Let's go to the videotape!

摘要

Thursday, Feb. 11: will Microsoft ever learn? That's the big question this morning at the Microsoft antitrust trial as the company's latest witness, Brad Chase, takes the stand. As usual, Chase's direct testimony was turned in as a written document; thus the first thing we're supposed to see in court is Chase's cross-examination by the government's lead prosecutor, David Boies. But as has been its recent practice, Microsoft wants to show a video first. And that's what has us shaking our heads. Wasn't it just a week ago that another slickly edited Microsoft video helped trigger the meltdown of James Allchin, a critical Microsoft witness? Yet here they go again. Boies, whose evisceration of the Allchin video ranks as the most memorable moment of the trial, practically salivates watching the new tape. For the rest of us, well, it sure looks like deja vu all over again.