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Type A USB Port and Connector
(connects to computer)
Type B USB Port and Connector
(connects to peripheral ) | USB can accommodate: * Input Devices - keyboards - mice - joysticks - graphics tablets * Storage Devices - floppy drives - hard drives - removable storage drives * Printing Devices - ink jet printers - laser printers * Imaging Devices - Scanners - Digital Cameras - Displays * Telephony Devices - modems - speakerphone modems * Connectivity Devices - hubs |
| What is USB? Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a periheral bus standard that allows you to connect a variety of peripheral devices to your computer. Many Macintosh computers use Small Computer Standard Interface (SCSI), Apple Desktop Bus (ADB), and serial connections to connect peripheral devices. USB will eventually replace these standards. The iMac is the first Macintosh to incorporate this standard. Universal Serial Bus offers: plug-and-play flexibility standard connectors and cables, so there will be a wide variety of solutions available to Apple customers automatic configuration of devices as soon as they are connected hot swapping (the connecting and disconnecting of devices while the computer is on) ability to have multiple devices run simultaneously on one computer, it can support up to 127 devices! Using Older Devices With New USB Standard Ethernet adapters will be available that will allow you to connect LocalTalk devices to iMac. And Apple also expects adapters to be available for some serial devices. However, Apple does not expect adapters to become available for SCSI devices, and Apple does not support or recommend the use of any ADB devices on iMac, even though some third parties have announced plans to make such adapters or "dongles" available.
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| Technology | Theoretical Maximum Throughput
Megabits | Theoretical Maximum Throughput
Megabytes | Used For |
| Apple Desktop Bus | 0.01 Mbps or 10 Kbps | 0.0013MBps | input devices like mice, keyboards, joysticks, etc |
| Serial Port | 0.23 Mbps or 230 Kbps | 0.029MBps | printers, telephony devices, modems, etc |
| USB at low data transfer rate | 1.5 Mbps | 0.19MBps | most devices |
| Geoport Port | 2 Mbps | 0.25MBps | Geoport modem |
| 10Base-T | 10 Mbps | 1.25MBPS | Laser printers, network connections, etc |
| USB at high transfer rates | 12 Mbps | 1.5MBps | most devices |
| SCSI | 40 Mbps | 5MBps | hardrives, removable storage, scanners, etc |
| Fast SCSI | 80 Mbps | 10MBps | high performance drives |
| 100Base-T | 100 Mbps | 12.5MBps | Laser printers, network connections, etc |
| Ultra SCSI | 160 Mbps | 20MBps | high performance drives |
| Wide Ultra SCSI | 320 Mbps | 40MBps | high performance drives |
| Ultra2 SCSI | 320 Mbps | 40MBps | high performance drives |
| FireWire | 400 Mbps | 50MBps | hard drives, scanners, digital video |
| USB 2.0 (Intel) | 480 Mbps | 60MBps | Standard due in late 2000 or early 2001 |
| Wide Ultra2 SCSI | 640 Mbps | 80MBps | high performance drives |
| FireWire | 800 Mbps | 100MBps | hard drives, scanners, digital video
Now available (3/21/00) |
| Ultra3 SCSI | 1280 Mbps | 160MBps | high performance drives |
| FireWire | 1600 Mbps | 200MBps | hard drives, scanners, digital video
(Design spec up and running 3/21/00) |
