Usb stands for Universal Serial Bus and the universal aspect is especially interesting. With USB you can connect almost everything. Often with the help of a USB adapter, also known as a USB converter. Just look at these examples.
In 2020, USB is essential and can no longer be ignored on and around our PCs. When purchasing (in particular) a laptop, this is the key question: “How many USB ports does the thing have?” With attention to the technology: usb 1.0, usb 2.0 and usb 3.0. After all: the more modern, the faster. And nowadays USB is also so fast that large amounts of data transfer is no longer an issue. It is a handsome SSD that can keep up with USB 3.0 (4.8 Gbit / second).
That’s great, because if we don’t have to argue about the speed of USB, we can focus on the versatility of this connection.
USB extension cable
Starting with the USB extension cable. You need an extension cable if, for example, the printer is just too far from the computer. USB extension cables come in different sizes, from 50 centimeters to 5 meters. Using it up to 5 meters is rarely a problem, so feel free to use one to save yourself a lot of frustration.
Converting cable
You probably know that there are different USB versions: USB-A, USB-B, USB-Mini-B, USB-Micro-B and USB-C. Usb-a is the common one-to-one connection. We often see USB-B in combination with printers. USB mini-b is widely used by GPS devices.
Usb-micro-b belongs to headphones and the previous generation of smartphones. USB-C is the standard for the new generation of smartphones. To connect one type with another type of USB, there are all kinds of converter cables for sale. Such as usb-b to usb-c (pictured).
Multi cable
If you want to charge a smartphone or a tablet, you usually do this by plugging a USB-A plug into a power point on one side, and then connecting your device on the other. You can always use one separate cable for this. But you can also use a USB multi cable for your charging jobs. You can also immediately grab the iPhone or iPad.
Audio converter
Admittedly, a headset can use bluetooth and there are also USB headsets, with and without a cable. However, if you still have a good headset with 3mm jack plugs, you can use a handy audio converter to make your computer suitable for just such a type of headset. Which also puts a range of luxury headphones within reach.
Wifi adapter
Although almost all modern computers have a WiFi adapter, it is not always available in older desktop PCs. Don’t worry, because for little money you already have a USB adapter that you can use to connect the computer to your wireless network. They are also available with an antenna to increase the range of the network.
Bluetooth adapter
There are a lot of peripherals that can be controlled via bluetooth: from headset and speaker to soundbar. There are also keyboards, mice and remote controls that use this wireless technology. But not every PC has its own bluetooth receiver on board. You can solve this problem with a USB-to-Bluetooth receiver.
Sata converter
If you want to boost your laptop, you can start by replacing the hard drive with an SSD. Everyone knows this is the best accelerator. Therefore, always prefer an SSD rather than more memory or a slightly faster CPU. But transferring data from the mechanical disk to the ssd is a thing.
If you have a USB-SATA converter, then cloning suddenly means nothing. Always handy to have at home. And you don’t need a complete and very expensive docking station for it.
Video converter
Contemporary video cameras and smartphones process video in Full HD and immediately transfer it to a memory card. The somewhat older video cameras do / did everything ‘on tape’. If a tape has to be transferred to the PC, it has to be switched from analogue to digital, because in practical terms the firewire route is usually a dead end in terms of connections. Given the power of the current hardware (and the convenience), you choose a video converter via USB.
USB to parallel
In the past, almost all printers were parallel printers. The pearl interface has been taken over by the USB interface and the printers just evolved with it. But there are still daisy wheel printers and dot matrix printers that only work in parallel.
A daisy wheel printer is there for absolute typewriter quality. A dot matrix printer uses – sometimes very wide – continuous forms. And then you also want to print the modern PC in parallel! There is therefore a solution available in the form of a USB interface that can be plugged into the parallel port of a printer.
USB to Ethernet
You will be shy: “No wifi anywhere and I only have an ethernet cable!” For such a special case, there is an adapter that allows you to connect to Ethernet via USB. It should be noted that a PC or laptop can also work with two Ethernet connections at the same time.
USB card reader
Memory cards come in all shapes and sizes and the SD memory card (in various shapes) is the most popular variant. The micro version is usually used by the mobile phone.
Do you want to get some files from your smartphone very quickly and without the intervention of (for example) Dropbox? Then you can use a special USB card reader for that. They are very compact and therefore great to take with you.
Docking station
There is nothing wrong with a business laptop that you also use at home. But at home you have a different monitor, a different printer, a different external hard drive and wired internet. In that case, a USB docking station is the perfect solution. Once you arrive at home, you only need to plug in one USB cable to enjoy all the conveniences that your own equipment has to offer.
So much for a small selection of the many USB applications that are possible. By which we just want to say: do you have a cable that does not fit directly into your PC? Chances are that a USB adapter will help you out!
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