Mind versus tree navigation; html versus rtf editing

Posted by Stephen R. Diamond
Mar 17, 2007 at 09:04 PM

Daly de Gagne wrote:
>Is there something about the complexity of creating mind map programs that leads to
>them being so epensive?

All I can figure is that they are marketed to corporations. Products for corporate use (and even more so for lawyers) always seem overpriced.
> >A few years ago I bought VisualMind 7—it was the worst
>software investment I ever made.

Was I responsible for this bad decision? I didn’t find it grossly unstable. A conflict with WindowBlinds that he developer denies exists would cause constant crashing if you apply it to VM. I have been dissatisfied the the development path, with is now emphasizing group use. The developer is very polite but one of the most unresponsive I have come across. When still at 7 (a version 9 beta has just been released), the developer agreed that he Notes Pane was way underdeveloped and that it should at least be possible to set a different default font. This remains true of the version 9 beta. When I asked whether they would consider adding default configurability for the notes pane before the final release, the developer as usual thanked me for my suggestion. I would be most surprised if it were included.

I now use Visi-Mind, which has excellent support and stability, but the features probably would not suit you. I like Visi-Mind _for_ some of its defects. The unpolished appearance helps keep my concentration on content. I think of the mind-mapping programs, with the possible exception of MindManager, Visi-Map is the most suited to serious work of the better known programs.

I don’t know if you’ll trust my recommendation this time around after VisualMind, and this isn’t exactly a recommendation, because I have only read about the program and downloaded it briefly—but you might check out a program called MINDMAPPER. It has more frills than Visi-Mind, is fairly innovative with database like features, and is less expensive than the big players, although not cheap.
> >Nice program, when it wasn’t crashing.
> >And it
>was always crashing.
> >So when I do mind mapping I use FreeMind, which is certainly
>more stable than the over-priced VisualMind.
> >Unfortunantely it is not able to to
>create the same variety of map formats.
> >I wonder if there is a reasonably priced mind
>map program that offers the variety of a VisualMind or MindManager without the
>excessive cost?
> >Daly
> >Tom S. wrote:
>>
>>
>>Stephen R. Diamond
>wrote:
>>
>>>Personal
>>>Brain, which I have not yet tried,
>>aside—I think if I
>wanted to build a pim with mind
>>>navigation, I would look to Mind
>>Manager, plus
>investigate the applicable
>>>third-party add-ons, based on which a
>>veritable
>Mind Mgr subculture seems to be
>>>developing.
>>
>>This is true but Mind
>>Manager is
>quite a bit more expensive.
>>
>>I was very enthusiastic about Personal
>>Brain. But I
>soon started to butt heads with a flaw. You end up connecting an item to
>>quite a number
>of different characteristics (context, start date, due date,
>>project,
>personnel, etc…) When you think about it we link data with an awful lot of
> >>characteristics. Before you know it there a a lot of them and keeping track of them
>with
>>all of those connecting lines can be a pain.
>>
>>Tom S.