Some of the changes for Windows XP in XPSP2 look like they might actually be on the right track. Improvements to IE, the firewall, a pop up blocker!!!!! (not enabled by default, but prompting when the first pop up arrives), proper mime type handling and some other good looking stuff that sounds like it'll make XP a bit nicer to work with. Welcome to the year 2003!
Of course, unless you buy a new computer, you'll have to install it, and if you're installing your original XP from scratch, you'll still be screwed until SP2 is installed, but I guess it's better than nothing. Anyone want to take bets on when the first new or old vulnerabilities show up in it? BTW, it's not in beta yet though.