What Is Meant By "usb 3.1 Gen 1 (data Transfer Only)"

Please explain what is meant by "data transfer only" when I see the following in a laptop spec: "USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Data transfer only)"

Can an external drive be plugged into this USB? Since an external drive needs to be powered by the USB port, is the answer to my question "no"? Or am I not understaning this type of USB?

Also, what is the type of connector on the laptop? Can a USB 2.0 device be plugged into this USB or is an adapter needed? If adapter, what do I look for in the store?

Thank you!!!

 

If you go to Google and do a search on "usb 3.1 gen 1 data transfer only", you'll see this:

"USB 3.1 Gen 1 (data transfer only)" means USB 3.1 at half the current speed, without video, charging, or Thunderbolt capabilities. It means the USB ports can be used to transfer data but not do anything else. USB 3.1 is a Jack-of-all-trades specification.​

Some external drives have a separate AC power adapter; those will work fine on this port. If the drive requires the port to provide power, then it won't work here.

It should be the rectangular port with the plastic spacer inside.

"USB 3.0 doesn't really exist anymore. The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) chose to absorb the USB 3.0 spec into the USB 3.1 Gen 1 spec. Because of that, the terms USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 Gen 1 are synonymous."​

 

Thank you for the help. Your info leads to another question. I have external hard drives using USB 2.0 connecters. If the new laptop has USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, how can I use the external drives with the laptop?

 

Your USB 2.0 drives will plug into a USB 3.1 Gen 1 port and work fine, just at USB 2.0 speed. However, you'll still run into the issue of whether or not the 3.1 port is data transfer only.