Microsoft has Emailed its Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Service 2008 Beta Testers to let them know that the Windows XP Service Pack 3 Beta Preview has arrived.
The third Service pack will be the Final update for Windows XP, which is as far as is known, still scheduled to be pulled out in June next Year.
First reports where that SP3 wasn't going to contain anything more exciting than a bundle of all the security updates issued since SP2, But software analysers have had a chance to look around it now and have found Lots me New Stuff.
Added features include Network Access Protection, aq well as hardening of Windows IP stack, including the 'Black Hole Router' detection scheme.

So it looks like there is still some life in the Old Dog.