Features new to Windows XP
Windows XP introduced many features not found in previous versions of Windows. Windows XP provides new and/or improved drivers and user interfaces for devices compared to Windows Me and 98. Windows Image Acquisition (WIA), originally introduced in Windows Me, replaced the traditional TWAIN support for scanners and digital cameras. [1][2] As TWAIN does not separate the user interface from the driver of a device, it is difficult to provide transparent network access; whenever an application loads a TWAIN driver, it is completely undetachable from the supplied manufacturer’s GUI. Still Image (STI) support is provided as a compatibility layer within the WIA subsystem. On old versions of Windows, when users upgrade a device driver, there is a chance the new driver is less efficient or functional than the original. Reinstalling the old driver can be a major hassle and to avoid this quandary, Windows XP keeps a copy of an old driver when a new version is installed.
