(The)BrainDead? (Hopefully not yet)

Posted by 22111
Nov 16, 2020 at 10:57 PM

Just wanted to let non-fanpersons know there isn’t a “free” version of TB anymore, it’s just a not-time-limited trial, crippled to the point of not being usable for anything I could imagine.

I trialed TB again. After install, they guide you to their official intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krABngwnuX0&feature=youtu.be where right in the first sentence/paragraph, they imply it’s a db for hundreds of thousands of items (“all your stuff” - my wording, but that’s what they say). (i.e. as I suggested above, but that was refuted by another contributor above)

They have a version comparison page (“The Pro License includes upgrades released within 90 days of the purchase date. After 90 days, users with a perpetual license can purchase a year of upgrades and services for $159.”: Nice!)

“Features may vary between releases of the software (e.g. TheBrain 8 vs. TheBrain 9).” - hahaha, that’s for possible efforts in “designing it down”...

I cite:

file Attachments (but web attachments and notes, BrainBox only for Web pages, not also for files)

NO Pro features:
Thought and Link Types
Tags
Expanded Layout
Outline Layout
Mind Map Layout
Reports
Advanced Attachment Features
Multiple Attachments per Thought
Data Importing
Integrated Spellchecking
Events and Timeline View

Basic Sync only :
Thoughts and Links
Notes
Thought Icons
URL Attachments

NO Full Context Sync
Internal File Attachments
Internal Folder Attachments
Events
Two-Way Google Calendar Sync

So you assume you can live with that in case if you intend to use TB just for playing around a little bit! (“expanded, outline and mind map layout” will be “special” layouts, the regular view will do for you…)

Nope.

You know that some elderly develop that “tunnel sight”, “naturally”, and which has the same effect as have blinders for horses, and then they (the people, not the equids) lose their license.

That allegedly “free” TB version does the same: You ever only see some item (“thought”) with it’s children, that’s all if I’m not totally mistaken, thus, forcing the most brutal possible blinders (“mindcuffs”) onto the users, then calling those items “thoughts”, that’s cabaret.

I had had the intention to do a little bit brainstorming for the problem mentioned in https://forum.gettingthingsdone.com/threads/lawyers-and-case-managers-outcome-centred-vs-categorical-file-centred-gtd-projects.16611/ commented by me in https://www.outlinersoftware.com/topics/viewt/9205/15 , then export that into a list and open a new thread for that subject, but well… would have been some 20, 25 linked terms in all on 3, 4 level: not possible with “free” TB it seems, or then you hold it, again, in your memory whilst not seeing it. Which contradicts their pretty vid claims. And then, I got both Visio and MyDraw, just had hoped to get something “dirtier and quicker” - but paying 230 plus 160 p.a. plus VAT (up to 25 p.c.) for that? Would be nuts.

And yes, they also have got a “regular” trial, 30 day with “login”, “account creation” and all… (Be sure you get your stuff into the thing (“powerful import capabilities”) BEFORE the 30 days are over…*

It seems that without a subscription, you can’t even get (i.e. not buy) their iPad version…

Frankly, I had thought (my last trial: 8,9,10, 12 years ago?) they had a (usable) “drag-in” version, and that then you get accustomed to it, you’ll get to like it, you want more, you accept the price.

But nope. They obviously don’t see that chance you could get their paying customer after some real use, they only see (or: much more fear) the risk you’d say, “free for something light, ok, but it’s not good / robust enough for weightier stuff, and not worth the price).

Thus, their crippling of the “free” version down to unusability teaches me something about the paid one, in particular since…:

* = Oops, that doesn’t seem to be possible, for the “powerful upgrade capabilities”, you need the “Pro” version! Well, let’s hope for them you fiddle around some weeks with importing, then with necessary reorganization, and then you will not have any time left for real use of TB Pro. So you buy, and then, over the weeks 5, 6 and 7, you perhaps will gradually become aware of TB Pro not that master mind (sic) thing you had hoped for (let alone “your brain in your iPad”).

Conclusion: Most prospects will probably switch to “Pro trial” the first day of their trial, in order to be able (sic) to trial, and then they will create some stuff… and with what they will be able to create in there - learning by trial and error (oh, their vids!) - during 30 days, TB will cope.

And that’s why we get those forum posts saying, “I use TB for ...” - which really doesn’t indicate TB was an integrated system (see that linked gtd post) for them - and perhaps with Visio or MyDraw for their special uses they would have been better off in the end?

Again and again, with TB staff, I have the impression they want to outsmart the user, and I don’t like that. But that’s just me.