Microsoft has released a Service Package (SP) for Windows XP. It’s called SP3 because it’s the third and final service package for Windows XP. The thing was released this past week, and it’s not making users happy.

The conspiracy nut in me says, “Of course! Microsoft doesn’t want anyone to use XP any more! So why would they release something that makes Windows XP better? Obviously a crummy XP SP3 would entice users to toss up their hands in frustration and flock like lemmings to Windows Vista.”

Yeah, I would like to say that, but it just isn’t true.

Folks, Microsoft has consistently released SPs that create havoc. It’s not that they don’t try. Rather, it’s because the Windows universe is large and largely wild. Unlike Apple’s OS X, which runs only on Macintosh computer hardware (which only Apple makes), Windows has to run on anything called a “PC.” That could contain any number of combinations of hardware configured in an infinite number of ways. Havoc is not only possible in such a circumstance, it’s defined that way.

Of course, no one told Microsoft to release Windows XP SP3. Microsoft must shoulder the burden of trying to make the thing compatible in the first place. That’s their deal, but it’s daunting. Channelling resources toward an SP3 update was a waste of time — especially when the company is trying to get people to use Windows Vista, as well as create the next version of Windows. It just seems silly to me.

You can read a summary of Windows XP SP3 issues on InformationWeek.