connecting new SD 800IS to computer?

I bought an SD 800IS Monday night and I have one small question so far.

Last night when I connected up the USB to my computer (to a known working USB port), I wasn't able to see the camera as another drive letter in XP Windows Explorer. Maybe wrong of me, but I assumed that my new camera had the capability (and the sales guy said it could) of being seen as "just another drive" when I open up Windows Explorer without having to install any additional software. Is this the case?

If I should be able to do this, any ideas on why this wouldn't be happening?

Thanks.

I have the sd700IS and I remember reading somewhere that these cameras cannot be seen as separate drive. I know the 700 does not. I used to have a Olympus camera and that one DID show as a drive. It was so much easier. My "guess" is that the 800 is similar to the 700 and will not show. Maybe someone w/the camera knows differently?

Thank you for your response. For both of us, I hope you're wrong (I'm not trying to insult you, please don't misunderstand me :> ).

I was hoping that by now, six years since I bought my first S300, and with USB 2.0, Canon would have figured out a way to load the USB drivers onto the camera instead of having to load them from a CD! :

Like you say, there's another manufacturer that can do it, so we KNOW it's not impossible!

Why not just load the software that comes with the SD800? Or get a card reader and go from there? Camera to computer..? I dont think so...
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I've installed the Zoom Browser and the USB drivers that came with my S300 six years ago. I was hoping I wouldn't have to do it again today.

The problem there is when you're travelling and you need to get the pics off your camera asap. Forgetting that CD, or even just installing a program on a foreign computer sometimes is just not an option. :

Another problem is with my computer itself. I'm a developer (programmer/geek/nerd/whatever ;> ) and I commonly "repave" my machine and this is just another program I have to install. :

I was hoping that six years later, Canon would have figured out to put the drivers on the camera instead of leaving them on the CD. Just my opinion, I'm asking her to see if I'm wrong (and it can be done) or if other's feel the same as I do.

Thanks.

It should open a camera device that can be accessed just like a disk. At least thats the way it is on my PC. I normally just let it open the camera scanner wizard and use that to download the pictures (no Canon software).

You don't need to load, or use, any of the lame software Canon ships with the camera. You do, however, need to load the proper WIA driver onto your system for the camera to be recognized. That driver can be downloaded from the camera-appropriate Canon support page, or you can just pull it off the install CD.
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Regards,

Dean (dcains) - Lutz, FL