Department of Justice attorney David Boies has titillated the court with excerpts of Gates' video deposition that flatly contradict e-mails sent by Microsoft's boss of bosses to his underlings. It's been a winner of a strategy. On Thursday Microsoft failed to convince the judge to get Boies to stop, a bitter defeat for the Redmondians because it means Boies will be able to continue the striptease to his heart's content. The problem was the witness, according to Jackson, and not the manner in which the government presented his testimony. To be sure, Boies is trying to make Gates look bad, but he honestly doesn't need to put in much effort.
Gates comes across as incredibly disconnected from the raging business issues du jour.
This is surely Oscar-winning stuff. At least as good as when O.J. said he didn't whack his wife. But Gates has lately given proof that he remains at least somewhat sentient. In a telephone interview with the Associated Press, Gates lashed out at Boies, claiming that Boies was putting words in his mouth. But Microsoft is starting to worry about how this soap opera is getting played out in the press.