Regarded by Maximum PC as the Top PC Innovation of All Time, USB has become an integral part of IT. USB 3.0 is expected in 2010, and with comes a theoretical maximum rate of 5 Gbps.

Some USB 3.0 Key Points:
1. USB 3.0 will be full duplex, where USB 2.0 is half-duplex
2. USB 3.0 will be backwards-compatible with USB 2.0
3. Uploads and downloads are kept on separate lines
4. USB 3.0 will charge more devices, at a faster rate
5. USB 3.0 will be more power efficient

For reference please note the following data transfer rate of a 25GB HD movie:
- USB 1.0: 9.3 hours
- USB 2.0: 13.9 minutes
- USB 3.0: 70 seconds

Travis Baird, eGroup