Well, for the kind of program you are talking about, it sounds like using the Win32 API would do just fine. It is quite easy, maybe a bit tough to get down at first but in the end you'll realize how easy it really was. I would go with Win32, it has basic GDI functions and can make windows, dialogs, and all kinds of child windows. OpenGL(used in windows, and not using glut) actually requires the use of the Win32 API. The Win32 API is extremely useful for so many different things.
