Microsoft Excel Becomes the World's Top-selling Spreadsheet 
More Than 5 Million Users Worldwide

REDMOND, Wash.--Aug. 24, 1993--Microsoft Corporation announced today that
worldwide shipments of the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet have recently
surpassed those of any other vendor--including Lotus Development
Corporation--on the Microsoft Windows, Macintosh and MS-DOS operating
systems combined. According to Infocorp estimates of major software
developers and Microsoft internal data, Microsoft Excel represented 45
percent of new spreadsheet units and more than 50 percent of new
spreadsheet revenues for the Windows, Macintosh and MS-DOS platforms
between June 1992 and May 1993, making Microsoft Excel the best-selling
spreadsheet during that period. In addition, this news comes on the heels
of a record-breaking month for Microsoft Excel, which had its highest-ever
new units sales during the month of June. Microsoft Excel has shipped more
than 5 million new units worldwide.

More Than 2 Million Spreadsheet Users Have Switched to Microsoft Excel

Sales of Microsoft Excel have been spurred by the increasing number of
spreadsheet users who are shifting from MS-DOS to Windows. More than 2
million spreadsheet users have switched to Microsoft Excel. The Todd
Organization, a company specializing in executive benefit plans, recently
switched from Lotus 1-2-3 for MS-DOS to standardize on Microsoft Excel for
Windows in its offices nationwide. "We evaluated Lotus 1-2-3 for Windows
when we standardized on the Windows platform, but we found that Microsoft
Excel was easier to learn for novice users and offered more powerful
features for our advanced users," said Ken Aitken, vice president of
information systems for The Todd Organization of Seattle, Inc. "In our
business, we use large, complex spreadsheets for actuarial calculations.
Microsoft Excel gives us the depth of functionality we need and the
flexibility to customize for individual users."

Microsoft shipped the first graphical spreadsheet, Microsoft Excel 1.0 for
the Macintosh, back in 1985, followed by the version for Windows in 1987.
"Our years of experience in developing graphical spreadsheets have helped
us continue to push the envelope of innovation, while at the same time
providing the basic usage features most needed by spreadsheet users," said
Pete Higgins, senior vice president of the desktop applications division
at Microsoft. "We've spent a lot of time listening to customers and
responding to their needs. It's gratifying to see our efforts rewarded by
the substantial growth in the number of former MS-DOS based spreadsheet
users who choose Microsoft Excel when they make the move to Microsoft
Windows."

Microsoft Excel Has a Strong History of Innovation

Many of the innovations new to other spreadsheets were first introduced in
Microsoft Excel. In 1985, Microsoft Excel 1.0 for the Macintosh was the
first graphical spreadsheet, offering a "select-and-do" approach to tasks,
multiple document windows, rich formatting, one-step charting and a
powerful macro language for creating custom graphical solutions with a
spreadsheet. In 1987, Microsoft Excel 2.0 was the first spreadsheet for
Windows, advancing integration through dynamic data exchange. In 1991,
Microsoft Excel 3.0 became the first totally compatible spreadsheet for
Windows and the Macintosh, and introduced "power made easy" through
features such as a toolbar, the Autosum button, automatic outlining, a
drawing layer on the worksheet, object linking and embedding and System 7
support. In 1992, Microsoft Excel 4.0 increased the level of ease of use
with spreadsheet innovations such as cell drag and drop, AutoFill,
Shortcut Menus and "Wizards" to walk the user through a process such as
creating a chart. Scenario Manager and Crosstab ReportWizard in Microsoft
Excel 4.0 brought new analytical tools to spreadsheets for managing
multiple "what if" cases for worksheet models and for performing
multidimensional data analysis.

Microsoft Excel Is a Member of Microsoft Office

Another key factor in the burgeoning sales of Microsoft Excel is the
growing popularity of Microsoft Office, the best-selling suite of desktop
productivity programs. By the end of calendar year 1993, Microsoft
projects that more than 50 percent of Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word
sales will be through Microsoft Office.

Microsoft Office Professional version 3.0 for Windows, includes Microsoft
Excel 4.0; the Microsoft Access database version 1.1 for Windows, an
award-winning relational database program; Microsoft Word 2.0 for Windows,
a leading member of the world's most popular word processing family;
Microsoft PowerPoint presentation graphics program version 3.0, the
world's best-selling presentation graphics program; and a workstation
license for Microsoft Mail version 3.2, the company's robust electronic
mail package. Designed to be powerful and easy to use on their own, when
used together the programs provide the ability to integrate text, data and
graphics to solve any business computing need.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in
software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of
products and services for business and personal use, each designed with
the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take
advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft Corp, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399
206-882-8080,  fax: 206-93MSFAX

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