Windows Vista... cool, natural and refreshing. Free for the taking from the shelves, the refrigerator shelves over at Microsoft. No financial transaction is involved, you don't need a product key, there are no minimum system requirements, no compatibility hassles, no upgrade issues, no security vulnerabilities, no updates and no validation. Sounds too good to be true... and if you add the little detail that it even quenches your thirst, then you are all set. Because all you need sometimes is a cold Windows Vista...

Obviously, I am not talking about the operating system here. The fact of the matter is that this is not the first time Microsoft has played with rebranding. In the picture on the left you are able to see cans of soda with the Windows Vista logo. The images have been taken from the lobby in the Microsoft's conference center that was housing the Microsoft Research TechFest 2007 keynote.

All the way back in July 2006, Microsoft rebranded "Talking Rain" sparkling water cans with the Windows Vista logo. Last year, the cans were widely available on the Microsoft campus to all employees. It seems that, with the commercial availability of Windows Vista since the end of January 2007, Microsoft has also opened its refrigerators to a wider public. The Redmond Company might not breathe a single word about the future releases of Windows but that doesn't mean that they are not generous with the Vista soda.

There are no plans currently over at Microsoft to go public with the Windows Vista juice. The Vista rebranded "Talking Rain" soda has no release date and is still available exclusively inhouse on the Redmond campus.