I checked for Windows updates today and came up with 2 'critical' ones, so I did the download/install. The second downloaded offered an 'EULA"-type widow requiring an "I accept". Part of the text of that follows:
NOTE: IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A VALIDLY LICENSED
COPY OF ANY VERSION OR EDITION OF MICROSOFT
WINDOWS XP MEDIA CENTER EDITION, MICROSOFT
WINDOWS 95, WINDOWS 98, WINDOWS NT 4.0
WINDOWS 2000 OPERATING SYSTEM OR ANY
MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEM THAT IS A
SUCCESSOR TO ANY OF THOSE OPERATING SYSTEMS
(each an "OS Product"), YOU ARE NOT
AUTHORIZED TO INSTALL, COPY OR OTHERWISE USE
THE OS COMPONENTS AND YOU HAVE NO RIGHTS
UNDER THIS SUPPLEMENTAL EULA.

I found that I had to pass on accepting this.
I run XP Pro with SP1. The text above names only 1 XP - "MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP MEDIA CENTER EDITION" and though it does go on to say OR ANY MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEM THAT IS A SUCCESSOR TO ANY OF THOSE OPERATING SYSTEMS my supposition has to be that XP Pro is a PREdecessor, not a successor, of the named XP.

Do you think this is:
1) poor understanding on my part, or
2) yet more shoddy output from MS?

cheers