Changing of computer use

I've just noticed on one of my machines that it is now spending most of it's time updating Windows XP SP2 or IE Version x.0 in one way or another.

It used to be that I got to use it for doing things I wanted for a fair bit of the time, now it's there simply to secure itself in the main.

Understandably I'm starting to wonder if philospically this falls under the category of progress or not.