As a Microsoft shareholder, you’re invited to contact us for a variety of shareholder services or to request more information about Microsoft. Here are some suggestions on how to reach us: Account questions Our transfer agent can help you with a variety of shareholder-related services, including: •  Change of address •  Lost stock certificates •  Transfer of stock to another person •  Additional administrative services You can call our transfer agent toll-free at (800) 285-7772. You can also write them at: ChaseMellon Shareholder Services P.O. Box 3315 South Hackensack, NJ 07606-1915 Or you can e-mail our transfer agent at: msft@chasemellon.com Shareholders of record who receive more than one copy of this annual report can contact our transfer agent and arrange to have their accounts consolidated. Shareholders who own Microsoft stock through a brokerage can contact their broker to request consolidation of their accounts. Investor relations You can contact Microsoft’s Investor Relations group any time to order financial documents such as this annual report and the Form 10-K. Call us toll-free at (800) 285-7772. (Outside the United States, call (425) 936-4400.) Or send a fax to (425) 936-8000. We can be contacted during West Coast business hours to answer investment-oriented questions about Microsoft. In addition, you can write us at: Investor Relations Department Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, Washington 98052-6399 Or better yet, send us an e-mail at msft@microsoft.com Annual meeting Microsoft shareholders are invited to attend our annual meeting, which will be held on Friday, November 14, 1997 from 8 to 9 A.M. at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, 800 Convention Place, Seattle, Washington. Get financial information online Anyone with access to the Internet can view an electronic copy of this annual report along with a wide variety of other financial materials at http://www.microsoft.com/investor/ About the cover We are dedicated to making the Microsoft brand one of the most recognized in the world. Our brand is defined in part by the use of four colors that represent the diverse and dynamic nature of the company. Our 1997 Annual Report covers use these colors in four different configurations in recognition of that strategy. No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation. © 1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Active Channel, Active Desktop, BackOffice, the BackOffice logo, Encarta, Expedia, the Microsoft Internet Explorer logo, MS-DOS, MSN, Outlook, PowerPoint, Sidewalk, Slate, Visual Basic, Where do you want to go today?, Windows, the Windows logo, Windows NT, and the Windows Start logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. WebTV is a registered trademark of WebTV Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.    Last Updated: September 29, 1997 © 1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of use.