your post is exactly correct.
the only reson to partition if you have the nt file system is for preferance and habit
there is no performance benefit to this idea of partitions, and an xp computer is much slower with partitions then without...partitions were concieved for fat, and the people that have gotten used to it have developed an irrational fetish for it
that said, I believe if anything, a small partition for the temporary internet files will probably help most users...if they use a large file, and don't clear the folder with every use.
also, there is a degree of extra safety, using your partitions as your backup...but this is contered by the totally false sense of security that has been the downfall of just about everyone that has counted on this method for backup
ALSO, the idea of putting the swap on another partition is concieved again for those that have two hard drives.
in my opiinion, the swap is better off for io efficiency on the same partition as the os, if there are partitions, and if there is only one disc.
but, I haven't benchmarked, and the microsft document is obscure in this regard, where it is easy to believe that microsoft recomends a diferrant partition then the os
it serves no purpose for a single disc, in my opinion, and I bellieve some people have missread a microsft document who think the microsoft recomendation includes a single hardrive, my reading is that the recomendation is only intended for two discs