Everytime there is a "new" OS there are problems with "old" stuff. Doesn't anybody remember when Win95 or Win98 was introduced?
I do!
Well how about this little problem I bought an inexpensive electronic organizer that met my minimal electronic organizer needs about 3 years ago. The organizer came with software to backup the data on your desktop. Nice feature for a $30 organizer. Only probelm the sucker's software only works with Win98. No Windows2000, XP or Linux. YEP, real smart. The manufacturer admitted that they wrote the unit's firmware to accept new drivers to upgrade the unit, but something written improperly in the firmware program only allows the unit replace the Win98 drivers with newer Win98 drivers, so they never changed the desktop software because the unit itself is incompatable with XP or other OS's.
What a waste of $30. Ok, I went ahead and kept the unit and used it until it died from concrete impact disease and then bought another brand that actually does backup to a desktop using a modern OS.
But that is just a classic example of equipment manufacturers living in their own little vacuum and expecting the OS writers to support the legacy products.
I have seen similar problems with a an entire collection of electronic equipment over the years. Printers that work with Win98 SP1, but won't work with Win98 SP2 (for gosh knows what kind of stupid reasons). Cameras that like XP and XP SP1, but go apeshitky with XP SP2 because of the built in fireware. Even simple things like Mice that go bonkers with a new OS or SP to an OS.
The problem is not the fault of the OS, it is equipment manufacturers that refuse to write the updated drivers to begin with, or worse yet refuse to write the proper firmware to accept updated drivers in the first place.
Yes we can all blame the OS manufacturer for failing to write support for legacy products. But let's be realistic, do we really need a computer built in 2006 or 2007 to be "required" to support 10 year old printers, just incase somebody is still using old equipment? You all know what "required" means? A whole bunch of drivers that must be loaded into the OS, a bunch of drivers that will never be used, but neverless will exist and will become corrupt and cause OS problems or BSOD issues. How about just solving the problem on the equipment side and keep the OS as clean as possible.
PS: I have a thermal printer for printing shipping lables. I acquired the unit back in mid 90's. Over they years, since I just ship a few packages from my desk, the unit didn't get a real high volume workout. The firmware is so generically written that the unit has worked with every generation of OS that I have ever used, including the original Win95 without requiring a firmware update. Currently the printer is being used with a Vista 64bit UPS Beta testing unit using the program's built-in generic print drivers! That is how firmware is supposed to be written. Hint hint everybody else. The everybody else most definitely applies to HP, as in the same HP whose 3 yr old HP laser can't work with Vista 64bit because the darn drivers still haven't been written.