MB Free Vedic Astrology for Windows

This freeware brings together a number of different resources related to Vedic astrology. Using six different menus, you can input personal details and MB Vedic Astrology will provide a variety of reports and charts.

After bypassing an initial screen, the user can click on one of six buttons--each based on different schools of Vedic astrology--to bring up different input windows. Unfortunately, only a few of these provide explanations. Some of the input details required are tedious (we had to look up the latitude and longitude of our birthplace), but the resulting analysis and reports are thorough. The graphical interface is extremely simplistic: the focus here is on presenting the information clearly and succinctly. Our favorite was the Muhurtha menu, which you can use to find the most auspicious time to do a variety of activities, from starting a new business to tonsuring your child's head. The program tries to be as comprehensive as possible, but the various menus don't seem to mesh into any kind of coherent whole. We were frustrated at having to re-enter all our data for each different school of thought.

The program installs desktop icons without permission, and leaves a file behind in your Program Files, but apart from the mildly annoying pleas for donations and co-branding offers, our biggest complaint was the inconsistent number of explanations. Beginners will need to go elsewhere to learn about the various schools and charts, but dedicated users will find some interesting tools here.