SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 11, 2002--Technology enthusiasts interested in seeing the broad deployment of Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (USB 2.0) need look no further than Intel Developer Forum, Fall 2002 (IDF) this week in San Jose, Calif.

Granted, from a pure retail perspective, they can visit the nearest computer superstore where customers are buying systems and peripherals identified as "Hi-Speed USB," meaning they are based on the highest speed defined by the USB 2.0 specification. But to truly see and hear the latest on one of the hottest computer technologies, IDF is the place to be.

In and around the San Jose Convention Center, thousands of developers, engineers and other highly technical audiences are learning more about the leading personal computer peripheral interconnect. Some of the strongest buzz is coming from the fact that Hi-Speed USB drivers are native on the just-released Microsoft Windows(a) XP Service Pack 1 and upcoming .Net Server, in addition to the next Linux kernel. Operating system (OS) drivers are already available for Microsoft Windows XP and Windows 2000, but Windows XP SP1 is the first OS with native USB 2.0 support. Drivers for Windows 98 and Me are available from multiple add-in card manufacturers.

Another critical element of the technology's deployment expansion is in systems, several of which are showcased at IDF. Desktop PCs and notebook computers from such companies as Compaq, Dell, Gateway, HP and NEC are shipping with Hi-Speed USB, along with motherboards from nearly every manufacturer of the market segment. Eighty percent of all PCs shipped in 2003 are expected to have USB 2.0 support, according to Cahners In-Stat/MDR.

A major contributor to this growth is the integration of USB 2.0 in chipsets. Intel chipsets have been shipping in PCs since the spring, with other chipset vendors shipping soon.

Hand in hand is the swelling of peripherals on retail shelves that take advantage of Hi-Speed USB's main attributes: increased speed of up to 480 Mbps, or 40 times faster than original USB (12 Mbps), and the provision of higher I/O bandwidth required by the latest scanners, printers, flash card readers, DVDs, CD-RW, cameras, storage devices and network connections. More than 300 peripheral products, in all, have passed USB Implementers Forum compliance for product quality and interoperability, and thus are allowed to bear the red, white and blue "Certified Hi-Speed USB" logo that is gaining awareness among consumers.

IDF is playing host to several demonstrations that show off many of the new Hi-Speed USB products hitting the market. Inside the USB-IF Pavilion (#106), attendees are seeing Hitachi's new digital camcorder with a Hi-Speed USB interface, believed to be the first such camcorder in the marketplace. Another demo is showing the fastest data transfer speeds to date, eclipsing 34 MBps, using Maxtor HDD and the Intel® 845G chipset with an integrated Hi-Speed USB host controller. Other demos tout the fact that the new performance of Hi-Speed USB allows such video products as camcorders and webcams to work with the millions of PCs hitting the market. One such webcam is being announced at IDF: a Hi-Speed USB-enabled camera from ADS Technologies, which allows webcam streaming of raw, uncompressed video with a resolution of 640 x 480 at 30 frames per second. Another unique Hi-Speed USB product on display is a flash drive from Lexar Media capable of data transfer rates never before achieved with flash-based USB storage solutions. Also, Creative Labs will preview a digital audio player, the first such player to hit the market.

About USB-IF

The non-profit USB Implementers Forum Inc. was formed to provide a support organization and forum for the advancement and adoption of USB technology. The USB-IF facilitates the development of high-quality, compatible USB devices, and promotes the benefits of USB and the quality of products that have passed compliance testing. Visit www.usb.org for further information, including a list of all certified USB products and recent product and technology announcements.