At the antitrust trial, the company's internal story is so far from what others are seeing that it is enraging members of the media who would rather be friendly, straining people's credibility and ultimately harming its own interests. It's worn so thin. Microsoft's unwillingness to bend its position or give in on any point has begun to erode some reporters' trust. Where Microsoft never admits a misstep, David Boies, the government's lead lawyer, is perfectly willing to concede a well-won point. By even infrequently conceding what some reporters were thinking, he seemed to be a more credible spinmeister.
Most journalists understand that a little spin is inevitable.
But Microsoft has gone far beyond the usual level of promoting its own perspective. What's incredibly frustrating for everybody covering this is that when these guys go on background they still bullshit you. It was insane, and I was able to get another lawyer to say that this guy is full of it in print. Microsoft's Shaw says he's appalled that anyone would accuse Microsoft executives of lying. I would like to know specifically a single instance where someone said they were lied to.