Do You Speak Manganese? Simple Menu Customization

Have you ever looked at the Windows menus and thought that you could find a better way to arrange things? You could create a menu that would be more in line with the things you need to use every day in order to get a job done. Come to think of it, it's probably not just you. Lots of people could benefit from custom Windows menus. After all, think about how much time you could save yourself if the things you need, and only the things you need, were easily accessible in one menu, no sub-menus or complicated navigation involved. You have to admit it sounds almost utopian.

Well, there is a way to bring a little bit of utopia to your desktop computer, with the help of just one program called Manganese Menu. The concept behind Manganese Menu is simple: you create a custom icon that sits in your system tray or on your desktop and when you click on it, your custom menu appears.

This is, of course, more than just your standard menu list. What really shows up is more like a box. In that box are rows of icons that you can break up by any number of different categories. One row might be dedicated to your Internet tools; programs like your e-mail client, your web browser, instant messaging system and file transfer program. Another row in the same box could house all of your Microsoft Office programs.

In addition, the box is fully customizable. When you create the box, there are settings that allow you to control color, font, the programs included, the size of program icons, the location of the box and even how you activate it. You can also set Manganese Menu to start up every time Windows does or only when you tell it to.

The program is extremely simple to use and is controlled mostly with radio buttons and pull down menus. If, for whatever reason, you get stuck and you're not sure what to do, the "about" tab can help you.  Not that you are likely to need the help, as it is very intuitively designed.

The program can house dozens of icons, which is really great if you work with a lot of programs during the day, but hate the routine of having to navigate through the start menu to find what you need and you don't want your desktop cluttered with icons.

The best thing about this handy little solution is that it won't cost you a dime. I'm not talking about free trial; I'm talking about free software. This is a really good thing since it dramatically increases the chances of your boss allowing you to use it during these tough financial times.

This software is compatible with every version of Windows up to and including XP. Sorry my friends using Vista, I know you really could use the help with your menus, but for now Manganese Menu is off the menu for you. Though I'm sure in time you will have as many cool tools as your XP using friends.