Wallpaper Slideshow Pro for Windows

Would you pay for a desktop wallpaper slideshow? Let's rephrase that: Would you pay for shareware to create a desktop wallpaper slideshow? You might, if it's Wallpaper SlideShow Pro. What makes it so much better than the many free slideshow apps? Like the one that comes with Windows? Lots of things, starting with multiple monitor capability. You can custom-fit each separate image, too, so you no longer have to choose whether to center, fit, or stretch them all. You can add overlays like calendars and text, too. As we noted, Wallpaper SlideShow Pro is shareware, but it's free to try for 30 days (with watermark).

Wallpaper SlideShow Pro's user interface is as small and plain as the typical Windows settings dialog, but it's got everything you need right there, starting with a main window displaying all of our system's photo caches and the program's sample wallpaper. We unchecked those directories we wanted to exclude and browsed to and added an external archive. Wallpaper SlideShow Pro rotates up to 23 images per slideshow at intervals ranging from seconds to days. After we added our images (with Previews) we opened the Commands menu, which accesses everything that's on the even more extensive System Tray menu that doesn't already have its own control (and some that do). That seemed like a lot, until we clicked Options. How many slideshow apps have you encountered with 13 separate tabs on the options tree, and all of them actual settings, not About files? You'll find Images Info, Scrapbook, Calendar, and even Plug-Ins. When it's running, Wallpaper SlideShow Pro shows a roaming thumbnail in your Desktop Background settings in Windows.

Our only complaint about Wallpaper SlideShow Pro's presentation is the text watermark that appears on the trial version. Other than that, we've never seen a desktop slideshow program that does as much, or as well, as Wallpaper SlideShow Pro. So, do you need it? It's suitable for anyone who wants their desktop wallpaper to look great, but business users and those who set up public slideshows will be particularly interested. But you look at your wallpaper all day, every day, don't you?

Editors' note: This is a review of the trial version of Wallpaper Slideshow Pro 3.3.