Normally one could write the USB spec (lets say X spec) in a high level language (that specifies behavior, say HLL) as a reference implementation that could be taken by the OS (any OS) to derive the driver. This spec should be provided by the X standards body (could b even a company) . Moreover it could interface to Y spec in the same high level language and still generate a X:Y composite driver or even create two drivers at kernel level that interface with some OS specific way. The standards body could verify X or X:Y for correct operation and publish it along with the PDF spec. The problem is that many people believe that the knowledge of C or some kernel internals are a form of qualification when we live in 2013. The real qualification is to create the HLL to kernel interface translator. Science is lacking from software in many many circumstances. Companies, selfish programmers f@^(ing money are to blame. But the problem is that OSes far better than commercial ones fail because of lack of drivers. Or equivalently by the lack of mapping the spec to their kernel interface in a hand-written time consuming error prone way due to complexity. The big thing is how to write the kernel (or the microkernel) to support apps known as drivers .... among others.
We have functional, logic and functional logic languages. But we still live in caves imposed by companies and incompetent programmers that act like priests in ancient Egypt and companies that cheat on their customers. The above article shows a big symptom of a deep problem in CS. It is lack of professionalism, lack of scientific method and lack of freedom. The HW companies should only sell hardware accompanied with documentation. They should not be allowed to give drivers for an OS which poses a competitive advantage to a company. It should be illegal. This is not about OSS, its about common sense. However the UEFI secure boot and recent NSA story say something different. It says that there are no government entities willing to pose limits on the power of companies. Instead they fuel them.
The paradox arising is that in 2013 many develop like in 70s. It is a form of autism, it is a kind of slavery, it is a sign of decay.