Computers have evolved so much in the last years. Some time ago there were just some big and unpractical devices, that were capable of doing just some simple operations. But today they are complex machines, with some state-of-the-art technologies included. Along with the evolution of the personal computers (PC-s), all of their components evolved too (such as monitors, keyboards, mice, video cards, sound cards, etc.) and also the computer speakers.



First the speakers were just some very small devices, that were integrated on the main board. And of course they were not capable of giving such a good sound. But today almost all of the speakers are external (except for the laptop speakers of course).



We can’t consider it an advantage, but one good thing about the integrated computer speakers, was that they were not needing any power source or batteries. They were just taking their power right from the computer. As the speakers became external, they also needed a power source. Some speakers are running on batteries (especially the iPod speakers or the wireless speakers) but most of them require an AC power plug. These days you can find a new type of computer speakers, some that seem to go back to their roots, and take the power right from the computer; these are the USB speakers.

As you can see in the image, these are usually very small and portable speakers. So this way you can easily carry the around with you, and use them with your computer, but mostly with your laptop. So after all they are external speakers for computer - no batteries required. As we said before, they are USB speakers, so they connect with the computer through the USB port. Another great thing is that this cable is the only one they have, and it is used both for the audio signal and for the power. So you don’t need any batteries, you don’t need any AC power plug…as long as your computer or laptop is running, the USB speakers will work too.



There are a lot of models of USB speakers on the market, and almost every big producer is offering some. Today we are going to discuss about just one model, and we’ll take the iML 237 Ultra Portable speaker from Altec Lansing. It is composed out of just a simple, small and round speaker that will be very easy to carry around, anywhere you go. It has quite a good price (of 50 dollars) and it will sound better than the integrated speakers from your laptop. It will give you a nice and full sound, and the big advantage is that you can use anywhere you want, without needing any batteries or power source. Just plug it in the USB port, and enjoy the sound! The speakers is featuring a handy carrying case, that also has a clip making the transportation really easy. It also has a LED to let you know when it is working and when it is turned off.