[eluser]Derek Jones[/eluser]
Yes, removing the script from the URI will require mod_rewrite, but there are many ways to skin that cat with .htaccess. The user guide's suggestion is not a "fix" so much as one common implementation.
With 1.6.0, incidentally, I believe on the affected servers that if you switch your 'uri_protocol' from 'AUTO' to 'REQUEST_URI' you would not have to maintain a hack to the core.