From the Ask Ed mailbag:
Ed,
Do you know whether Microsoft ever intends to release a 64-bit driver for their fingerprint reader?
I have the Fingerprint Reader/Wireless IntelliMouse combination where the Fingerprint Reader is part of the IntelliMouse Receiver. It is a real waste if there will be no 64-bit driver because otherwise I’ve had no real issues with Vista Ultimate x64.
Alex
Good question. Fingerprint readers are becoming fairly common in business-class notebooks. I have one on my Asus Tablet PC, which runs the 32-bit version of Windows Vista Business Edition, and I’ve grown to enjoy the convenience of using a swipe of the finger to log on and connect to e-mail servers and websites. I’d love to have the same functionality on my desktop, where I’m running Vista Ultimate x64. But this is yet another example of the little incompatibilities and annoyances that exist in the 64-bit Vista ecosystem. When I looked through the Windows Vista Hardware Compatibility List just now in search of a biometric device with the Certified for Windows Vista label, I couldn’t find a single one – for x86 or x64 editions. There’s nothing on the lesser Works with Windows Vista list, either.