For those who have seen Microsoft's much-anticipated new operating system, Windows Vista, delayed time and time again, the recent news that the OS has officially gone gold will be refreshing (if not surprising) news.

Announced at 11am Pacific time yesterday, Microsoft has officially moved production of Vista to manufacturers. That's the last step before retailers get their hands on the OS, which is set to ship to business soon and home PCs by the end of January.

The release dates, although rumored for months, have never been 100% clear. Instead, information leaks are generally confirming suspicions that November 30th is the date for corporate users, with January 30th the exact morning for home PC users. (source: theinquirer.net)

For those not aware of the terminology, Vista's "gold" status means the product has been signed off by Microsoft. It clearer terms, it means the Redmond-based company is completely satisfied with the final code.

On the other hand, it could also mean that suggested fixes to Vista -- and problems have seemingly been discovered nearly every minute leading up to now -- are no longer in Microsoft's plans. With Vista being rushed out the door in this manner, it's entirely possible a slew of updates and patches are in the OS' future. (source: Microsoft-watch.com)

With that said, Microsoft is doing its best to make sure every possible issue is covered. Vista features 50% more driver support than XP ever received, which should help to avoid a number of potentially frustrating conflicts. In addition, the operating system will be available in five languages -- two more than XP.