Second: the headline is incorrect. The (hardcover edition of) Volume 4A won't be shipping for another week (January 22th.)
Finally: Volume 4A has been available in part for quite some time now (the first fascicles were published in 2005), and in whole for over a year (if you put all the paperback fascicles together.) Still, the publication in hardcover is certainly a milestone.
Putting all of your paperback fascicles together won't quite get you Volume 4A. They were beta versions and don't contain corrections that have happened since their release.
Second: the headline is incorrect. The (hardcover edition of) Volume 4A won't be shipping for another week (January 22th.)
Finally: Volume 4A has been available in part for quite some time now (the first fascicles were published in 2005), and in whole for over a year (if you put all the paperback fascicles together.) Still, the publication in hardcover is certainly a milestone.