Microsoft have finally made their long awaited Service Pack 2 for Windows XP available, but right now only MSDN Universal subscribers have the privilege to download it.

Offering a whole host of features designed to make Windows XP more secure, including a new firewall and security centre, the Service Pack has suffered countless delays during development.

It's not a small download either, with the ISO image on the MSDN site weighing in at 475.35MB. So don't go expecting to download it over that dial-up modem anytime soon.

It is expected that Microsoft will be releasing the software to their download centre tomorrow, at which point no doubt they will start experiencing rather heavy traffic. The software will also be available to order via CD soon, which will probably be the only option available to dial-up users.

With a whole host of updates and the potential to break users current applications, Service Pack 2 is a must have update for all users of Windows XP. Hopefully it will be able to reduce the number of serious virus outbreaks, but we fear that for all the fixes and updates to the Windows OS, there will still remain enough holes to keep the virus writers happy for some time.