Understanding driver updates through Windows Update

Microsoft has published a set of short questions and answers about driver updates through Windows Update, and there's one tidbit in there I found interesting.

Driver datesmight look old, butthat isnottrue.The driver date is descriptive infoset by the driverproviderand can be any date they choose. Whendeterminingwhich driver to install, Windows Update uses targeting information set by theproviderinside thedriverfiles todeterminethe best driver. This lets the deviceproviderpromote the best driver, regardless of the chosen date.

Microsoft knowledge base article

Whenever I do have to fiddle with Windows machines, I always wondered about why some drivers in Windows Update would show some seriously old dates. It turns out the answer is as obvious as it always tends to be: OEMs.