeed USB compliance tests