Washington  - Hook something up to your computer today, and chances are good that you'll be using a USB port to do so. Everything from keyboards to computer speakers can communicate with your PC via USB - and today, an estimated 10 billion devices are hooked up to PCs via USB.

So when the powers that be announce a new USB standard - to be dubbed SuperSpeed USB 3.0 - people listen, and with good reason.

What will the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 standard mean for you and the many USB peripherals you own? Read on for some answers.

Q: What's better about SuperSpeed USB 3.0?

A: In a word, everything. Let's start with speed. The SuperSpeed USB 3.0 specification promises to transfer data 10 times faster than the current USB 2.0 standard. If you want a bits and bytes comparison, USB comes in at 5 Gigabits per second (Gbps), while USB 2.0 has a top data transfer rate of just 480 megabits per second.

Clearly USB 3.0 will far outclass previous USB generations in terms of speed, so it's more appropriate to compare it to the currently superior transfer rates of FireWire or eSata. Even here, however, USB 3.0 is significantly faster. FireWire has a maximum transfer rate of 800 megabits per second, and eSata, the current transfer rate king, tops out at 3 Gbps. So if SuperSpeed USB 3.0 delivers on its speed claims, which it appears to be poised to do, it could spell the eventual end of competing connectivity standards.

There's more than speed with USB 3.0, however. Among its most impressive features is a bi-directional data interface, which means that the new USB standard will be able to send and receive data at the same time. This bi-directionality is, in fact, part of the reason why USB 3.0 will boast such high data transfer rates: it will no longer have to wait to receive instructions before sending out new information. But this feature should also improve the interaction between devices and the host computer.

Another nifty feature of USB 3.0 is the ability to provide more power - up to 50 per cent more power - to connected peripherals and devices. That will mean fewer additional power bricks will be required by peripherals that can get all of their power through the USB cable. It will also mean quicker charge times for the growing number of devices - such as cell phones - that can be charged via USB.

Q: Is there a difference between SuperSpeed USB 3.0 and the USB 3.0 that has been in the works for several years?

A: No. The new "SuperSpeed" label has been tacked on most likely for marketing reasons. USB 3.0 and SuperSpeed USB 3.0 are the same thing.

Q: Will my current USB devices work with USB 3.0?

A: USB 3.0 is fully backward compatible. That means you'll be able to use both USB 2.0 cables and USB 2.0 devices with a USB 3.0 port.

It does not mean, however, that your USB 2.0 devices will enjoy the speed advantages of USB 3.0. In order to reap the rewards of USB 3.0, everything along the USB chain - the port, the cable, and the devices connected to your computer - will need to be USB 3.0- compatible.

For devices that can substantially benefit from the greater speed offered by USB 3.0 - such as external hard drives - the potential will likely warrant the purchase of new enclosures and cables. For many existing USB devices, however - including printers - the additional speed of USB 3.0 will not make much of a real-world difference. So although there's likely to be a lot of buzz around USB 3.0 when devices start appearing later this year, you can transition to the new standard slowly.

Q: Will I be able to add USB 3.0 to my existing computer?

A: If you have a desktop computer, you will likely be able to add USB 3.0 ports to you computer by means of an add-in card, assuming there are free slots available on your motherboard. This is how many computer users added USB 2.0 to their machines when that standard was first introduced.

Notebook users may be out of luck, however, since they often have no means of expansion or addition of internal components. Many notebooks today even lack PCMCIA slots, which could be used to add USB 3.0 ports by means of an add-in card.

Q: I was thinking about buying a notebook computer. Should I wait until notebooks are outfitted with USB 3.0?

A: That's a tough decision because it's unlikely that a notebook you buy today will be able to be upgraded to USB 3.0, given that the change would require new circuitry rather than simply a driver update.

Clearly if you don't have a pressing need for a new notebook computer and you definitely see the need to have the added speed and other features of USB 3.0, you should wait until later this year or early next, when notebooks will most likely come standard with USB 3.0 ports.

Q: Does my operating system need to support USB 3.0?

A: Yes. Microsoft has already announced that the forthcoming Windows 7 operating system - due by year's end - will support USB 3.0, although perhaps not until the first service pack. It's probable, according to Microsoft, that Windows Vista will also receive updates that allow it to support USB 3.0. Whether Windows XP will also support USB 3.0, however, is an open question. Since XP is no longer being actively developed and because the clock is ticking on its end-of-life support cycle, USB 3.0 support in this now aging although widely used operating system is less likely. Apple will reportedly unveil support for USB 3.0 in its high-end systems later this year.

Q: When will USB 3.0 products start appearing?

A: USB 3.0 cables have already started appearing. Controllers and hubs compatible with the new standard are expected later this year, and the first wave of USB 3.0-enabled devices should be unveiled this year or early next.

--- Have a computer question? Send it to the Computer Helper at jayd@csi.com.