On Sun, 11 Feb 2007 11:07:18 +0000, Roy Schestowitz wrote:
>> Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> did eloquently scribble:
> Maybe he was trying to make the footage so long and tedious that
> nobody would bother to watch him admitting that he's as guilty as OJ.
not a beautiful thing to watch ..
Boies: The term browser is a term that is widely used within Microsoft, or
at least was until this year; correct, sir?
Heiner: Objection.
..
Boies: You've written e-mails about browsers; correct, sir?
Gates: I've written e-mails where the term browser was used. I wouldn't say
it was necessarily an e-mail about browsers.
Boies: Have you ever written an e-mail that you considered to be about
browsers, sir?
Gates: I'll bet there's e-mail where the primary subject relates to
browsers. I don't remember a specific piece of e-mail.
..
Boies: Yes. The industry and Microsoft tracks what is referred to as
browser market share; correct sir?
Gates: No.
Boies: No? Does Microsoft track browser market share?
Gates: I'VE SEEN USAGE SHARE.
Boies: You've seen usage share?
Gates: Uh-huh. But not -- market share usually refers to something related
to -- not to usage. And with browsers, I've seen mostly usage. Now, some
people might refer to that as a market share, but it's not a market share.
..
Boies: Are you aware of documents within Microsoft that describe browser
share as the company's number one goal?
Gates: No. I'm aware of documents WITHIN PAUL MARITZ'S GROUP that may have
stated that.
Boies: Is Paul Maritz's group within Microsoft?
Gates: YES, but his -- he doesn't set the company-wide goals.
..
Boies: Now, did you ever tell Mr. Maritz that browser share was not the
company's number one goal?
Gates: No.
..
Boies: Mr. Gates, isn't it the case that YOU TOLD MR. MARITZ THAT BROWSER
SHARE WAS A VERY VERY IMPORTANT GOAL and that's why he believed it?
Gates: I guess now we're delving into the inner workings of Paul Maritz's
mind and how he comes to conclusions?
Boies: Well, let me try to ask you a question that won't require you to
delve into anybody else's mind. DID YOU TELL MR. MARITZ THAT BROWSER SHARE
WAS A VERY VERY IMPORTANT GOAL?
Gates: I know we talked about browser share being important.
Boies: I'm not asking you what he said to you. I'm not asking what topic
you talked about. I'm asking you whether you told Mr. Maritz that browser
share was a very very important goal?
Gates: I REMEMBER THAT WE AGREED THAT IT WAS AN IMPORTANT GOAL. I'm not
sure which one of us reached that feeling before the other.
..
Boies: Did you write Gov. Ex. 295 Mr. Gates, on or about January 5, 1996?
Gates: I don't remember doing so specifically, but it appears that I did.
Boies: And the first line of this is, "WINNING INTERNET BROWSER SHARE IS A
VERY VERY IMPORTANT GOAL FOR US." Do you see that?
Gates: I do.
Boies: DO YOU REMEMBER WRITING THAT, sir?
Gates: NOT SPECIFICALLY.
..
Boies: All right, sir, let me see if I can try to clarify. You say here
"Winning Internet browser share is a very very important goal for us." What
companies were supplying browsers whose share you were talking about?
Gates: It doesn't appear I'm talking about any other companies in that
sentence.
..
Boies: .. WHAT BROWSER USAGE WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF WHAT YOUR
SHARE OF BROWSER USAGE WAS? What browsers?
Gates: I'm not getting your question. Are you trying to ask what I was
thinking when I wrote this sentence?
..
Boies: Let me begin with that. What were you thinking when you - wrote that
sentence?
Gates: I DON'T REMEMBER SPECIFICALLY WRITING THIS SENTENCE.
..
Gates: I have an answer. The answer is I don't remember.
Boies: You don't remember what you meant. Let me try to ask you -
Gates: I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT I WAS THINKING.
Boies: Is there a difference between remembering what you were thinking and
remembering what you meant?
Gates: If the question is what I meant when I wrote it, no.
Boies: So you don't remember what you were thinking when you wrote it and
you don't remember what you meant when you wrote it; is that fair?
Gates: As well as not remember writing it.
..
Boies: What non-Microsoft browsers were you concerned about in January of
1996?
Gates: I don't know what you mean "concerned."
..
Boies: .. What competitive products did you look at in January of 1996 in
terms of browsers?
Gates: I don't remember looking at any specific products during that month.
..
Boies: Do you understand the question, Mr. Gates?
Gates: I'm pausing to see if I can understand is it.
..
Boies: Do you understand what is meant by non-Microsoft browsers?
Gates: In the right context, I'd understand that.
..
Boies: Do all of the non-Microsoft browsers that you're aware of compete
with Internet Explorer?
Gates: In the sense that users select which browsers they want to use, yes.
..
Boies: .. do you at least remember that in January, 1996, winning Internet
browser share was an important goal for Microsoft?
Gates: Yes.
Boies: And with respect to the goal of winning Internet browser share in
1996, was that goal primarily to gain share compared to Netscape?
Gates: Not necessarily.
..
Boies: Let me ask you to look at .. an e-mail from Paul Maritz to you dated
January 16, 1996. It is to you and a number of other people, but you are
the first there. Do you see that?
Gates: Yes. ..
Boies: Did you receive this e-mail in January, 1996?
Gates: I don't remember receiving it, but I have no reason to doubt that I
did.
..
Boies: Even though you don't recall receiving this particular e-mail, do
you recall Mr. Maritz telling you in or about January of 1996 that he
believed that Microsoft had to look carefully at any significant
opportunity to gain share versus Netscape?
Gates: No.
Boies: Do-you recall Mr. Maritz telling you in or about January of 1996
that there was a possibility that AOL was going to go off and partner with
Netscape?
..
Gates: It appears to be a mail about -- let me take a look at it. It
appears to be a mail about OEMs prominently featuring the AOL client in
such a strong way that anything we would do for AOL in that regard would be
of no impact and, therefore, that maybe we should work with AOL on the
browser.
..
Boies: Let me show you a document that has been marked as Gov. Trial Ex.
478. This purports to be a message to you and others from Brad Chase dated
March 13, 1997. Did you receive this message in or about March of 1997?
Gates: I don't remember receiving it. In fact, it's very strange that the
e-mail names aren't expanded. But I probably received it. ..
..
Boies: Were you told in or about March of 1997 that people within Microsoft
believed that browser 'share needed to remain a key priority for your field
and marketing efforts?
Gates: I don't remember being told that, but I wouldn't be surprised to
hear that people were saying that.
Boies: Immediately before that sentence there is a statement that Microsoft
needs to continue its jihad next year. Do you see that?
Gates: No.
Boies: The sentence that says "Browser share needs to remain a key priority
for our field and marketing efforts," the sentence right before that says
"we need to continue our jihad next year." That's the way it ends. Do you
see that?
Gates: Now I see -- it doesn't say Microsoft.
Boies: well, when it says "well there, do you understand that means
something other than Microsoft, sir?
Gates: It could mean Brad Chase's group.
Boies: Well, this is a message from Brad Chase to you, Brad Silverberg,
Paul Maritz and Steve Ballmer, correct?
Gates: As I say, it's strange that this -- if this was a normal piece of
e-mail, it wouldn't print like that. I'm not aware of any way -- maybe
there is some way -- that e-mail ends up looking like this when you print
it out.
Boies: I wasn't the one that was asserting it was an e-mail. I don't know
whether it is an e-mail or memo or what it is. All I know is it was
produced to us by Microsoft. And the first line of it says "To" and the
first name there is "Bradsi." Do you see that?
Gates: Uh-huh.
Boies: Does that refer to Brad Silverberg?
Gates: Usually you can use that shorthand in typing in someone's name, but
when you print out e-mail, it doesn't come out that way.
Boies: Do you believe that the reference here to "Bradsi" is a reference to
Brad Silverberg, sir?
Gates: Yes.
Boies: The next addressee is "Paulma." Do you believe that that is Paul
Maritz?
Gates: Yes.
Boies: And the next addressee is "Steveb". Do you believe that that is
Steve Ballmer?
Gates: Yes.
Boies: The next addressee is "Billg" and do you believe that that is
yourself?
Gates: Yes.
Boies: And it says it's from "Bradc" and do you believe that is Brad Chase?
Gates: Yes.
Boies: Now, when Brad Chase writes to you and the others "we need to
continue our jihad next year," do you understand that he is referring to
Microsoft when he uses the word "we"?
Gates: No.
Boies: What do you think he means when he uses the word "well?
Gates: I'm not sure.
Boies: Do you know what he means by jihad?
Gates: I think he is referring to our vigorous efforts to make a superior
product and to market that product.
Boies: Now, what he says in the next sentence is, "Browser share needs to
remain a key priority for our field and marketing efforts;" is that
correct?
Gates: Yes.
Boies: The field and marketing efforts were not involved in product design
or making an improved browser, were they, sir?
Gates: No.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/1998/11/17/gates_video_not_a_beautiful/print.html
|
|
