.

[falvesjr]

admintiger, thanks for the informative post! However, we got over that hump quite a while back... Secret Agent Girl had to return her CCID version of the reader and they sent her the "correct" model. As to why it still isn't working with her XPsp3 machines, I don't know, but nothing surprises me in the "wonderful world of M$"!

[billbolton]

Does anyone running Windows XP service pack 3 have this damned thing working?

I had ResScan 3.3 running with XP SP2 without any issues, other than having to disable the WiFi device on one older laptop.

By the time XP SP3 came out I'd already moved to Vista (and what a relief that was... XP has so many systemic issues!) so I've never tried to run any version of ResScan on XP SP3.

As far as getting any support for issues with XP, since it is now an n-2 product (that is, two major versions behind the current release), as an indiviudal consumer end user, you a are probably not going to get much joy anywhere.

Cheers,

Bill

[billbolton]

I received an ACS ACR38U-SPC-R Smart Card Reader yesterday that I had ordered from SecureTech Peripherals Inc.

CCID as a workable operational standard for USB connection of Smartcard devices has only started to gain traction in the market place over the past year or so. Support for it was not embedded in any MS product until the release of Vista and it has taken quite a while to see Smartcard industry uptake of CCID.

Secure Tech Peripherals (http://www.securetech-corp.com/smart.html) lists the ACR38 CCID and ACR38 readers as quite separate product listings on their web site, with both being available from stock.

• Updated 2 Cart Items
  
  Thursday, December 31, 2009
  
  Qty Item Name Description Price
  ACR-38U-CCID USB $ 29.00
  ACR-38 USB $ 29.00
  Subtotal 2 Items : $ 58.00

I'd like very much to see a scan/photo of the label on the bottom of the CCID compliant reader that you received with an ACR38U-SPC-R model identifier on it.

Cheers,

Bill

[secret agent girl]

.

[admintiger]

I'd like very much to see a scan/photo of the label on the bottom of the CCID compliant reader that you received with an ACR38U-SPC-R model identifier on it.

Here is the image:

[admintiger]

CCID as a workable operational standard for USB connection of Smartcard devices has only started to gain traction in the market place over the past year or so. Support for it was not embedded in any MS product until the release of Vista and it has taken quite a while to see Smartcard industry uptake of CCID.

Microsoft Class Drivers for USB CCID Smart Cards have been automatically installed as needed by Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operating systems and have been available for downloading on Windows Update since November of 2003. See:
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/in ... _ccid.mspx

Secure Tech Peripherals (http://www.securetech-corp.com/smart.html) lists the ACR38 CCID and ACR38 readers as quite separate product listings on their web site, with both being available from stock.

Updated 2 Cart Items

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Qty Item Name Description Price
ACR-38U-CCID USB $ 29.00
ACR-38 USB $ 29.00
Subtotal 2 Items : $ 58.00

That is true and I ordered ACR-38 USB $ 29.00.

[billbolton]

Microsoft Class Drivers for USB CCID Smart Cards have been automatically installed....

What was it about the term embedded that you did not understand? Having CCID support embedded in the OS was key to getting uptake of the standard.

That is true and I ordered ACR-38 USB $ 29.00.

You need to send it back then, as they delivered the wrong product to you.

[admintiger]

What was it about the term embedded that you did not understand? Having CCID support embedded in the OS was key to getting uptake of the standard.

Whether an operating system automatically installs a driver already on a hard disk or automatically installs a driver that takes seconds to automatically download from a Microsoft server is an irrelevant distinction to anyone with an Internet connection. The user experience is essentially similar either way. They plug a smart card reader into a USB port, the operating system automatically installs the driver and notifies them within seconds that the device is ready for use.

[secret agent girl]

.

[admintiger]

And then the device doesn't work. Sorry, I'm not sure what your point is...

The device doesn't work with ResScan, because ResScan is not CCID compliant. billbolton's position seems to be that adoption of CCID has been slow because Microsoft didn't bundle a CCID driver with Windows until release of Windows Vista. My position is that has been irrelevant, because Microsoft designed Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 to automatically install CCID drivers from a Microsoft server via the Internet. Most users don't know or care about the technical differences. In either case they plug a CCID compliant reader into a USB port, the operating system finds and installs the required CCID driver, and then advises the user that the device is ready for use.

Unfortunately, even though the device is ready for use by modern CCID compliant software, ResScan is not CCID compliant and that is why it doesn't work.

[billbolton]

billbolton's position seems to be that adoption of CCID has been slow because Microsoft didn't bundle a CCID driver with Windows until release of Windows Vista.

Its the SmartCard Alliance's position, but why let inconvenient facts get in the way of your rant

[admintiger]

billbolton's position seems to be that adoption of CCID has been slow because Microsoft didn't bundle a CCID driver with Windows until release of Windows Vista.

Its the SmartCard Alliance's position, but why let inconvenient facts get in the way of your rant

As to "inconvenient facts" the following is quoted here from The Smart Card Alliance October 2004 Publication Number ID-04002 in accordance with the "Fair Use" provisions of Section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law:

The adoption of the CCID specification enables smart card reader manufacturers to build devices that are compliant with this specification. Operating system vendors can write one driver that adheres to this specification and supports all CCID-compliant readers. Microsoft has released a CCID-compliant driver on Windows Update for Windows 2000 and Windows XP. The driver will be included in service packs and all future operating system releases. Porting to Windows CE is also being considered. Other major operating system vendors (e.g., Apple and Sun) are also including native CCID drivers in their operating systems.

Use of a CCID-compliant smart card reader provides true plug-and-play support, removing any need for additional software to be installed. This greatly enhances the user experience.

It doesn't seem from that official publication that "The Smart Card Alliance" was critical of the Windows CCID driver installation method being used in November 2004, which is the same method used today by Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows 2003. To the contrary, their position was (and, incidentally still is) that "use of a CCID-compliant smart card reader provides true plug-and-play support."

Furthermore, in its February 2005 Newsletter "The Smart Card Alliance" urged that "All new smart card reader deployments should seriously consider using CCID-compliant readers." The following is quoted from The Smart Card Alliance February 2005 Newsletter in accordance with the same the "Fair Use" provisions of Section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law:

The Chip Card Interface Device (CCID) specification is an approach to smart card reader communication that is gaining in popularity. The specification defines a standard communication protocol for smart card readers that connect to a computer via USB, allowing the same host-side driver to communicate with any CCID-compliant smart card reader. Microsoft provides a CCID driver through the Windows Update system. All new smart card reader deployments should seriously consider using CCID-compliant readers, both to reduce driver installation issues and to ensure that, in the future, the installed smart card readers can be easily and transparently replaced with any other CCID-compliant reader.

Until yesterday I had never had a reason to use Microsoft's CCID driver. Over the past 24 hours I have learned that it is very easy for computer programmers to use. I wrote some simple C# code yesterday that reads summary and detailed session data from my ResScan data card via my ACR38U-SPC-R CCID compliant reader and passes it to ResScan. However, I lost interest in ResScan after seeing its limited capabilities and I have started writing custom software for my own use that will analyze the data a variety of other ways.

It was not my intention to offend anyone by explaining why ResScan does not work with modern CCID-compliant smart card readers or by taking issue with the belief that ACS Part Number ACR38U-SPC-R smart card readers should necessarily be compatible. Despite good intentions to merely provide helpful information, the information elicited nasty reactions that I have neither the time or interest to deal with. Because of that, this will be my last post to the forum.

[falvesjr]

admintiger, don't let one rotten banana (or post) spoil the bunch! I think your posts have been very informative and I'm also interested in the app you're writing as a ResScan alternative. I know how you feel, having had antagonistic replies from the same member as you, but I will certainly not let that ruin my experience here. I for one, welcome you and hope you reconsider your decision to leave!

[billbolton]

As to "inconvenient facts....."

Since you seem to be more interested in arguing the toss, with lengthy irrelevant posts, rather than dealing with the real situation in the SmartCard market place, I will leave you to your persue your delusions.

[billbolton]

admintiger, don't let one rotten banana (or post) spoil the bunch!

For a recent blow-in here, who clearly hasn't bothered to read much of the existing material on the site, you certainly have a lot of opinions to share!