I warned you..it's a stupid question

I'm looking to upgrade to a new turntable in the near future, and I love the looks of the Music Hall/Rega/Project/NAD/Thorens style tables.

Here's the question..what exactly does 'full manual' mean? I realize that with full manual that you cannot push a button and have the needle move over and down automatically, then return home when the record is over. I don't mind lifting the needle onto the record manually, but what happens when the record is over? Does the needle just lift up or something?