Quotes of the Week, January 12-16

"It was absolutely clear to you that I entered an order that required that you distribute a product that would not work? That's what you're telling me?"

"In plain English, yes. We followed that order. It wasn't our place to consider the consequences of that." - Exchange between DOJ lawyer and Microsoft VP

"This gives us access to ABC1 users aged between 21 and 35. You look at other sponsorship deals and there's a lot of wastage. We're very much on the up and up and so are Fulham." - Demon Internet's David Furniss on his company's sponsorship deal with Fulham FC.

"Now that's what I call diplomacy". - Secretary of state for education and employment David Blunkett on BT and the Cable Industry Association picking up awards at the BETT computers in education show.

"We're allocating £230 million for teacher training over the next four years." -Blunkett puts his hand in his pocket for IT.

"The PC market will continue to grow."It is underpinned by robust fundamentals such as the use of PCs in education, the development of the Internet, and the increasing trend to working from home." - John Clare, Dixons chief executive, after admitting to a disappointing Xmas.

"[IT managers] are not prepared to take a gamble on the NC." - Compaq's James Griffiths takes a party line.

"Webmedia managed to get operating costs down but obviously not sufficiently. Basically the money coming in wasn't enough. The new team improved things a lot but it was too little, too late. The Web business has changed quite rapidly with firms like Which? taking things in-house." - Member of staff made redundant by Webmedia.