Originally posted by Racer-X
"Alpha" versions usually come before "beta". I don't know if there is a special word used to specify a released product other than "released".
Glenn
True. In my experience Alpha versions of software always come before the Beta versions. Beta versions are generally less buggy then there Alpha counterparts.
I don't know if there is an official term used to describe a product that is ready to be released to the public, but some of the common terms used would be Stable/Final/Final Release or Version 1.0. Version 1.0 usually means the author(s) of the product usually deem it stable enough to be released to the public & consider it no longer in alpha/beta stage. Any new versions released after Version 1.0 are considered updates/totally new products.