With Vista, what does 'done' really mean?

The day has finally come: Windows Vista is going gold. And the public announcement that Windows Vista has been released to manufacturing is going to happen tomorrow, November 8, around 11 a.m. PST, sources close to the company are saying.

Microsoft's spokespeople aren't confirming, but it sounds like at least one official (Steve Riley, senior manager in Microsoft's security business unit) told Windows DevCon attendees in Las Vegas that November 8 is, indeed, the magic date.

One point to ponder, when listening to all the "Vista is done" rhetoric is what does "done" mean these days?

Microsoft still is working on the Vista Ultimate Extra add-ons, a group of services and downloadable apps that the company is planning to make available exclusively to customers who purchase the most expensive Ultimate Vista SKU.

Plus, Microsoft can continue to deliver updates to Vista (things like new drivers, fixes and updates) to early adopters up to and beyond the Vista launch in January 2007 via Windows Update, its patch-management system (via which it is pushing out Internet Explorer 7).

So when you hear tomorrow that Vista is finally cooked, remember that the oven is still on....