Microsoft has added 12 more months on supporting Windows XP with Service Pack 2 computers. Therefore, users can now wait to install the third service pack if they want to patch their computers for security holes that are critical for 24 months, instead of just 12 months which was the original duration of the support.

The article at heise.de notes that there is no fundamentally new functionality in SP3. It also notes that Microsoft hasn’t released a statement whether it will change the support end dates for Vista. However, in Vista Ultimate’s case, it will not be eligible for an extended support since it is classed as a product for home use.

Source: Heise Online