Gernot Hassenpflug wrote:
Tony lizandtony at orcon dot net dot nz writes:

Micky wrote:
On Tue, 18 Aug 2015 15:27:03 -0500, Tony lizandtony at orcon dot net
dot nz wrote:

micky wrote:
In microsoft.public.windowsxp.general, on Tue, 18 Aug 2015 18:00:55
+0100, Stuart wrote:

In article ,
micky wrote:

It annoys me that not only do they want us to buy a new version of
Windows, which often means a new computer, but then we have to buy new
printers, etc.

Beats me why Microsoft have to change things so that older printer drivers
don't work any way. After all, a program sends the print request to the OS
which then sends the information to the driver, why change stuff?

Well, actually Microsoft are in cahoots with hardware manufacturers to
make sure you have to keep buying new printers etc.

Yeah, I'm sure that's the reason. I wonder what MS gets out of it.
That is not what happens at all.
Tony

When I wrote my line above 5 months ago, I was sure it sounded
sarcastic, but reading it now, it didn't even sound sarcastic to me.
But that's how I meant it. Sorry I was misleading.
Fair enough.
Microsoft do not write the drivers for printers. The printer manufacturer
has
to do that.
So there is customer and shareholder pressure to develop new operating
systems
and the printer manufacturers have to decide whether they develop new
printer
drivers for it.

Actually, as far as I can see in Japan, the printer manufacturers
outsource the driver writing to a 3rd-party, they do not do it
themselves.
Hence there is yet another level of contracting and negotiations,
cost-benefit analysis and so on involved.
--
NNTP on Emacs 24.3 from Windows 7
Ah, I am sure you are right. And it probably makes it more difficult to justify
new drivers.
I was making the point that it is the responsibility of the printer
manufacturer and not the responsibility of the OS developer.
I have lost count of the number of times I have heard people blame Microsoft
for poorly written or non-existent hardware drivers.
But your point is well made.
Tony