International

Penalties will cripple industry: Bill Gates

WASHINGTON APRIL 23. Bill Gates, Chairman and co-founder of Microsoft, took the witness stand on Monday for the first time in the anti-trust case against the company, declaring that the penalties sought by a coalition of State prosecutors would cripple Microsoft, harm consumers and drag the entire computer industry into stagnation.

Opening his long-anticipated appearance with a multimedia presentation, Mr. Gates could almost have been at an industry trade show. He demonstrated why he believed that the States' proposals would fracture the Windows operating system used by millions of Americans, sowing confusion and driving up prices.

``Instead of being able to buy a machine with Windows and knowing that all your applications would run, you wouldn't have that assurance,'' said Mr. Gates on Monday.

In written testimony submitted before his court appearance, Mr. Gates said Microsoft would be forced to withdraw Windows from the market if Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of U.S. District Court adopted the States' demand for a version of the operating system that can be customised by computer makers and software designers.

Mr. Gates' testimony on the stand was in stark contrast to the combative, evasive persona he projected during a videotaped deposition played for Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson of U.S. District Court during the liability phase of the trial.

Wearing a dark blue suit, Mr. Gates was quick to answer questions and strove to appear helpful, frequently responding ``Yes, sir,'' to questions from Steven Kuney, a lawyer for the States who conducted his cross-examination. — New York Times

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Musharraf to abide by SC verdict
• Gujarat events find echo in Britain
• Winds of change in Saudi kingdom
• Pope condemns sex abuse by priests
• Penalties will cripple industry: Bill Gates
• Ahtisaari to head U.N. team
• Khaleda `backs' hill peace treaty
• A shocked nation rues vote
• CIA 'short-changed' Russia
• Jehad council flays moderate leaders
• Concern in U.K. over sale of jets to India

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu