[pc.net]

von der language-pack-cd:

The Windows XP operating systems provide extensive support for international
users, addressing many multilingual issues such as regional preferences, fonts,
keyboard layouts, sorting orders, date formats and Unicode support.

The Windows XP Multilingual User Interface Pack builds on top of
this support by adding the capability to switch the User Interface (menus,
dialogs and help files) from one language to another. This feature helps make
administration and support of multilingual computing environments much
easier by:

* allowing workstations to be shared by users who speak different
languages

* facilitating the roll-out of one system company-wide, with the
addition of User Interface languages as they become available.
This allows the same US English service pack to update all machines.

The Windows XP Multilingual User Interface Pack allows
each user of a workstation to select one of the installed User Interface
languages. This selection is then stored in their user profile. When a
user logs on, the appearance of the system and the help files associated
with the system components change to the selected language. (Note that
this is not quite the same as running a localized version. The Multilingual
User Interface Pack is based on the English version of Windows XP. )

The ability to read and write documents in each of the languages
supported by Windows XP is a feature of every version of Windows
XP, not just of the Windows XP Multilingual User
Interface Pack. However, the ability to switch User Interface languages
is only provided by the Windows Multilingual User Interface Pack.