The download does a number of things, the main one the user will notice is that it enables the included firewall in XP.
It's easy to disable the firewall, if you want. This is mostly security stuff.
Been testing the SP here at work and it definitely has the capacity to cut down on spyware. I like it so far.
The Group Policy setting mentioned only disables the SP download for 120 days, BTW...after that, your automatic updates will pull it down and install it. It's a big critter...266 megs.
Looking at a Metro map. Metro will get you close (West Oaks Mall), but not quite there. If there's a freep function at the range, I'm sure someone would be happy to pick you up.
"4. The government has decided to strengthen safety measures to prevent similar incidents and to seek the early withdrawal all South Korean civilian residents, excluding essential personnel."