In issue #144 of his SupportAlert Newsletter, Gizmo Richards (also a supporter of this site) mentions all of this and then some, but the neowin and autopatcher links are now moot, as PhilB66 just pointed out. You have to subscribe to the Premium Edition to see the whole write-up, so I can't share it with you, but it was a follow-up to a mention in the free version, #128, that I think I can:
"2.4 Guide to Building an Unattended XP Install CD
This site offers a clear how-to guide with separate instructions for beginners, intermediates and advanced users. When completed you'll have an unattended Windows XP install CD that includes SP2 and all subsequent hot fixes.
http://unattended.msfn.org/"
I just "graduated" from Win 2000 to XP and remembered this as something to look into; maybe it will help...