Have to install ZoomBrowser EX?

Greetings!
I bought my first Canon camera yesterday. I have always used Nikons before. I got a Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS. The manuals state that I must install the software on the Canon Camera Solution Disk before connecting the camera to the computer. Well, with my old Nikon I did not install Nikon's bundled software before connecting the camera. I just plugged the camera into the PC with the USB cable & Windows XP recognized the camera. I then just navigated to the pictures on the camera and copied and pasted them onto my PC. Or, I used my favorite software ACDSee to acquire the pics and download them to the PC.
I realize that ZoomBrowser EX has some neat software like PhotoStitch and you can also connect to the camera and config some settings and even download sounds to the camera, etc. But I would just rather use ACDSee to acquire my shots.
My question: Is it OK not to install the ZoomBrowser EX software? Just plug my new Canon SD1100 IS into the PC via the USB cable?

If your running XP I guess it should work. My last Canons and my current a710is I have never used the Canon software, I tried it once and did not like it.

I usually just pulled the card out of the camera out of the reader and used it like that. Also I can just plug my 710 into the USB and get photos that way by going to My Computer and open up the camera icon.

Again I'm not sure as I do not have that model, but I doubt that it would hurt anything if you tried it..............

everest63 wrote in post #5155874
Greetings!
I bought my first Canon camera yesterday. I have always used Nikons before. I got a Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS. The manuals state that I must install the software on the Canon Camera Solution Disk before connecting the camera to the computer. Well, with my old Nikon I did not install Nikon's bundled software before connecting the camera. I just plugged the camera into the PC with the USB cable & Windows XP recognized the camera. I then just navigated to the pictures on the camera and copied and pasted them onto my PC. Or, I used my favorite software ACDSee to acquire the pics and download them to the PC.
I realize that ZoomBrowser EX has some neat software like PhotoStitch and you can also connect to the camera and config some settings and even download sounds to the camera, etc. But I would just rather use ACDSee to acquire my shots.
My question: Is it OK not to install the ZoomBrowser EX software? Just plug my new Canon SD1100 IS into the PC via the USB cable?

usb should be automatic and not require ZoomBrowser. I've never installed that on PCs connecting my SD1000 or 5D. The only benefit of ZB (or a similar program like lightroom) is rotating the JPGs (but ligtroom doesn't handle the videos)

I have a S2IS and all i do if i want to save time is pull the card out and into the card reader, but it also works just fine if I just connect the camera with the USB cable directly to the pc.

Windows Vista Home Premium.

What the directions from Canon is actually directing though not saying it directly is proper drivers are required for your camera so your computer's interface with the attached camera is the best it can be. Example- I could run a variety of HP printers from a generic XP or Vista HP printer driver but may not be able to use unique printer capabilities of that specific printer like collating or double side printing.
So you don't necessarily need the programs in a manufacturer's bundle of software, but you may want for efficiency to at least load the drivers from the disk for your operating system.