Gates Addresses Windows 95 Charges

Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates strongly denied Tuesday that the company deliberately built its Windows 95 program with features to hamper other companies’ software for connecting to the Internet.

Appearing at a luncheon to promote his book, Gates was dogged by questions about yet another Department of Justice investigation into the company.

“Windows is an open book,” Gates said. “There are people whose whole careers are to say, ‘Look, there’s a little underwear showing there.”’

It was disclosed Monday that federal antitrust investigators issued subpoenas last month to Netscape Communications Corp. and CompuServe Inc. for information about problems Windows 95 caused to their Internet access programs.

Gates said the incompatibilities originated from engineering decisions made long ago and could not be foreseen. He added that they were quickly corrected.