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"Microsoft Windows Vista: What Does It Mean for Printers?
By Cary Sherburne, Senior WTT Editor
January 16, 2006 -- Amidst all the media hype around the long-awaited release of Microsoft?s new Windows Vista operating system, there has been little discussion about a key feature that will be important to our industry: XML Paper Specification or XPS. The name is misleading?XPS is a complete rewrite of the printing subsystem within Windows, and depending on the type of work a printer is receiving electronically, it could make a huge difference in the reliability of printing a wide variety of file types, including Microsoft Publisher and Microsoft Office files.
Here?s how Microsoft describes XPS on its developer site:
The XML Paper Specification (XPS) makes modern documents possible for all. Simply put, XPS describes electronic paper in a way that can be read by hardware, read by software, and read by humans. With XPS, documents print better, can be shared easier, be archived with confidence, and are more secure.
Microsoft has integrated XPS-based technologies into the 2007 Microsoft Office system and the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system, but XPS itself is platform independent, openly published, and available royalty-free. Microsoft is using XPS to bring additional document value to its customers, its partners, and the computing industry."