Apycom Java Menu Applets are very flexible, allowing you to configure colors, icons, fonts, sounds, background, and alignment to achieve an infinite variety of menu appearances and behaviors to fit your Web site needs. Apycom Menus include excellent documentation and a lot of examples to get you up and running in no time. Java source codes of applets are also available with developer license (US 299.95$) for the 8 applets.

The software comes as eight (8) applets organized in 8 .jar files, a special compressed form of the class format:

1. The apPopupMenu is an extremely powerful popup menu solution. In contrast to other drop-down menus available on the Internet, the apPopupMenu can overlap not only HTML content but also can pop up over frames, form elements, flash, and even go over the browser window. The applet supports an unlimited number of submenus and 6 button types. Using GUI wizard, available with the applet, you can configure the apPopupMenu in a few easy steps.
   
   
2. The apMagicMenu (new: version 3.0) is an eye-catching applet allowing to develop menus with a magic floating background. You can create snow, star, rain, bubble effects, flash-like animations and banners and many more with apMagicMenu.
   
   
3. The apMenu & apMenu2 let you generate appealing menus with impressive mouse-over and killer fade effects. Twenty different fade animations will help you to make your Website attractive. 
   
   
4. The apPulseMenu (new: version 3.0) are great to create stunning looking menus with impressive mouse-over pulse effect and color-fade effects. 
   
   
5. The apTabMenu applet provides a friendly tabbed interface for your site, very familiar to most visitors.
   
   
6. The apButtonMenu is a fast loading applet that allows you create attractive menus and buttons, without the need for separate graphics files. The applet supports JavaScript calls, target frames and 6 different button types.
   
   
7. The apImageMenu are applets for nifty buttons and menu bar. You can use both the 3-state images for each menu item, and the combinations of an image, text and background.
   
   
8. The apChoiceMenu presents a well-known pop-up menu of choices, and has same set of features as apPopupMenu (1).

Minimum requirements
Apycom Java Menu Applets is Operating System independent, and works on Windows, Mac and UNIX browsers. It works on Internet Explorer 3.02 or later, Netscape 4.04 or later and all other Java-compatible browsers.

I have installed the application on my oldest and slowest PC: 133 MHZ Clone PC with 32 Meg of RAM and windows 98. Installation of the product is a snap and consist of unzipping the file apmenu3fullfunc.zip (1,149 KB and contains 450 files) in a temporary directory, go to that directory and execute the apmenu300setup.exe which copy the unzipped files from the temporary directory and create some utilities (uninstall.exe. tutotial.html, purchase.html) to a chosen directory.

In this installation, the apmenu300setup.exe didn't make a cleanup of the temporary directory but leave all the unzipped files there. You might want to delete them after the installation. There is no hard copy (paper copy) of the user manual, so you will have to go to their Website for some more help.

After viewing the tutorial in HTML format (there is also a PowerPoint format) and reading the index.html (sort of user manual in html format) I already felt at ease to try the product.

To use one of the applet of this package, you'll need to copy the library file (ex: apPopupMenu.jar to use apPopupMenu applet) to your Website and create associated html files that include Java tag to go with that. Place the apxxxx.jar file in the directory containing the HTML document into which you want to insert the applet (or into a different directory, and add the correct CODEBASE= attribute). It's not necessary to have .class file if you have .jar file.

For an example of apPopupMenu go to: <http://home.satx.rr.com/btran> and click on apycom test page that I made for this review.

I like the "short and sweet" way this company presents us this freeware for non-commercial use. Available for download everywhere in the big WEB: CNET.com, download.com, Softpile.com, etc. On the search engine you only need to type apycom to find related Web page.

If you want to use the applets on a commercial site you must buy the registered version only available via ordering online at apycom Software or by Fax, mail, Phone orders via: RegSoft.com, Inc., PMB 201, 10820 Abbotts Bridge Road, Suite 220, Duluth, Georgia, USA 30097. Phone: 1-877-REGSOFT.

You will need to have some knowledge about HTML and how to imbed a Java applet in it, due to its highly user-configurability you can easily change an applet's appearance (such as colors, fonts, image background, icons, sounds, alignment) by using “param name=” and “value=” tags to fit your Website needs. This is a user-friendly software build for people who have 2 to 3 stars computer's knowledge (by Alamo PC technical ratings). Having good impression about these small and fast applets, my next Web page will be build around this Apycom Java Menu Applets package.

The technical support consists of the FAQ Web page and contact e-mail addresses.

My only question is: Why did the company itself not use this package to build their own Website?