IP: another trial piece from the SJ Mernews

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

http://www.mercurycenter.com/business/microsoft/trial/breaking/docs/mstrial120898.htm


                        IE courtroom debate: OS or application?
                        BY DAVID L. WILSON
                        Mercury News Washington Bureau 

                        Computer scientist David J. Farber, under 
                        cross-examination Tuesday in the ongoing antitrust trial 
                        against Microsoft Corp., said the company deliberately 
                        designed its Windows 98 operating system so that 
                        consumers could not remove Microsoft's Web browsing 
                        software, Internet Explorer. 

                        Farber, in his first day appearing in court, said 
                        because of that consumers would have to put up with 
                        poorer performance and more frequent crashes on their 
                        computers. 

...
                     Despite the often vigorous give and take, the demeanor 
                        in the courtroom was relatively relaxed. In one of the 
                        typical exchanges that charmed those in the courtroom -- 
                        even the normally irascible Holley -- Holley said 
                        removing IE would disable Windows. Farber replied, "My 
                        experience is even without removing things I can disable 
                        something."