Automatic update or automatic curse?

Starting August 25th, XP users who have automatic update enabled will be force-fed Windows XP SP2. Because XP SP2 is incompatible with a wide range of antivirus and security software, the end result may be systems that are no longer protected. And XP SP2's firewall is inbound-only, hence the loss of protection can be even more severe for some users. Corporations will also face a difficult time as their employees will doubtless become unwitting beta testers who may now find themselves with internal applications that simply won't work with this 'patch' that can better be described as an operating system overhaul. Those who wish to avoid the automatic download may wish to disable Automatic Update. To do so, right-click the My Computer icon on the desktop, choose Properties, select the Automatic Update tab, then select Turn Off Automatic Updates, click Apply, and then click OK.