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Autorun Splash Software
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MenuFacturer
Timeless CD Autorun
MakeCDROM
Stardust AutoPlay Teaser
Multimedia Software
Related Links
Menu Facturer
 Menu
Facturer - a different option altogether - this program's interface
is for multiple programs.
If you need to create a splash for a single presentation, installation
or show, you could use any of the other programs in this page.
However, if you need to create a CD ROM compilations of shareware
or freeware programs, MP3s or even a few presentations or all of
them put together, then you need Menu Facturer.
Presently, the program is available in freeware and commercial
versions. The help file is very detailed and easy-to-read. Options
include choosing your own icon, checking paths, creating an 'autorun.inf'
automatically and creating groups within the main menu. Included
within the installation are a few samples as well as collection
of icons for you to use in your front-ends. You may want to give
this program a spin!
Rated:    Two
And A Half Flowers
Company: Peer2Peer Productive
Version: 2.01 Beta
Price: Freeware Version (not for commercial use) available
Personal Edition: US$ 24.95
Professional Edition: US$ 149.95
Homepage: www.peer2peer.nl/software
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Timeless CD Autorun
 Timeless
makes two versions of its CD Autorun software - the freeware version
and the professional version. The freeware version does many of
the basic tasks you would want to achieve including launching of
.exe files with specific options. In addition, the professional
edition also supports the launching of document files, web addresses,
mailto addresses and other URLs.
The program doesn't compile any exe file to include in the root
of your CD ROM. It comes built-in with a standard viewer CD autorun
executable which refers to an initialisation file for its very
existence - this includes backgrounds, hotspots, events, etc. A
very comprehensive tutorial is available online at their site.
Rated: Three
And A Half Flowers
Company: Timeless
Version: 1
Price: Freeware version available.
Commercial Version: US$ 25
Homepage: www.timeless.co.zw
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MakeCDROM
 MakeCDROM is among the easiest autorun solution available. It
does not provide too many options - excellent if you need to create
a quick autorun splash.
A semi-wizard based interface helps you in organizing the structure
- such as selecting folders and backdrop images. However, you need
to save and generate your project to a predetermined 'staging'
folder before you can view any previews. Hotspots and rollovers
can be placed through dragging or through pixel level coordinates
- although the only graphic formats accepted are BMP and GIF.
If your autorun splashes need the full professional treatment
like registry access, detection and font embedding, look elsewhere.
However, if you need to create a splash in minutes without all
the gobbledygook, there's little to beat MakeCDROM. All put together,
this is the most complete solution at this price level. You could
try it for yourself by downloading a trial version from the site
- its limitations include the ability to define only 3 hotspots
until you register.
Rated: Four
And A Half Flowers
Company: Killer Software Inc.
Version: 4
Price: US$ 19.95
Homepage: www.killersoftware.com/makecdrom/
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Stardust AutoPlay Teaser Toolkit
This comes from Stardust Software, the same company that creates
the immensely popular Stardust ScreenSaver Toolkit.
Although it offers most options associated with creating autorun
splashes - AutoPlay Teaser Toolkit has a few aces up its sleeve
- for example its runtime is only 55 kilobytes - thus ensuring
an  almost
instantaneous splash occurrence. Unfortunately, the rest of the
program does not live to that initial promise - you can use only
BMP images within the program - I think JPG images became standard
aeons ago. Even the hotspot coordinates have to be manually noted
using another program (the help file suggests Paintbrush which
last appeared in Windows 3.1!). The interface and help files look
a little dated - more in the style of Windows 95 when it made it
debut in 1995, rather than present times. Every function in this
program can be easily performed using the free alternatives mentioned
on this page.
Support options are aplenty - and customer service seems good
enough. There is also a publicly accessible newsgroup dedicated
to AutoPlay Teaser Toolkit.
In short, Stardust has to justify the basic US$ 99 price for a
program which is crying for an update. This is unfortunate because
Stardust's other programs are so much better. You could of course
try out the 10 day trial which is available for download from the
Stardust web site and decide for yourself.
Rated: One
And A Half Flowers
Company: Stardust Software
Version: 1.3
Price: CD Version - US$ 149, Download Version US$ 99
Homepage: www.stardustsoftware.com/autoplay/
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Multimedia Software
If you already own a copy of Macromedia Director, Flash, AuthorWare
or other multimedia software like Digital Workshop Illuminatus,
Intelamedia Dazzler, Matchware Mediator, Asymetrix ToolBook or
DemoShield, then you may not need any specialized autorun splash
software.
Another great option is Multimedia
Builder - which although not as powerful as Macromedia Director
does a lot more than creating autorun splashes. And at less than
US$ 50, it's a steal!
However, most multimedia software are not as easy to use as autorun
splash software. For example, no multimedia software allows the
sophistication of AutoPlay Menu Studio - which has options to create
auto-detected multilingual splashes and a Virtual CD ROM for autorun
splash development.
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Related Links
For a complete rundown on the autorun concept, read these articles
at MSDN:
Creating
an AutoRun-Enabled CD-ROM Application
Creating
an AutoRun-Enabled Application
Autorun.inf
Commands
Enabling
and Disabling Autorun
Autorun
on the PocketPC
Autorun
Utility is another application designed to create autorun
CDs - but it's fairly technical and not for the faint hearted.
At the site, you'll find a wealth of information regarding the
entire autorun concept itself.
Autorun.inf
Maker is a free autorun.inf creator.
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