Elenarie: ^ Nope. What the DirectX redistributable package installs is not the core of DirectX (like the most important things to run DirectX games), but optional files through which Microsoft have provided additional features (or alternative ways of doing things) based on developers' request. The actual DirectX can only be installed through a service pack or a major Windows update.
You're talking semantics (which, to be honest, is going to confuse the average user more than help them). 99% of users assume that the package which gets installed by games, or can be downloaded from Microsoft, which is called DirectX on both occasions, _is_ DirectX. You can of course tell them that in fact it's just additional files that are adding to a core which is already present, but what's the use? It's an unnecessary detail.
Elenarie: It doesn't matter if a user installs the package released in 2010 or the one released in 2006 (of course, we're talking about files located in both versions of the package).
Well, since most DirectX 9 games _don't_ run on Windows 7 without installing the package, and _do_ run after installing it, I'd say that it matters quite a bit.
You're correct in stating that the individual files don't actually get updated, the package just gets expanded by additional files. But, again, the practical relevance of this difference is zilch, since it doesn't change the recommended course of action.
