And Then Came Microsoft: Tech Giant Joins the Preannouncement Crowd

Microsoft(MSFT Quote) finally put its tail between its legs with the rest of the tech big dogs Thursday when it warned investors that it won't meet earnings and revenue expectations for its fiscal second quarter and fiscal year 2001.

The warning -- Microsoft's first since March 1989 -- was so unusual that a representative from the company's outside public relations agency didn't know about it Thursday afternoon when she called TheStreet.com after the announcement.

The announcement came after days of speculation that Microsoft would do just that. After all, several PC makers, including Gateway(GTW Quote) had warned. And Intel(INTC Quote) cited weak PC sales when it warned last week. ...