Their extreme request for relief invites questions on how they came to the observations and conclusions in their declarations.

To get answers of life, ask questions

The curtain is coming down on a feeble case presented by the government. In its rush to judgment, the government has failed to stop and learn about the benefits to customers, consumers of the innovation and the low prices that Microsoft has championed and made reality in the PC software marketplace today.

We were willing to explore ways in which [computer makers] might create more choices in browsing technology. There were a number of issues we thought were worthy of discussion, but the government would not engage us. We were there to solve a problem, and they were constantly asking for more.

Before we sat down to negotiate this degree, the government had subpoenaed documents that showed Microsoft had begun including integrated Internet technology into Windows 95 as early as the fall of 1993.

We continue to be confident about our legal position. We think the law is very much on our side in all the major issues of this case.