Author: Emma Gibson

Hello all! I'm Emma Gibson and I'm a work-from-home Technical Writer of over 10 years. I write for the DriverFinder site, and have provided thousands of short, step-by-step 'How To' content for the Customer Support portals of various US companies such as HP, Symantec, System Center, Cherwell, and others.When I'm not writing 'tech stuff', I'm mostly likely to be found in the kitchen testing recipes, or outside sporting (to get rid of those calories I consumed while in the kitchen).

Cirrus Logic Drivers

Corporate profile of Cirrus Logic Corp.

Established in 1984, Cirrus Logic is a fabless semiconductor company that specializes in analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits for a wide range of industrial and consumer markets. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Cirrus has more than 900 patents for a line of approximately 600 products to serve well over 3,000 end-users across the world. Its technologies are relied on by industry-leading names such as Harman International, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung and Sony.

In the early, 1990s, Cirrus was a leading manufacturer of affordable PC graphics chips. Its Microsoft Windows 2D GUI accelerators were highly acclaimed as some of the fastest and most affordable on the market, outperforming VGA-chips from competitors like Western Digital, Trident Microsystems and Oak Technologies. The Cirrus graphics chip, the GD5422, supported hardware acceleration for 8-bit and 16-bit color, making it one of the lowest-priced VGA controllers to offer support for both. In the mid to late 1990s, it was one of a handful of companies to deliver a VGA controller for 3dfx’s Voodoo Rush 3D-accelerator card. To the current day, Cirrus chipsets help to power a number of notebook and desktop PCs.

The Cirrus product line is quite extensive and robust. Aside from a broad range of integrated circuits targeted at industrial and consumer markets, it also features high–precision ICs for automotive entertainment applications and electrical solutions in digital power meters and seismic systems. Cirrus audio processors and converters can be found in a number of professional consumer products including home-theater receivers, portable media players, television sets and set-top hardware. There was a time when the company designed and marketed hard disk controller chips, modem controllers, CD drive controller chips, PC graphics chips and PC soundcard controllers. A highly successful portfolio of Cirrus ICs and processors has made this company one of the most recognizable names in the industry.

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Chips Drivers

Corporate Profile of Chips and Technologies.

Founded in 1985, Chips and Technologies is the very first in a long line of semiconductor companies to follow. Outside of IBM, it was the first company to produce a compatible VGA chipset, essentially creating the market for IBM compatible graphics. Chips and Technologies chipsets set a trend that was followed up by companies such as Oak Technologies, Cirrus Logic, Trident Microsystems and many others. From this course of action the industry inevitably became saturated.

Upon first being established, the main objective of Chips and Technologies was to come up with more cost-effective ways to design and produce microcomputer system components for a fast growing market. Its portfolio consisted of an extensive line of Chips and Technologies chipsets and circuits, graphics controller circuits, interface circuits, PC-to-mainframe communications controllers and a variety of circuits for mass storage control. In the early 1990s, Chips and Technologies set its focus on single-chip systems to capitalize on the anticipated growth of sub-notebook and handheld computers.

The company is well known for the Chips and Technologies Wingine video card, a high-speed framebuffer which resided in a proprietary local bus slot on compatible motherboards. JCIS and Epson were two of several companies who offered motherboards integrated with the Wingine local bus slot. The Chips and Technologies Wingine was a big a hit among users of the NEXTSTEP for Intel processors due to its reputation as one of the most efficient video cards for the system.

In the mid 1990s, Chips and Technologies fail on hard times, making significant cuts to both its staff and product line. Though it looked as if the company would be able to make a comeback, it was eventually acquired by Intel in 1997. Because of its strong presence in the graphics chip business, Chips and Technologies products are still largely supported by a number of third-party vendors.

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Canopus Drivers

Corporate profile of Canopus Corporation.

Founded in 2001, Canopus Corporation specializes in designing and marketing digital video and graphics solutions for corporations, government, education, small businesses and enthusiasts. The company is well known for an award-winning line of hardware and software products designed to set new standards in the way of functionality, reliability and performance. In a very short time, Canpos has achieved worldwide notoriety, now with locations in the United States, the U.K., Tokyo, China and Germany.

Canopus is highly regarded as a global leader in nonlinear video editing systems. This can be attributed to the company’s innovate designs. The stability and enhanced functionality its products offer has made Canopus a big hit among video professionals in various fields. Relying on a solid proprietary architecture, it is able to produce the fastest, most efficient nonlinear editing solutions available for the desktop PC. Its scalable infrastructure has the ability to harness the true power of a CPU, allowing for increased speed and performance. In effort to expand its portfolio of MPEG-based products, the company recently introduced the Canopus MediaEdge. This affordable, high-quality video networking solution uses Canopus’s reliable MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 compression technology to deliver top-grade level video across LAN-based networks.

It was announced in 2005 that Thomson would be purchasing a 33.3% stake in Canopus with plans of holding a public tender offer in order to gain the remaining shares. As of January 2006, Thomson’s goals were fulfilled as its ownership of Canopus was 94.31%. Already owning Grass Valley Broadcast and Networking, this acquisition strengthened Thomson’s position in the media and entertainment field, allowing the company to accelerate the delivery of technologies that include desktop video editing, digital media conversion and VoIP products among others. Despite the acquisition, the name remains the same and Canopus video products are still widely available and supported.

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Canon Drivers

Corporate profile of Canon Inc.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Canon Inc. is a global manufacturer of imaging and optical products. Its product line consists of a wide range of computer printers, digital cameras, photo copiers and steppers. Since 1983, the company has been a leading manufacturer of digital cameras. Through their innovation and proprietary product launches, Canon has helped to establish many new trends on the market. Thanks to regional headquarters throughout Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East, Canon printers and computer peripherals can be found in many homes and offices around the world.

Canon puts a strong emphasis on creating high quality products for corporate users. Its Business Solutions division offers print and document services for small to medium sized businesses, large enterprises and government agencies. This lineup includes multi-functional Canon printers, color and black-and-white printers, larger format printers, production printers and scanners. The company also develops the software and device drivers to support the hardware. Some of its lesser known products are broadcast lenses, semiconductors, digital microfilm scanners, Handy Terminal solutions and a wide variety of medical products.

Originally founded in 1937, Canon began as a small company with only a handful of employees and a passion for success. It started out with a prototype of what would be Japan’s first 35 mm equipped with a focal plane shutter, a unit known as Kwanon. In what seemed like no time, the company grew to become a world renowned camera manufacturer and a major player in the computer printer industry. It is now a multi-international powerhouse with more the 60 years in the business and well over 20,000 employees located throughout the world. Although technology has change the industry for the best, Canon still carries the same expertise and passion as it did in the earlier years, the same top-notch qualities that has made it a familiar name across the globe.

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Brother Drivers

Corporate profile of Brother International Corp.

Brother International Corporation is a leading manufacturer and distributor of home and office products. Marketing products created by its parent company, Brother Industries, this manufacturer is best known for its extensive portfolio of Brother printers and computer peripherals. With more than 1,100 employees in the Americas, Brother enjoyed revenues of an estimated $1.5 billion in the fiscal year of 2006 and continues to remain highly profitable to the current day.

Though originally established in 1954, Brother’s history dates back to 1908 when the Yasui Sewing Machine Company was founded in Nagoya, Japan. Until being officially established, the company was Yasui Sewing Machine’s first overseas sales affiliate, finally changing the name to Brothers, Industries, LTD. in 1962. Shortly thereafter, Brother jumped into the printer market during a longstanding partnership with Centronics, a now defunct manufacturer who was a pioneer in the industry. The rest you could say is history.

Brother products can be found in a number of homes and offices throughout the world. Its product consists of an award-winning series of Multi-Function Center and printers as well as typewriters and sewing machines. The company boasts the number one line of fax machines in the United States and is the global leader in electronic labeling, thanks to its full lineup of P-touch Electronic Labeling Systems. Brother printers and other products are beloved among the user community for delivering high-quality, exceptional performance at a price that is generally more cost-effective than the competition. In addition, the company understands the importance of product support and they have embraced this commitment to service effectively. This has lead to their stellar reputation and increased growth.

A commitment to providing the best breed of products has helped Brother attain significant market shares in various regions. The company currently has service centers in the U.S., the U.K. and India in addition to its main headquarters in Nagoya, Japan. A countless amount of manufacturers have emerged over the years but few are as recognizable as Brother.

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