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Posted on 20 Oct 2000 at 17:15

The judges in the appeals court that will consider the break-up of Microsoft have signalled their need to get to grips with computing basics first.

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has said that it is considering inviting a technical expert to brief the judges on computer technology.

This will be in preparation for the February showdown of the antitrust case.

According to a report in USA Today the appeals court has tentatively tapped Michael Hites, chief technology officer of the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, to conduct a briefing.

"The review session would be descriptive only, focusing strictly on basic concepts underlying the fundamentals of automation," the order said. "The review session would not address any of the issues presented in these appeals."

Apparently, the D.C. Circuit invited both Microsoft and the government parties to send representatives, to "supplement Dr. Hites' presentation as appropriate". It is not known whether the briefing would be public.

Author: Alun Williams