Seattle Times: Has Gates’ combativeness hurt Microsoft in court case?

[ Thanks to George
Mitchell for this link. ]

“After a brief retreat to the antitrust sidelines, Bill Gates is
back – the combative, hard-line, pull-no-punches Gates. And that’s
not necessarily a good thing for the world’s largest software
company.”

“With Gates now back on the warpath, Microsoft-watchers are
asking why. Why not keep a lid on the hot talk while the ball is in
the government’s court? As the case heads to hearings on remedies
scheduled to begin May 24, why not go silently into the night and
let the legal process speak for itself?”

“The answer, say those close to the 44-year-old Gates, lies in
the competitive, win-at-all-costs drive that has marked his
behavior since childhood. Gates’ obsession with besting any foe
served him well in building a $400 billion software empire. But his
refusal to stop short of total victory may turn out also to be a
tragic flaw in his battle to preserve his carefully constructed
legacy.”

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