The Universal Serial Bus standard is designed to replace the various types of connectors and ports found in older computers with a single type of port for all devices. This connector lets you hook accessories like mouse devices, joysticks, keyboards, and scanners to your personal computer without configuring the device or rebooting your machine. USB peripherals have only one cord the one that plugs into your computer. Data flows both ways on the cable, allowing devices like force-feedback joysticks to interact with your computer and software. And USB technology transfers data like audio or video from peripherals to your computer much faster than a traditional serial port does.
Most computers built in the last two years have USB ports.
To find out if your computer has them, consult the computer's documentation, or check your machine. Some devices also have additional USB ports built into them, allowing you to plug one device into another. Either way, you can potentially run over a hundred accessories on a single computer. USB gives you true Plug and Play Plug and Play is a set of architecture specifications for software, personal computers, and devices that connect to them. The simplicity provided by the USB standard is an integral part of this architecture.