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Posted by Stephen R. Diamond
Sep 14, 2007 at 08:07 PM
I might have to retract a recent posting about the best mind mapper value. MindMapper sells some of its earlier versions at lower prices.Even more so than Gael, the Bosley Group has shown unusual discipline in developing the product, first laying the foundation and only then adding superstructure.MindMapper Pro 3.5 lacks mainly version 5’s printing and collaboration refinements, both irrelevant to me. It sells for about $120.00. I’d be interested in any comments on the relative virtues of MindMapper 3.5 and MindGenius 2.4 Home.
Posted by Stephen R. Diamond
Sep 15, 2007 at 06:13 AM
MindGenius Home MindMapper Professional 3.5 Visual-Mind Professional Visi-Map Professional MindManager
Hoist + + 0 0 1
Multiple selection + + + 0 1
Unlimited undo + + + 0 1
Word export 0 (1 for MindGenius Business) + 0 0 1
Change default font for notes + - (same for MM Pro 5) - + 1
Transparency of operation + + + + -
Modifiable hot keys - - - - -
4 3 1 1 3
My candidate programs are MindGenius Home and MindMapper Professional 3.5. I have been using Visual Mind Professional and Visi-Map Professional. I scored each program one point (+) for having a feature that is for me critical (the features listed above); minus a point for absence (-); and no score for partial implementation of the feature. MindGenius Home was highest among the programs considered, although Mind Genius Pro would have score 5. But $200 more seems excessive for full export to Word. This, anyway, is a convenience feature rather than a “thinking” feature.
The value I place on the ability to change the default notes font is idiosyncratic. The “transparency of operation” factor is highly subjective.
Posted by Stephen R. Diamond
Sep 15, 2007 at 07:12 PM
Here’s an expanded version with the notational inconsistencies eliminated:
MindGenius Bus. 2 MindGenius Home 2 MindMapper Professional 5.0 MindMapper Professional 3.5 Inspiration MindMap Module Visual-Mind Professional Visi-Map Professional MindManager FreeMind
Hoist + + + + - 0 0 + -
Multiple selection + + + + + + 0 + +
Unlimited undo + + + + + + 0 + +
Word export + 0 + + + 0 0 + -
Change default font for notes + + _ - + - + + +
Transparency of operation + + + + 0 + + - 0
Modifiable hot keys - - - - - - - - -
5 4 3 3 2 1 1 3 0
Although I lean toward MindGenius Home, the winner when price is given any substantial weight, MindMapper 3.5 comes close enough to warrant further consideration, since the difference depends on a single feature-value comparison. The question is, what is more important, export to Word or changing the default Notes font? Wouldn’t anyone whose main purpose is to prepare documents in Word think it more important to be able to export to Word without substantial additional formatting? Who cares about the font Notes are written in?
In fact, I would say that this preference is so subjective, that for most users intent on using a mind mapper as a writing tool, my matrix reveals that MindMapper 3.5 could be the preferred choice.
Applying styles within Word after MindGenius Home exports to rtf is easy; that’s what Word was designed to do. Still, it can take as long as a half hour for a long and complex document. This remains a convenience, however, whereas I find (or imagine) that the character of the font may affect the thought process itself.
Finally another word on price. If I were reading these posts, I would think, “What the heck. Why doesn’t he just spring for the best? Isn’t it important enough?” I think that if any program received a maximum score in my matrix, I would buy it, even if the next best were but a point behind. But I am unwilling, I find, to spend almost $300 on a duplicative program lacking any feature I think critically important. MindGenius Business comes close, lacking only customizable hotkeys. As long as a program falls short of “perfection,” one must assume one will continue to buy programs, which places practical limits on how much one should spend on any program along the way.
Posted by Stephen R. Diamond
Sep 16, 2007 at 05:57 AM
Do you know what MindGenius Education consists of? MindGenius Business, sold at academic prices. Although I have repeatedly seen advisories that MindGenius Education requires proof of academic affiliation, I was able to buy a license at straight from the MindGenius site, no questions asked, no claims required. The price was $107, compared to $269 for the equal MindGenius Business (and $57 for the streamlined MindGenius Home).
CRIMP crisis resolved.
Posted by Alexander Deliyannis
Sep 17, 2007 at 07:41 AM
I would expect the Education license to be different, i.e. excluding any kind of commercial use but, as I understand, you use mind maps for your own internal creative work rather than for presentations to others (as I do).
alx