Microsoft Corp. plans to argue in court hearings next week that if antitrust sanctions sought by state prosecutors are granted, the company would be forced to pull its latest Windows computer operating systems off the market and be unable to develop new systems. In court filings late Friday, the company said the recently released consumer operating system, Windows XP, and the business-oriented Windows 2000 system could not be redesigned to satisfy state demands that they be made available in separate versions, with and without key programs, such as the Internet Explorer Web browser. The states, in a filing Friday, plan to argue that Microsoft's claims are a "doomsday defense" and that such separation is not only feasible but essential to remedying Microsoft's antitrust violations and restoring software competition.
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