Microsoft's collecting much more information about device drivers than you might think. Did you know that when Vista tries to install a driver, and it can't find one (either out of the box or online), your Vista computer will generate Windows Error Reporting error? It then submits that error report to Microsoft. Microsoft can then prioritize how they interact with device vendors based on real-world usability, and get the driver on Windows Update. So if 10,000 users have some obscure piece of hardware, Microsoft can make sure those users get the best experience possible. Cool, huh?