I seriously doubt that there is any difference between USB cables beyond marketing. Nothing about USB connectivity has changed, so unless every USB cable designed and sold before the introduction of USB 2.0 was poorly designed, data transfer rates have more to do with the electronics behind the ports than the cables.

The USB2/Hi-Speed USB labeling, like the “Vista Compatible” labels you have seen on some cables, is nothing more than preying on the general public’s ignorance of computer technology.