New

HTML

Computer Hardware

Computer Software

Computer Magazines

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Computer Fad of the Year

Now that Microsoft owns WebTV:

Microsoft has copyrighted the word "Window". Anyone who has rectangular holes in their walls must send $369.12 plus applicable taxes to Mr. Gates

Wednesday February 3 3:00 PM ET

Microsoft Says 'Non-Virgin' Machine Hurt Test

By David Lawsky

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Microsoft Corp. executive explained in court Wednesday how his company came to make an embarrassing error in a video demonstration at its antitrust trial, but his explanation did not satisfy the government.

Microsoft senior vice president James Allchin said a careful examination of a personal computer shown in the video demonstration had revealed that assistants had used a machine that was not ``virgin.''

The video demonstration was part of Microsoft's defense to charges by the Justice Department and 19 states that the software titan had used monopoly power to illegally preserve that power and to extend it to other areas of business. The trial, which began on Oct. 19, has used 48 court days so far.

The Microsoft videotaped demonstration was supposed to show problems with a government-modified version of Microsoft's Windows 98 operating system.

Government lawyer David Boies pointed to an indicator at the top of the screen -- which was fuzzy and hard to see -- that indicated the program being shown on the tape was not in fact the government-modified version.

Allchin had told the court Tuesday that the videotaped demonstration was performed on a ``virgin'' machine containing only the company's Windows 98 operating system.

But later Tuesday, Boies had demonstrated the error, which seemed to invalidate the test. Allchin said at the time that even if the machine were not ``virgin'' it would have made no difference in the test.

But in his testimony Wednesday, Allchin said that there indeed was a difference because the machine was not virgin.

Allchin testified that the installation and removal of Prodigy online service software had changed settings on the machine's registry, a critical control system.

Wednesday, Allchin said the use of Prodigy software had caused the machine to change the label in the government-modified program -- giving the program the same tag as the non-modified program.

Allchin testified that he had tried the test ``over and over and over again'' in his hotel room before court began, to confirm that the government-modified program had the problems claimed by Microsoft.

At the lunchtime break, Microsoft spokesman Mark Murray said: ``We have been able to show what accounts for that insignificant presentation discrepancy in the video.''

But the government's Boies said the problems were more serious.

``This is not public relations; this is not sales,'' he said. ``Whatever the facts of the matter, we know that (the test) was not as portrayed, and that's important, because what a court needs to have confidence in, is that the evidence that's coming in is accurate.''

"They're beeping and they're flashing. They're flashing and they're beeping! I cant stand it anymore, they're blinking and they're flashing."

The Tao of Programming

Something mysterious is formed, 
born in the silent void.
Waiting alone and unmoving, 
it is at once still and yet in constant motion.
It is the source of all programs.
I do not know its name, 
so I will call it the Tao of Programming.

If the Tao is great, then the operating system is great.
If the operating system is great, then the compiler is great.
If the compiler is great, then the application is great.
The user is pleased and there exists harmony in the world.

The Tao of Programming flows far away 
and returns on the wind of morning.

The Tao gave birth to machine language.
Machine language gave birth to the assembler.
The assembler gave birth to the compiler.
Now there are ten thousand languages.

Each language has its purpose, however humble.
Each language expresses the Yin and Yang of software.
Each language has its place within the Tao.

But do not program in RPG if you can avoid it.