[sane-devel] SANE protocol over USB as new USB scanner device class?

[François Revol]

> Hi,
> 
> > The way to do this would be to define some USB protocol and have it
> > standardised by the USB Implementers Forum, then use that to 
> > influence
> > the OEM scanner manufacturers to implement it on new scanners.
> 
> There actually was a scanner/imaging device standard class defined 
> for
> USB, and it never went anywhere.

Well, just like webcams, until finally some big player switched to UVC, 
like Apple.

Nothing stops you from lobbying your prefered vendor into quitting 
their proprietary protocol. Just list them the pros, like less time 
developping a windows only driver, Vista and Windows 7 support without 
writing another driver, support for all other OSes, and big 
advertisement from all FOSS fans.

The problem is always the same with those vendors, they think having 
proprietary protocols and drivers will help them differentiate with 
"added value", while all their drivers add is usually more megabytes of 
useless junk to install :-(

Also, by doing so they are also accomplices of the microsoft monopoly, 
since they prevent other OSes from competing by not releasing the 
specs, and the lack of hw support is the number one argument from those 
forcing windows preloaded on PCs, because "people want something that 
works".

François.