Can I have multiple nodes in the main content areas

...but I've been toying with and learning Drupal for about a year so I'm by no means a developer. But I'll try here... The tabs you are referring to at the top of the page are part of the 'navigation menu'. On Drupal, you can have several menu regions, but for the sake of simplicity since you want the block, inline style like on that page, I'm going to guide you to a theme called 'litejazz'.

If you type that in the search box on here, it should bring up the page to download that theme from. They have VERY good documentation on that theme and even give instructions on installing and configuring. If you know any css, you can change the colors for everything. If you don't, they have three colors to choose from there- red, blue, and green.

Now for your "top rated", "most downloaded", and etc. to show up on your front page, you first have to create your front page. First go to your site configuration->clean urls and make sure you have those enabled. Then go to site building->modules and check the box next to "Path" and click 'submit configuration' to enable url aliases. Then go to site configuration->site information and make sure that's all filled out. In the last box, it asks where Drupal should point the front page, type front_page in that box. Then go to create content->Page and fill in everything there. The title for the menu (navigation) link should be something like "home". When you get to the url alias box, type in "front_page". Fill out the rest and submit that. Now you should have a new link in your navigation menu for "home" or whatever you called it. Click on it and make sure your text is there for your front page.

NOW, go to adminster->blocks. At the top, there are tabs. Click on the "add new block" tab. Give your block a title for Drupal (where it says title- this is for the database and will not show on your page.) So title it "Top Rated" and then add your text to the box. Submit that. It takes you back to the blocks page. Find your block that you just created. Click on "configure". Here, you have two title boxes with the first already filled in. Leave that one alone and fill in the second one with what you want your users to see as the title. On this page, you can also specify which page(s) you want or don't want the block to appear. Click on "only show this block on the listed pages" and in the box below, add "front_page". Fill in the rest and save your settings. Back on the blocks page, you need to tell Drupal where you want it on the page. Choices are usually left side bar, right side bar, header, footer. Once you choose where to put it, save those settings. Now go back to your "home" page and you should see your block in all its glory.

Now, this does not produce a block that updates automatically. That requires a module plug in or writing your own module. However, I do believe that there are modules available for this exact thing. (Check in the modules page.) Question: If you're going to have a "Top Rated" block, then do you also need a voting application (module)? If that's the case, I just wrote all of this out for nothing when I could have just pointed you to the modules to install and enable. Much easier. But at least you know how to make a block now if you didn't before...lol.