Here is a comparision of the two best anagram creation programs available today, Anagram Artist (by Mike Keith) and Anagram Genius (by William Tunstall-Pedoe).

These programs approach anagramming in quite different ways as you will see below. Serious anagrammers use both depending on the type of anagram being created.

We suggest that you try both.

SOFTWARE:

ANAGRAM ARTIST

ANAGRAM GENIUS

General description:

• Anagram Artist is primarily designed to aid a human anagrammatist with the task of finding anagrams by presenting suggested words and keeping track of the remaining letters as the anagram is partially formed.
• The focus is on the human operator and the software is primarily an assistant.

• Anagram Genius is designed primarily to generate anagrams all by itself.
• It uses sophisticated artificial intelligence and search techniques to do the work and attempts to find complete anagrams that are relevant and grammatical.
• Human input is optional and sought only to help steer the search to more appropriate places (and to select and tweak the best anagrams at the end).

Main Uses:

• Ideal for creating medium (40-100 letters) to long anagrams (more than 100 letters), but can be used for short anagrams, too.
• Special features help with the creation of anagrammed poems.
• It can generate anagrams only when there are 25 or less letters remaining.

• Ideal for creating short anagrams, such as peoples or product names.
• It automatically selects and ranks candidate words and, by utilising user-selected options, it creates the most relevant anagrams at the top of the list.

Ease of use:

• It takes a little while to become familiar with its use and all of its features.
• It requires more input by the user to create anagrams.

• Very easy to use. Just enter the subject, select options (if you wish) and hit "Enter".

Word Lists or "Dictionaries":

• It comes with one standard wordlist - which can limited to five levels of word commonness.
• Adding new customised word lists is done using the Dictionary Maker Tool.

• Multiple Word Lists available.
• Options of including Vulgar Words, Interjections, or dropped 'H' words can be selected.
• Customised word lists can be added and word lists can be edited.

Size of anagram:

• Any size anagram can be created, but the actual anagram generator can only be used when there are 25 letters remaining.

• It is capable of generating anagrams of up to 45 letters quite easily.
• Longer anagrams, well over 100 letters, are possible by selecting out "Compulsory" words.

Selecting out key words:

• Simply type them into the Anagram field.

• The user can select individual words from the word list (by double clicking) and to make each one "Compulsory".

Tracking the number of letters:

• Letter frequency is displayed numerically and graphically. The letter frequency histogram displays excess or sparse letters by different colours.

Tracking vowel/consonant ratio:

• Ratio is displayed numerically and visually. Vowel percentage can be varied when looking for candidate words.

Finding synonyms, rhyming words, or words with specific letters:

• It can do all of these, as well as finding words with particular prefixes or suffixes, and words with a particular number of syllables. There is a Constraints Manager for using even more spohisticated constraints.

Selecting parts of speech:

• Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, or Other parts can be selected.

Selecting gender, emphasis and language:

• Allows selection of British or American (or both) language.

• Allows the selection of Male, Female, or Inanimate.
• Allows selection of Satire, Flattery, Mixed or Neutral emphasis.
• Allows selection of British or American (or both) language.

Saving anagrams:

• Only one anagram at a time can be saved as a text file.

• Multiple anagrams can be save as a text file or as an HTML file.
• Subwords and a full list of raw anagrams can also be saved.

Help guide:

• Detailed Help Guide is available.

• Detailed searchable Help Guide is available.

Other features:

• Tweak Mode allows the temporary removal of a word without actually deleting it.
• Spell checker.

• Anagrams can be animated.
• Previous discovered anagrams from the Anagram Genius Archive can be displayed.
• Anagrams can be easily submitted to the Anagram Genius Archive.

Platforms:

• Windows 98 and XP. It may not work on other versions of Windows.

• All Windows versions support Version 9. Macintosh OS supports Version 8 only.

Recommendations:

• Recommended for the more experienced anagrammer wanting control over the words and letters.
• It can be used by beginners.

• Recommended for beginners and those not needing as much control over the words and letters.

Cost:

• Free or make a donation.

• Approx $US40.00

Where to get it:

• Here

• Free evaluation copy here.

Here is a comparison of two options made for idea generation.

They run in quite different ways as you can see below.

We suggest that you try both.

PARAMETERS:

HUMAN HEAD

COMPUTER

General descriptions:

• Ideal for fast access to an entire barrage of knowledge.
• Focus is all on brain.
  
  
  
  
  

• Designed primarily to replace all types of human contact.
• It uses artificial intelligence and search techniques which are possible given pairing with consumer's Head.

Main Uses:

• Ideal for spontaneous thinking and can arrange smart reasoning gestures.
• Special features for creation of anagrams or games.
  
• Can sometimes be used for something real, such as getting a job.

• It automatically tries to aggravate me to a point where I want to go close my arm in a garage door.
• Capable of easily generating mega-nonsense anagrams of a sorry 45 letters.

Ease of use:

• Takes a little while to try to become familiar with its manners and assets, to know expected errors,  and remember all of its features.

• Very easy.  For starters, just get a machine, a screen, a mouse, a keyboard, data storage arrays, RAM, additional RAM, upgrade every 5 days, get more ROM, send to shop, sell, resell or reformat disk.
  

Word Lists:

• Adding a new word list is all done using Books and the Ear Input Devices

• Multiple word lists available including Vulgar Words and Interjections which are warranted by frequent crashes and a glance into wallet.
• Doesn't allow for rarer curse words such as "frigging" or "gang-bang".
• A customised word list can be set in all random languages I don't know, I don't have to remember, and haven't a use for.  Note installation of rare Korean fonts will add near 1 hour to boot times.
  

Input Devices:

• 2 Earmaster 900 Listening and Surround-Sound Audio Trailing Devices.
  
• A Mouthman 5-Band Small-Range Aggregate Tasting Port.
• 2 Visual Tracing Ports via fully integrated Optic Nerve Systems 8.9 and optional goggles.
  
• SmellManager 90 Smeller-Arrays
  

• Mouse, keyboard. 
  

Data storage:

• Allows approximately 10 percent maximum of CPU at all times except in rarer cases.
  

• Data storage achieved via massive bars, a bunch of zig-zagging wires, small rings, balls, metal alloys, gears, motors and shit.
  

Upgrading possibilities:

• Can't be upgraded any more at current time although man's recent researches in stem cells have made this a possibility.

• Dependent on the RAM or ROM which can only be upgraded by a new motherboard and an extra 800. Just replace the whole damn thing but good luck selling the old one on Ebay.

Maintenance:

• Smaller damage should be frequently cleansed with malted beverages, ales, nicotine, caffeine or all of the above.  Fixes can be arranged at a psychiatric ward,  especially needed with artistic usage. 
  

• Rinse with water, a cloth and in extreme cases  a bang with fist or left foot.

Cost / Benefit analysis:

• Considering it's free, I'd say this is by far its best selling point.  Rare replacement "organic grey cell compound" can be sent from West Havana.
  

• User ends up laying down more for a far inferior product which, it seems, was crafted by  ferrets or a small rat. 
  

Selecting parts of speech

• Input-determined and often set during the formative years.

• Trying to make a computer talk is the same as   setting lipstick on the Venus di Milo. 
  

Selecting gender, emphasis and languages:

• Gender is a determinant in capacity of male's or female's human head to retain ideas.   That's all that matters.
  

• Allows selection of Satire or Flattery.  If a computer talks to me, I have problems outside this table's scope.

Saving anagrams:

• Most dependent on error transfer to a small Paper-Pen Device.
  

• Yes.

Help guides:

• Not available at this time although a fast read into Gray's Anatomy might provide emergency assistance.

• Detailed, searchable, smart Help Guides are available. Requires internet connection and ability to sift through a bunch of topics which assist in how to type the letter "R" but ultimately fail in helping with the task at hand.
  

Other features:

• Mass Garbage Mode allows temporary removal of a word without actually deleting it while many words will suddenly appear again when you try to sleep or are asked who starred in the film Tron.
• No spell or grammar checker. I believe God's working on an update in version 4.
• Anagrams can be spoken or quoted at parties.
  

• Space-waster
  
• Time-waster
• Can harm marriage

Platform:

• Human head with included brain is not Windows compatible.  To start Windows, select "uninstall brain" in Start>Windows>Control Panel>Program>Uninstall.

• Linux, BeOs, Windows, Mac, and whatever shit sells fast.
  

Recommendations:

• Recommended answer for academics, artists,  inventors, scientists,  sophisticates, and doctors.
  

• Goes well with an over-priced latte. 
  

Cost:

• Free.  Donations are not recommended.

• Approximately $US 400.00

Where to get it:

• God

• Dell.com