Final answer:
The USB 2.0 specification introduced a transfer rate of 480 Mbps, providing a substantial speed improvement over USB 1.0 and enhancing the functionality of numerous peripherals connected to computers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The USB specification that introduced a transfer rate of 480 Mbps is USB 2.0.
USB 2.0, also known as Hi-Speed USB, was a significant advancement over its predecessor USB 1.0. Released in April 2000, USB 2.0 provided a substantial increase in data transfer rates compared to USB 1.0's 12 Mbps (or USB 1.1's slightly improved rates). This made USB 2.0 suitable for a wide range of applications, including the transfer of large files such as videos and software.
The development of USB 2.0 helped to accelerate the widespread adoption of USB technology for connecting a variety of peripherals to computers, including storage devices, printers, and many other accessories. It marked a balance between speed, compatibility, and cost at the time, and remained the standard until the advent of even faster USB specifications like USB 3.0 and beyond.USB 2.0 was released in April 2000 and provided significant improvements over its predecessor, USB 1.0. One of the major enhancements was the increase in data transfer speed to 480 Mbps (megabits per second), which was 40 times faster than the maximum transfer rate of USB 1.0. This higher speed allowed for faster file transfers and improved performance of USB devices.