Introduction

Over the past five years the USB norm has been massively adopted by every computer user. The Universal Serial Bus standard has almost replaced the old school serial and PS/2 ports because of its numerous yet undeniable advantages. The promoters of the USB worked hard to deliver a connecting norm that features serious qualities: hot plug, plug & play, plus the ability to connect 127 devices simultaneously. That’s why the USB imposed itself rapidly. With the release of Windows 98 the sales of USB devices literally took off! However the USB as we know it today has one obvious weak point: the interface offers a slow transfer rate. With USB 1.1’s poor transfer rate it was impossible for manufacturers to consider releasing USB storage devices like hard disks, USB high speed burners, or USB network adapters, USB video capturing devices, etc. 

That’s why the members (Compaq, Intel, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, Nec, Philips, etc.) of the USB Implementers Forum have co-developed a new promising generation of the USB norm extending performances by up to 40 times over existing capabilities. USB 2.0 features all the qualities of today’s USB but above all it offers an extraordinary bandwidth of 480 Mbps against –only- 12 Mbps for USB 1.1, thus unveiling new possibilities to connect high speed and high demanding devices. Today many USB 2.0 devices are already available like hard drives, scanners, burners, ensuring USB 2.0 is no longer an illusion. 

Since today’s PCs don’t support USB 2.0, you have to add in your PC a PCI USB 2.0 controller card so you can plug and use USB 2.0 devices. Adaptec, the company that pioneered SCSI, has literally rushed into this new market by releasing a bunch of USB 2.0 adapters. The one we’re reviewing today is Adaptec USB2Connect 3100LP.