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StatPlanet Map Maker provides a simple set of tools for creating a detailed map. While the main function was more tedious than we originally hoped, the results were still useful in the right situation.

The program's interface is simple to grasp, and its controls are intuitive. StatPlanet Map Maker's layout reminds us of pop-up maps we've seen on news Web sites. The program also includes an extensive User's Manual, which is helpful for inputting your own data. It gives you full control over your map view, with options such as choosing to view the entire planet or zeroing in on a single country with a single mouse click. The program contains population maps, growth maps, and more. StatPlanet Map Maker's strongest function is the capability to input data into a spreadsheet and upload it to your map. It color-codes every country to reflect your information, depending on what you've selected and the data you enter. This is a helpful feature, but it is a bit tedious to enter data manually. StatPlanet Map Maker also converts data into bar charts and graphs, which is nice, but doesn't feel like a truly essential feature. This entire program offers an interesting tool for mapmaking, but we feel the amount of work involved may limit its appeal.

StatPlanet Map Maker is freeware. It comes as a compressed file. This cartography software may have a few slight flaws, but it still offers an exciting functionality, and we recommend it.

Cool Music Record Edit Station is a multifeatured program that allows users to record and edit audio files. Although it may seem overwhelming to the beginner, its many options are sure to please more-advanced users.

The program's interface is generally well-organized, but it contains a lot of small buttons that give it a slightly cluttered appearance. Fortunately, mouse-over tool tips reveal each button's function. Once an audio file is loaded into the program, either from the user's computer or by making a new recording, the program displays a waveform view of the data. From there, users can make all kinds of changes: cutting and pasting portions of the recording, reducing noise, adding a variety of delay effects, and much, much more. The program also allows users to convert files into a wide variety of different formats. The program's Help file is fairly detailed and even contains a section "For Newbie," but newbies should be careful. Although we do think that the program is suitable for beginners, there's not a lot of hand-holding on here; users who don't already know what they're doing are going to have to go through some trial and error. That's likely true of any audio editor, though, and overall, we found the program to be jam-packed with features and fairly easy to use.

Cool Music Record Edit Station has a 30-day trial period. It installs politely but leaves a file behind upon removal. We recommend this program to ambitious beginners and beyond.

IntroCreator allows people to create multimedia slideshows similar to that of PowerPoint. Although the program is not the most intuitive we've seen, a thorough Help file ensures that users have all the tools they need to create attractive presentations.

The program's interface is clean and well-organized, with thumbnails of each slide arranged in a grid. Large graphical buttons across the top give people access to the program's major features. Double-clicking each slide opens menus that allow users to customize the slide's appearance and content. Users who have never used a similar program before will likely need some instruction, but that's where the program's well-done Help file and tutorial come in. (Although we do have to mention that the sexy teacher graphic with the skimpy clothes and giant breasts at the beginning of the tutorial is both unprofessional and offensive.) Both the tutorial and Help file contain step-by-step instructions that walk users through each of the program's features. As for features, the program contains the basics, including support for animated text and GIFs. As with similar programs, IntroCreator makes dynamic slides in which elements appear independently of one another. However, users should note that the slideshows are fully automated; unlike with other programs, IntroCreator presentations do not appear to allow users to click through them at their leisure. This may be a significant drawback for presentations that will involve audience participation.

IntroCreator has a 30-day trial period. It installs and uninstalls without issues. We recommend this program to all users.

Create photo slideshows using Flash technology with Fortop Album Creator. Choose a template, select your photos, and Fortop Album Creator will create a slideshow. You can upload MP3 files for background music, too.

The interface is attractive, with a good variety of templates to choose from. A Help file is there when more assistance is needed. Creating a slideshow is easy, but saving the file is tricky. It's important to select "create loading HTML file" when saving your slideshow. Choosing that option lets you view your slideshow in your computer's browser. Fortop Album Creator's native file is an SWF, a Flash file, and you'll need Flash software to view it. Fortop Album Creator was designed for sharing photos over the Internet, but some photo-sharing sites don't support Flash files. You can also post Fortop Album Creator's slideshows on your own Web site. We created a blank HTML page with Dreamweaver and inserted the SWF file. The code displayed in Dreamweaver's Code View, and the new slideshow worked in our Web browser.

This 30-day trial version of the program is limited to 30 photos per album. A watermark with Fortop Album Creator's logo appears on all photos created with the trial version. Fortop Album Creator installs with no problems, but it leaves a 924KB folder behind when you uninstall it. This is a serviceable program, but users without the appropriate software or graphics knowledge may find it a bit challenging to use.

AutoRun is the handy Windows feature that automatically starts a program when, for example, you insert a CD-ROM in your PC's drive. Whether you're a network administrator or a newbie, an installation program that starts right up with a professional-looking interface is a reassuring sight. Good installation programs don't design themselves, though. Someone put it all together and put it on disk. You can, too, with AutoRun Pro Enterprise II from Longtion. It's designed to let anyone create interactive front ends for downloads, CD-ROMs, and other such applications, regardless of skill level. It lets you bring together text, images, video, and audio to create a presentation and access point. It contains templates, wizards, and demos designed to get you started quickly.

Unfortunately, getting started quickly isn't an option with AutoRun Pro, which has what may be the most complicated and crowded interface we've ever encountered. Its front end is jam-packed with features and options that may dazzle power users, but it's overwhelming to the average user and hieroglyphics to newbies. For a program that claims to be for users of all skill levels, that's a problem. More serious was the screen wizard's inability to open the links it offered; a major strike against a program supposedly designed to help you create such items.

AutoRun Pro Enterprise II is free to try for 30 days, after which it costs no less than $199. That's a lot, especially for a too-complex program that doesn't seem to do its job.

TreeDraw enhances family trees imported into the program from "Kith and Kin Pro" databases or from GEDCOM files produced by other genealogy programs. Once you import your family tree data into TreeDraw, you can add text, photos, and graphics to the file or combine family trees.

TreeDraw's interface is easy to navigate and use. The Help file automatically launches the first time you open the program. It offers tutorials on getting started with TreeDraw as well as a PDF version of the user manual. TreeDraw is a great application for genealogy buffs who have family data saved in "Kith and Kin Pro" or GEDCOM databases. People who are just getting started with computer-based genealogy won't be able to get anywhere with the program unless they purchase or have access to a program that can save their family data in one of these formats. TreeDraw has features that "Kith and Kin Pro" users will appreciate. The ability to add notes, graphics, and text to family trees is especially handy. With these options, you can add photographs of family members and expanded details that won't fit into the standard tree layout. TreeDraw's Export option saves files in PDF format, too, so you can easily print and back up your data.

This is a 30-day trial version of TreeDraw. It installs and uninstalls without complications. Full functionality requires access to "Kith and Kin Pro" databases or GEDCOM files. If you're a researcher, historian, family archivist, or genealogy buff, TreeDraw is worth exploring.

PrimoPDF converts just about any file type to a PDF, using the print command from the source program the file was created in. In the latest version, the program comes with desktop icon that you can drag and drop files onto for quick conversion, as well as performance improvements and minor changes throughout the program.

Users can now always save PDFs to the same folder, or opt to choose a new folder for each PDF creation. You can also Append or Overwrite an already existing PDF, and more easily create and edit document properties and PDF security from the main PrimoPDF interface. Publisher NitroPDF also claims that the program starts faster, and we did notice that it launched quicker than before--note that this was an empirical judgment, though. Primo's size has been reduced slightly to 7.38MB, and the new drag-and-drop icon also serves as a program launch icon, making it easier to manage the app. The four conversion quality settings have been exposed upfront, too, so you can easily toggle quality settings from Screen to eBook to Print to Prepress. There's a Custom setting, as well.

The conversion process from whatever document is on your screen to PDF is quick and efficient. Other features include a password-protection feature that can be used for restricting reading, editing, or printing the PDF. However, trying to create a PDF while the interface was already open resulted in neither a new PDF nor a warning that there had been a failure. The interface also sports an ad for other PDF-related software made by Nitro that takes up half the interface. Those hitches aside, PrimoPDF is an effective tool for quick and casual PDF creation.

Stockwatch is a very basic way to view and monitor your stock values. With a setup that is incredibly simple to navigate and provides just the essential numbers, this is a great tool for beginning stock traders.

We had no trouble with the program's interface, since it was built with Excel and is basically a well-designed spreadsheet. At no point in running this program did we feel like we needed any guidance. We enjoyed the simplicity of Stockwatch; it contained simply a tab for Current stocks and one for Sold stocks. The program smartly included a box to fill in a ticker symbol, which took us to an online page with its current value. We would have liked to see the program input this information automatically, but weren't too turned off by entering its price in the spreadsheet. We did appreciate that we simply entered our purchase price, commission, and current price and the program did all the other math regarding the money we'd made and lost. The program was so basic it lacked any eye-popping features, though its capability to look up stock prices from nine different Web sites was a nice touch. While the program required us to do a little manual input, overall we thought it was successful.

Stockwatch is a freeware program. It comes as a compressed file and installs desktop icons without permission. Since this program is so good at doing its very basic function, we recommend it.

Ace Pro Screensaver Creator allows users to create screensavers using their photos. However, the program hits a home run by providing all the tools to protect and sell that screensaver.

We were surprised and very satisfied with this program's interface. A helpful wizard allowed us to input all the necessary pictures and data through a menu screen without needing to visit the Help file. The wizard allowed us to collect the perfect number of pictures, choose the transition times, and customize the effects for those transitions. These tools worked great for us, but were nothing out of the ordinary compared with other screensaver creators. But Ace Pro really stepped away from the competition by including steps within the wizard to let us set purchase prices, trial periods, registration screens, and any other tool we could think of to sell this screensaver online. We were impressed with how professional all the marketing materials looked and how even a novice user could create them. In addition, the program provided a great preview feature, which let us look at not only our screensaver, but also things like our registration screen.

Ace Pro Screensaver Creator has a 30-day trial. This program leaves behind folders after uninstall. We highly recommend this program thanks to its simple controls and excellent marketing possibilities.