FIRST PRIZE, THREE DAYS IN CARLSBAD

“We’re not going to sit around and cry in our beer, ‘wah wah.’ Who wants to do that for three days?”

Industry Standard chairman John Battelle, on the entertainment planned for his magazine’s annual conference, The New York Times, 2 July 2001

NO SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

“People have said that I believe that Microsoft is evil, but that’s not true. I think they’re amoral, and their business practices make me angry.”

Star antitrust witness and former Intel exec Steven McGeady, on Microsoft’s unrepentant ways, The New York Times, 2 July 2001

SOMETIMES YOU’VE GOT TO BREAK THE RULES

“The rules that companies are allowed to innovate have always been clear. All Microsoft has ever asked for is to be able to work within the rules as they exist.”

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, spinning curiously after a court ruling that affirmed that his company’s most significant innovation in recent years was finding new ways to extend its existing monopoly on PC operating systems, CBS MarketWatch, 29 June 2001

THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS WRONG

“There will always be crybaby boobies who are unhappy with any company.”

Covad spokeswoman Martha Sessums, on disgruntled DSL customers who can’t get good service from the company …

“I tried first to get Covad but it didn’t work out. I have a cable modem.”

… a group that includes former Covad CEO Robert Knowling, ZDNN, 28 June 2001

SOUR GRAPES INSIDE

“No one cares what the processor is inside. It is really the applications and the software that drives the value for the customer overall.”

Compaq exec Mike Winkler, on his company’s decision to abandon its proprietary Alpha chip in favor of Intel’s Itanium, eWeek, 27 June 2001