Q & A about Canon digital cameras and Microsoft Windows XP

Q1: What is Windows XP?

A1: It's the latest version of Microsoft's operating system for personal computers.

Q2: What's the difference between XP and earlier versions of Windows in relation to digital cameras?

A2: Windows XP makes it easier to download pictures from the camera to the computer, and it also makes it easier to use the pictures once they've been downloaded.

Q3: When Canon says that some of its digital cameras are compatible with Windows XP, what does it mean?

A3: Once you install the appropriate Canon Windows XP driver, your XP computer will recognize your compatible Canon digital camera as soon as the interface cable is connected and the camera is turned on. Then the computer will launch Windows XP's "Scanners & Cameras Wizard," which automatically displays all the pictures on the CompactFlash card and gives you several options on what to do with them. Using the Wizard, you can instantly view, store, print, e-mail or publish your images to a web page. You can also "drag and drop" camera images directly into Microsoft Office files such as Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, or PowerPoint presentations.

Q4: I can already do some of these things in Windows 98 with ZoomBrowser EX. What's the difference?

A4: You're right, once ZoomBrowser EX is installed on Windows 98, the computer recognizes when a PowerShot or D30 is connected and automatically starts the program. In that respect, it's very similar to the Windows XP concept. The big difference with XP is that the "Scanners & Cameras Wizard" is already there when XP itself is installed. You don't have to install or use ZoomBrowser EX unless you want to do so. Also, ZoomBrowser EX does not (yet) support web page publishing or drag and drop to other applications.

Q5: Which Canon digital cameras are compatible with Windows XP?

A5: Essentially all Canon digital cameras with a USB interface are already compatible or can be made compatible with an updated Windows XP driver. The list of compatible models includes PowerShots A10, A20, S10, S20, S30, S40, S100, S110, S300, G1, G2, and Pro90 IS. The EOS D30 and EOS-1D are not yet "officially" compatible with Windows XP, but Canon Inc. is working on driver updates to support these models.

Q6: Which Canon digital cameras are already packaged with Windows XP drivers?

A6: All PowerShot A10, A20, S110, S300 and G2 cameras shipped on or after October 1 include updated software CDs with Windows XP-compatible drivers. All PowerShot S40 and S30 cameras regardless of shipping date include XP-compatible drivers.

Q7: How can dealers and customers obtain Windows XP drivers for compatible cameras?

A7: The latest XP-Compatible drivers for Canon digital cameras can be downloaded at no charge from www.powershot.com using the following address:

<http://www.powershot.com/powershot2/customer/driverdown.html>

Before installing the new drivers, we strongly recommend users to read our statement on Windows XP Compatibility at:

<http://www.powershot.com/powershot2/customer/windowsxp.html>

Users should also download and read Canon's Windows XP Driver Installation Instructions, at:

<http://www.powershot.com/powershot2/customer/manual.html>

Look in the lower right corner of this web page for the Windows XP Driver PDF.

Q8: Is there any other information about Windows XP and digital cameras in general that we should know?

A8: Microsoft's official web page for Windows XP contains a lot of information. We recommend reading the following section to gain a clearer understanding of XP's digital camera features:

<http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/evaluation/experiences/photo.asp>