Flash storage with port 3.0 only takes 3.3 seconds to copy 1 gigabyte of data, compared with 33 seconds of standard 2.0. That is, in one minute the device can transmit two full-length movies.
The new specification also includes the ability to save battery power: USB 3.0 devices that are plugged into laptops, digital cameras . will automatically switch to inactive mode (sleep mode) if not used.
Products equipped with a new USB standard will appear in 2010, first with devices using flash storage technology. Microsoft insists that it will be included in subsequent operating systems, but does not say whether it will support immediately from the Windows 7 version.
An average of 2.5 billion devices with USB ports are shipped every year, so USB 3.0 will still be compatible with 2.0 connections.