Did you know Microsoft has released Windows Vista DVD Cubes? Well now you know. But this is an exclusive initiative of the Redmond Company. And you would have to had been involved intimately in the development of the operating system in order to get one.

Recently, you have been able to read about another exclusive edition of Vista, the Handcrafted version that Microsoft has made available as a gift to the staff that labored on the operating system. Senior Software Development Engineer Larry Osterman published images of the Windows Vista Handcrafted edition.

"When we release a product to market at MS, tradition holds that everyone involved in building it is usually given a small gift in recognition of their efforts. These "Ship-It Awards" are usually of more sentimental value than anything else, but everyone who's received one displays it proudly in their office as a badge of honor (and often in remembrance of the sacrifices it took to get the product out the door)," revealed Nick White, Microsoft Product Manager.

However, this is not the only Microsoft tradition designed to award employees that have worked to build Windows Vista. In fact, at the end of January 2007, Microsoft has awarded the members of the Windows Vista Product Team with DVD Cubes containing disks with all the steps to the final version of the operating system.

"Perhaps it's because now that the challenge of building Windows Vista is behind us, people find themselves still wanting to share the glory (and relief) of the moment and relive a little bit of their part in making software history. The Windows Vista Product Team (Devs, Testers and Program Managers) also received the final installment in their "DVD Cubes" a few weeks ago. The Cube contains DVDs of Windows Vista Beta 1, Beta 2, RC1 and now Windows Vista RTM -- all the major milestones in the Windows Vista project," added Nick White.