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Is it worth it?
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Posted by Stephen R. Diamond
Sep 6, 2007 at 12:38 AM
While everyone else searches for the perfect pim, I search for the perfect mind mapper. I have two at present, apart from FreeMind. Visual-Mind wants to charge $100 for an upgrade to version 9 that from my point of view, does nothing more than correct some of the bugs in version 8. There are so many bugs in version 8, that this becomes a make or break decision, and I have pretty decided on break.
Visi-Map just barely and even questionably possesses all the features of a “modern outliner.” It lacks true undo, although the effort to simulate it is laudable. It lacks multiple selection, although its “Copy Children” command accomplishes about 80% of what I need from multiple selection. My impression is that V-M suffers from having been the first to enter this market, and now having to update infrastructure adequate at the time.
Visi-Map and Visual-Mind share a feature that I demand from a mind mapper. I refuse to type “enter” twice or use the Insert key, when programs are available that let you just start typing. Perhaps this filter serves me mostly by reducing the complexity of decision, because it eliminates most of the contenders, such as MindManager and OpenMind. These may be the most full-featured or otherwise lavish mind mapping programs. Perhaps someone can make sense of their method of data entry, when Visi-Map showed a better way from the start (1998?)
One other program uses this fully modern method of data entry: Mind Genius, which I have belatedly decided is the best of the lot. What really sets it apart is but a single killer feature, appearing in how it implements its “Map Explorer.” Clicking on an item in the Map Explorer immediately Hoists to the item, as does pressing f6. (No mind mapper but Nova Mind has customizable shortcut keys, an under-appreciated feature in NoteMap, several clip managers, and of course Word. I find NovaMind otherwise unusable, however.) Visi-Map has no Map Explorer, which is better design than Visual-Mind, in which the Map Explorer (as in most mind mappers) does nothing more than select the topic in the Map Explorer in the map itself.
Does this single feature warrant the price of MindGenius? Consider that Visi-Mind, with its limitations from a purist point of view, has at least one important feature no one else seems to, Hide (as applied to selected topics). Who will tell me what to do?
Posted by Cassius
Sep 6, 2007 at 04:51 AM
As far as I can tell, mind maps just present a graphical representation of an outline. In Inspiration, for example, one can create an outline and with a click or two convert it to a mind map or one can do the reverse. (Admittedly, Inspiration is clunky to use.)
The Brain goes further, in that one can have net-like connections which are more general than a strict hierarchy, allowing connections to more than just a parent or to children. This seems to me to be much more real-world.
I must admit, however, that not being very visually oriented, I have not used The Brain. I think that in (single-pane) outliners, the net-like link features in the Brain can be approximated with the use of clones and hyperlinks to other items in the outline.
-c
Posted by Sebastien Berthet
Sep 6, 2007 at 10:59 AM
Hi,
Have you tried Personal Memory Manager ?
http://www.pmm.nl/
I haven’t bought it yet but it looks very good to me.
Have a nice day,
Sebastien
Posted by Mike H
Sep 6, 2007 at 12:47 PM
While it’s fairly expensive, you might look at the new version of MindManager, available at http://www.mindjet.com/us/. The new version lets you hoist the drawing or the outline with a function key press.
Mike
Posted by Ken
Sep 6, 2007 at 03:23 PM
I am not going to answer specifically about the software, but, FWIW, I will throw out some thoughts for consideration. While we primarily use these tools for work, we seem to have an additional interest in these software packages, otherwise we would not be here looking for the next Holy Grail. So, like others who have hobbies (in this case one that crosses over with your occupation), you need to decide how much time and money you can afford to invest in learning and experimenting. I know there are many gear hounds out there who will buy and try almost anything and everything, just for the experience of it. So, it seems to me that a base level question for consideration is, “Do you want to invest the time and money for the experience?” Its a question that I always ask myself if I am not certain of a purchase. This way, if the product does not meet my expectations, I am a bit more prepared for the “write-off”. Good luck!