That point is:

"The idea in all cases is to create a means for firms to test the application of the software within their environment and roll out changes gradually, rather than dealing with a Big Bang upgrade. As with similar software packages the latest tools only DELAY (Emphasis mine) the application of service packs."

The delay in question is not a programmatic one. It's not like M$ can shove a Service Pack down your throat unwillingly, as much as some of you would like to believe that. It's actually a support-related delay. Microsoft will eventually only support Windows XP that has Service Pack 3 installed. Likewise Vista, with Service Pack 1. This means no more bugfixes, no more new software (such as IE 8 or WMP 12 when they show up) and no more free or refunded support requests without the latest Service Pack.

So the point is to give "refuseniks" an excuse to delay, but not postpone indefinitely, the deployment of a Service Pack.

And don't even get me started on XP SP2 breaking software or Vista breaking software. Developers had enough warning in both cases, and it seems the majority decided to stick their heads in the sand about it. And we are paying the price for their ignorance.