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Showdown in September (5/22/98)
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Well, Microsoft didn't get its requested seven months in which to prepare to argue its side in the current Department of Justice antitrust case, but they did manage to squeeze three and a half months from Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson; the trial date is set for September 8th, instead of sometime in December as Microsoft requested. Predictably, both sides are calling the decision a victory, though judging by what was said in court, it sounds like Microsoft isn't as happy as they could be. A Computer Reseller News article has more.
Apparently, when the judge declared the September trial date, Microsoft's attorney raised objections, stating, "We will not be ready. It will not be ready." He continued to state that he expected "stonewalling and obstruction" from Microsoft's "commercial foes" during discovery-- to which Jackson could not resist replying that the court could remedy that situation by appointing a special master. (Jackson, of course, had already appointed Lawrence Lessig as special master in the last antitrust case, only to see Microsoft have him ousted on appeal.) Evidently Judge Jackson is preparing for a career move into standup comedy any day now...
The real significance of the September date, however, appears to be that the judge is attempting to get the case resolved in record time by putting it on a "very fast track," in the words of Connecticut state attorney Richard Blumenthal. That's the last thing Microsoft wants, because as long as the trial drags on, they can ship Windows 98 free and unfettered, thanks to the judge's denial of Justice's request for a preliminary injunction. Regarding Windows 98, the bottom line is that Microsoft will be able to ship it next month as planned, until court proceedings dictate otherwise. That's unquestionably a big win for Microsoft, but since they now face a fast-moving case, it's only one battle in the war.
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 5/22/98 episode: May 22, 1998: Whack! Down comes Apple's axe, lopping off a third of its resellers and half of its service centers. Meanwhile, Umax reveals that they've lost a ton of money in their whole Mac clone endeavor, and Microsoft gets to ship Windows 98 as planned, but their trial date is close enough to make them sweat...
Other scenes from that episode: 727: The Big Axe Falls (5/22/98) Remember way back in February when Apple shook up our quiet, mundane little world by announcing that it was pulling Macs out of all national retail stores except for CompUSA? It was a bold move for Apple to sacrifice shelf space in an already tight retail market, but they had determined that the old, non-functional Macs on display in uncaring stores like Sears and Computer City were hurting sales and public opinion more than they were helping... 728: Further Clone Aftermath (5/22/98) Man oh man oh man, looks like nobody had any luck with the whole Mac cloning debacle. Power Computing cranked out great boxes that sold like hotcakes, but they weren't making any money, even before Apple put the hurt on them...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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