Way I see it, u need to replace 1 to 3 files in xp to accomodate the legitimacy of a batch of keys.
The activation is still co-inciding with an online checking.
Could however be that nothing was planned on being released prior to sp3.. then this came up.. so there was a need to keep continuity.
Don`t we feel sp3 would contain a broadened outlook on key codes anyways ?? Otherwize u`d need to install sp2c b4 sp3 orrrr sp3 will have to be upd8d afterwards. Or integrate it now.. or heck just release sp3 since it`s gonna be in it anyways.
Meh, peoples will take a look at the sp2c and tell us what`s in it. Genuine advantage type updates get released quite frequently as upd8s, so even more meh.
But then an sp2c to accomodate more keys would only be in the form of a new cd in anycase - if u need to use sp2c as a patch, u`r copy of windows should, theoretically, be illegitimate.