So ubiquitous is USB technology that it almost seems quite difficult to imagine the time before it existed. And for those that do remember, they might shudder and truly appreciate how much easier the universal serial bus has been for integrating the ever-growing number of electronic devices ever-more required to work in harmony. A USB seamlessly transfers power and data between different devices, allowing you to both charge and connect at the same time. And it is not just the world of computing that makes use of this remarkable technology; USB is preferred method of charging for all manner of devices. Today, many devices – from USB rechargeable batteries to smartphones – can simply be plugged in and charged on the go. USB ports are now found everywhere from train carriages to coffee shops and despite the great strides wireless technology is making, USB is in no danger of disappearing just quite yet.
The essential principle behind USB (and the thing that has led it to becoming so ubiquitous) is well summed up by the Ajay Bhatt, an employee of Intel who worked on the technology in the early nineties: “Our goal was that when you get a device, you plug it in, and in works”. Hard as it may be to remember, before USB came along devices connected to computers did not simply plug in and work. Do you recall the PS/2 connector or serial port? The parallel port, the firewire cable, the Apple desktop bus? If you do not, then lucky you. If you do, then you will well recall the hassle that was involved in connecting simple devices such as a mouse, a printer, or a hard drive to your computer. Integrating all these vital technologies required a veritable Medusa’s haircut of cables. The USB changed all that.
Beginnings and Development
It was Intel who developed the USB and released it for the first time in 1996. The problem they were trying to solve was a big one. Not only was a mass of different cables and ports necessary to connect various technologies to a computer, but installing a new device also required multiple reboots of the computer itself. In short, it was time-consuming and complicated and seriously hindered the attractiveness of computers, which were at that time still considered fairly specialist and complicated devices that required a considerable amount of expertise to operate properly.
This is what led to the massive market support that Intel’s project garnered. Computer companies saw the benefit of making their products considerably more user-friendly. Sure enough, after the development of the USB, personal computer sales went through the roof. In 1998, a mere two years after the USB was first introduced, Steve Job’s Apple released the first iMac to be a USB-only machine. It is fair to the say there was no turning back after that point, underscoring the “universal” part in the name, and making the USB the only means of connecting anything to a computer.
USB Today
Today, USB has moved beyond the world of computers and has in that sense become even more universal. With laptops now fully portable devices, they have come to be seen also as a source of on-the-go power for all manner of the devices. For example, USB rechargeable batteries, such as those developed by Park City, Utah-based Pale Blue Earth, can be charged wherever there is a USB port. Moreover, if you are carrying around a laptop, then you always have a USB port to hand.
And the potential of USB is yet to be fully tapped. However popular wireless is becoming, this remarkable technology is not going anywhere.