When a technology product goes "gold", generally it means all systems are go, and the final version should soon be lined along retail shelves soon. It's often reason to celebrate, for gamers anticipating the next big title, or in this case, businesses anxiously awaiting the release of Microsoft's newest operating system, Windows Vista.

However, reports suggest that although Vista is indeed "gold" for corporate users, the OS will be subject to a plethora of updates and patches in the weeks after its first install.

Windows Vista is due to launch in just over a week, as November comes to an end. Of course, this release is limited to business owners, with the full public unveiling not set until early next year. And yet, the condition of the business version is a good indicator of what the home edition may be like, and in some circles there is a good deal of worrying going on about the reliability of Vista.

Microsoft has already admitted via its official Windows blog that updates are going to be flooding the corporate world in early December. That's a given. However, the company is trying to mask the patches as "improvements", with executives stating that the initiative is a way to make "the product...better before you use it." (source: microsoft-watch.com)

Many critics of Vista are speculating that the entire period between the business and home release will be chock full of similar patches and updates. That's certainly a point to consider for many small businesses, who would clearly be set back by a major OS error shortly after the new operating system's installation.

While it's already clear that "improvements" to Vista are necessary, we won't be able to judge the ultimate quality of Microsoft's new product until it launches on November 30th. (source: microsoft.com)