Credibility of Microsoft Executive Is Questioned nytimes.com
In this context, a timeless headline from the NYT. Bill set the standard, of course, all his subordinates have a hard time matching his level of premature senility. Excerpts for amusement only.
Boies pointed to one conclusion: Most people who switched to Internet Explorer did so because "it came with my computer," suggesting that the browser was gaining ground largely because it was bundled with Windows.
Asked about that, Chase explained that the 20-page strategy assessment "was done by a summer intern" and had no standing within the company.
"Do you know where a supposed summer intern got all this information?" Boies asked, his voice laced with incredulity. Chase said he did not, prompting Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson to observe that the study appeared to be in the form of a slide show for a meeting, and to ask, "Do summer interns do slide presentations at Microsoft?"
Chase said it was possible that an intern prepared the show and never presented it. . . .
Later, Boies tried to deflate Chase's assertion that Internet Explorer had won the majority of critical product reviews in the last two years. Among other things, he showed the results of a Microsoft tracking poll of professional Web developers, who concluded in the fall of 1997 that "Netscape is still perceived as having the best browser."
Chase offered the view that these developers used Netscape primarily to check their Web sites to assure that they worked well with Netscape.
The judge seemed puzzled by that explanation and asked, "Is this just speculation, or do you know that for a fact?"
Chase said several Web developers had told him that.
Right, who needs the results of some Microsoft-sponsored poll that went the wrong way, when "several Web developers" have told you something else. I'm sure "relatively junior executive" Chase has people telling him IE sucks all the time, that's the way humble developers traditionally treat high level Microsoft executives.
Cheers, Dan. |
