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Wasted Potential (9/8/98)
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Tsk, tsk... it's becoming clearer and clearer that there is a widespread conspiracy afoot to turn the upcoming "Redmond Justice" season premiere into a non-event. The entertainment potential of the big courtroom showdown is absolutely huge, but it seems that someone is bent on preventing a media circus. (Can you believe it? Everybody loves a circus!) For one thing, both Microsoft and the Justice Department are limited to only twelve witnesses apiece, which prevents the case from dragging out into the next few seasons. But worse yet, the witness lists have been released, and the omission of mastermind Bill Gates from the festivities has left the entertainment industry reeling.
According to ComputerWorld, Bill won't testify, and of the twenty-four people who will, very few show much potential for flying sparks, courtroom outbursts, or sudden tearful confessions. A full two-thirds of Microsoft's witnesses are its own employees, including Maritz and Allchin, so there's some possibility of a slip-up or two, but for raw entertainment value we've got to look to Netscape's James Barksdale, testifying for the government. The only real surprise on the list is that the government is also calling a Boeing rep to the stand... for what purpose is anyone's guess. Boeing has indeed signed agreements with Microsoft to use Exchange Server and other software, but the real nature of the testimony won't be clear until it happens. Oooh, suspense!
The omission of Bill Gates from the witness list brings to mind that Saturday Night Live season when one of the biggest draws on the cast list was Joe Piscopo. Hopefully Jim Barksdale can carry the rest of the cast and make the trial a memorable one. And of course there's still the wildcard factor in the Boeing guy...
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SceneLink (997)
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 9/8/98 episode: September 8, 1998: Most recently expected to debut in Mac OS 8.5, the Themes left over from Copland are once more waiting in the wings. Meanwhile, Bill Gates won't testify in the upcoming "Redmond Justice" trial-- though some guy from Boeing will, and the iMac still manages to grab good press and strong sales, but the continuing dearth of USB products might be a dark cloud on the horizon...
Other scenes from that episode: 996: Not What It Themes (9/8/98) Gather 'round, kiddies, and stretch your minds wa-a-a-ay back to the Dawn of Time. Back in those dark days, Apple's next-generation operating system strategy relied heavily on an OS called Copland, which was to be a stepping stone on the path to a fully modern Mac OS... 998: We'll Make More (9/8/98) Well, whaddaya know-- the iMac has been available for over three weeks, now, and it's still getting good press due to heavy sales. Just take a look at the San Francisco Chronicle, which reports that iMacs are still "flying off the shelves" of stores who are selling them...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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