Basically we can get driver from three main sources: download from manufacturers websites, come with installation CD when you buy the hardware or the build in driver by Windows/OS.
and behave like we want them to be. Some of the common hardware include but not limited to printers, display cards, modems, sound cards and chipset controllers.
For users that wanted the latest and most updated driver, they always prefer to download from manufacturers websites. The pros being they can get the latest drivers and with the latest driver, often comes with bug fixes, increase stability, added functionality and/or increase performance (for hardware such as display cards and chipset controllers).
However, for normal users who are not too much into the ‘latest’ and prefer the convenient way of doing things, they always prefer to use the original driver provided in installation CD when they buy the hardware. Although the driver will always (100% I would say) work with the hardware, however in the form of CD meaning you will get the older version of the driver. So users are always advised to search and download the latest driver whenever they are installing new hardware.
Then we will discuss on the build in driver provided by Windows. Since Windows 2000 and above (Windows XP, Windows 2003 and Windows Vista), we see a large list of hardware driver being included along with the installation of Windows. Microsoft not only include driver of those popular hardware from well known manufacturers, they also provide build in driver for older hardware which are still being used by many Windows users.