USB 2.0 Standard

• USB 2.0 is a commonly used standard that allows for high-speed data transfers. It utilizes a single plug and a 5V power supply for devices to connect to. Introduced in 2001, it offers transfer speeds up to 480 megabits per second, greater than the 12 megabits per second rate supported by USB 1.x.
  
  

USB Plus

• USB Plus allows for greater power supplied to devices. It supports four additional pins to allow for 5V, 12V or 24V devices to be powered by the port. The connector pins have been upgraded to allow for more current to run along the traditional 5V connection. A USB Plus port looks like two traditional USB ports are stacked on top of each other; the top connector is used as the power supply and the bottom acting like a traditional connector.
  
  

Applications

• USB 2.0 is used in a vast number of today's peripherals, including external hard drives, printers and digital cameras. Mice, keyboards and smartphones are also commonly connected to a computer via USB 2.0 ports. USB Plus allows for more retail devices, such as bar code scanners and point of sale devices, to be connected to a traditional computer.