It is done.

Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista Service Pack 1 have released to manufacturing. Actually it caught me by surprise because I was expecting it to happen later this week.

Alex Hinrichs breaks the news on the Windows Server blog with pictures of the "Ship room" where the decision is made. Over on the Vista blog Mike Nash does the honours for Vista SP1.  Mike explains the steps that kick off between release to manufacturing and customers getting the software. RTM is a big thing for the product folks because that's when they say "It's done. This is what we ship". Manufacturing processes spin up, hardware makers get the code. Eventually the SP goes onto Windows update and is pushed out to those who take updates (and haven't used the service pack blocker). I know there will impatience in the meantime.

Talking of impatience, we've said all along we'll release Hyper-V with 180 days of Server 2008. Add 180 days tto today That's August 2nd.  I have no firm information about when it will actually ship;  I've got my guess- posting it on a "Microsoft blog" risks giving it a false authenticity. And of course if that guess is anywhere near correct I'll be in hot water for "leaking" it ;-)

Technorati tags: Microsoft, windows server 2008, Vista, SP1