In the early days of home computers, any external gadgets, such as speakers or monitors, had to be connected to a specific port. Not only did this limit the amount of hardware you could hook up, but it also meant that many products could be connected only to compatible machines. The Universal Serial Bus was released in 1995 to make things easier for both consumers and manufacturers. Regardless of whether you're plugging in a keyboard, a monitor or a printer, if your hardware has a USB plug, it can be plugged into any open USB port.
