Same on OS X too. Plug it in, or find it on the network automatically. I think maybe once I looked at the setup webpage for my printer, just for fun. And the MFC HP printer a family member has was also just a simple plug and play operation. Clicking the scan button brings up Image Capture and everything.

I guess all the good software engineers at HP are on the Unix side, leaving the Windows dev to people who like making bloated software or something.