Compared with the previous occasion when Judge Jackson heard oral argument on the facts in September 1999, he played more of an active role in the courtroom today. He asked a lot of questions, which revealed that he is still thinking quite a bit about the part of the opinion that deals with tying.

This is the HOV lane of litigation compared to IBM. The appeals process could go on for two years. Then there would be a question whether a remedy imposed today would make sense in the middle of 2002. The rate of technological change puts a lot of pressure on the joints of traditional antitrust litigation.

I think the judge will discuss the future schedule in the courtroom because the process is closely connected to the substance of the government's proposal. Under the guise of process, you could see a debate about substance of government's proposals.

The delay is a positive sign, because I think they will need that much time to achieve a consensus.

The Justice Department's awareness of Microsoft's adroitness and adaptability is much keener than it was in 1994, when the previous consent decree was being negotiated. In addition, the group of attorneys at Justice is much more knowledgeable about the software industry than they were six years ago.

Private Letter Ruling is where somebody requests a ruling from the IRS on a particular set of facts as they apply to them. The IRS rules with respect to that particular situation, but that does not have binding effect on everybody's situation.