I have .NET installed, why do I get the following...?

I have Windows Xp Professional.

I have just downloaded and installed .NET framework 1.1. My questions are

1. Whats the need for it if Im not a developer just a user?

2. Now all of a sudden the login screen appears. I know it goes away if you uninstall .NET. Is there another way of making it go?

3. A new account called ASP.NET Machine has appeared in my users list, is a 'limited' account and is password protected. What is this and what is it doing there?

Thanks.

In the future you will find that more and more applications will require .Net Framework. Developers will need the Software Developement Kid (SDK) to build applications. .NET Framwork SDK

I'm guessing the logon screen appears now because of the added user: ASP.NET Machine

Refer to this for info about the ASP.Net Machine account:
http://www.mvps.org/marksxp/WindowsXP/aspdot.php

1- If you are not planning to use an application developed in .NET from someone else then you don't really need it yet. The framework is the runtime files needed to run an application made in .NET.

2- I am not sure why you get that login screen, let me see if I find something on the web about it.

3- The ASP.NET account is used by web applications created in .NET, again, if you are not a developer you don't need it yet. It is limited because anonymous login is not enabled by default on web developing in .NET so they created an account with limited access to your computer. This acount is used by a process called aspnet_wp.exe when you open a local ASP.NET page.

//EDIT: Jim replied first, he's right, many developers are using .NET today.