tedster - 1:21 am on Apr 8, 2004 (gmt 0)

My testing and other tests I've seen definitely indicates that 7 is a critical break point. However, notice that we're talking about 7 apparently equal choices. You can definitely find creative ways to offer more than seven choices total.

Can you see a group of two or three that are "more similar" to each other than to others? Can you offer their navigation in a separate spot? or can you create some visual distinction (different font size, color, position on the page, etc) that communicates that these choices are not the same as the others? Perhaps they can be moved into the header area, or lower dwon the menu, after a visual break, or only offered as inline links?

Your goal is this -- you want someone to glance at the main menu and feel that they can deal with your site easily. And yes, a group of seven is a major watershed in this area.