Mindjet Announces MindManager X5 Pro Release 5.1...in March

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.mindjet.com/us/about/about_press_news_release_12804.php' target='_blank'>http://www.mindjet.com/us/about/abo...lease_12804.php</a><br /><br /></div>"Mindjet today announced the March release of its newest MindManager software product for visual brainstorming and planning. MindManager X5 Pro Release 5.1 provides users with a single interface within which to manage a useful combination of enterprise data, real-time information, and ideas. Business professionals can now access and interact with XML-based enterprise and Web services data directly from their desktops, tablet PCs, and pocket PCs. They can then use this information to prepare for and manage meetings, plan projects, understand complex information, and make more informed decisions more quickly. <br /><br />"The 5.1 release means, for example, that a sales representative traveling to a sales call can pull together in one visual document a combination of customer information, product information, and the latest customer and market news to quickly brainstorm the right decisions to close the sale," said Mike Jetter, Mindjet chief technology officer and chairman. "MindManager visually structures information from a whole range of sources, such as network applications, on-demand Web-based services, search engines, and Internet news services. A single map view of this information is simply more useful and more flexible than multiple text documents or charts."<br /><br />I have to admit that I've never used any sort of "mind mapping" software, although I hear people rant and rave about them. What's a good one for me to look at? What do you use them for? I imagine I'd want something with both a desktop and Pocket PC client...

[Jonathon Watkins]

One of my ministers swears by MindManager by M-Urge Ltd (for the desktop). He uses it to plan and write sermons. To me it looks like scribbled graffiti, but it really helps him think things through. I understand it really depends if you are a more visual or word orientated person. I never took to mind mapping myself.

I imagine I'd want something with both a desktop and Pocket PC client...

Well, maybe – you could rough out a plan while on the road or away from the main PC and then sync and finish the plan off on a large high resolution screen. You could just do it all by PPC of course (radical idea). :mrgreen:

[Jeff Rutledge]

I've heard that Pocket Mindmap (http://www.pocketmindmap.com)is quite nice. I looked at it once, but it doesn't really fill a need for me.

[SassKwatch]

I've heard that Pocket Mindmap (http://www.pocketmindmap.com)is quite nice. I looked at it once, but it doesn't really fill a need for me.

Pocket Mindmap *could* be very nice, but it's got one nasty bug in 'outline mode' that makes it all but unusable for me. It just doesn't retain my desired sort order. This has been known/reported for going on a yr now with still no fix. Plus, responses to support questions in their forums has just been way too slow. And when in 'map' mode, the screen size on a ppc really became a limitation. Necessitated TOO much scrolling around, for my tastes.

I'm not sure mindmapping s/w is likely to appeal to many *individual* users...though there certainly could be some. I demo'd MindManager (dekstop version) last yr, and can say that it would be *very* useful in a corporate brainstorming session. If you've been in one of those, you'll know what I mean...8-10 people sitting around a table and one person standing at an easel frantically trying to scrible all the 'ideas' being thrown at him/her......on paper on the easel. And the poor 'notetaker' is constantly flipping back and forth between sheets of ideas to record new ones relevant to differing topics for the project under discussion. After about an hr of this, it gets to be a mess because everyone realizes that some ideas that were initially recorded on one sheet should really be on another, so ya wind up with things scratched out on one sheet and added to another, or long arrows signifying this particular idea ought to be farther down the current page, or asterisks next to individual items with footnotes at the bottom. By the end of the hr, it almost becomes un-decipherable.

Mind mapping s/w could make the above type situations a *LOT* more productive. At least the short time I spent with MindManager seemed to suggest that could be the case. And MM was very user friendly, IMO. Dragging/dropping 'branches' of ideas from one to another was remarkably easy....as was creating new ones. And if I recall, creating an 'outline' from a 'mind map' was fairly easy as well...for those who are more textually oriented than visually.

Darn, now that you've got me thinking about this again, I might have to go back and grab a demo of the latest version and show it to the boss! :) If nothing else, it would be interesting for me to see how their ppc version compared to Pocket MindMap.

[Gordo]

MindManager is way more than a brain storming tool. While this is one of its strengths but it has other applications:
- If you are a list maker this is the ultimate tool. It allows you to create list items, and then drag them to various branches to organize them. The to-do list can be synchronized with Outlook.
- For project planning it is an excellent tool to creating Project schedules, and then exporting them to MS Project.
- For the writer, of books or reports, it can be used to create an outline, and allow you to work on details of a specific area, while at the same time capture high level ideas in other parts of the outline. In addition, a single map gives you ability to view information at different levels of detail.
- Its an excellent product to create PowerPoint slide shows with. Giving you the ability to see the entire slide show on one screen at a high level.
These are just a few of the many uses I have found for the product. I use the desktop, tablet pc, and mobile version for my work.

[Jeff Rutledge]

...and can say that it would be *very* useful in a corporate brainstorming session. If you've been in one of those, you'll know what I mean...8-10 people sitting around a table and one person standing at an easel frantically trying to scrible all the 'ideas' being thrown at him/her...

Actually, we found a different solution. We use mimio (http://www.mimio.com/index.shtml)to record the whiteboard electronically. Then we can share the notes with everyone. I live in a different city than the rest of my team and mimio integrates into our Netmeeting whiteboard so I can follow along. It's a great solution.

PS: I know I'm comparing apples to grapefruits, but I thought it was relevant.

[Rob Alexander]

I use Mind Manager and Pocket Mind Map, and see these as being about creativity and organization. They're a great brainstorming tool as others have said (even for one person), but I use them mostly for organizing information. When you're in one of those situations where you're trying to make sense out of hundreds of items of separate information on a topic, this is a great tool for getting the various bits sorted out and for exploring the relationships between them. I do this a lot in my research, particularly when I'm starting something new and just need to get a handle on all the facets of a problem.

As for the programs themselves, I'm very pleased with Mind Manager (MM). I use the 2002 version but haven't tried the newer X5. Pocket Mind Map (PMM) certainly has it's limitations as some here have already noted. It's an excellent example of doing real work on a PPC, but it doesn't really let the mind map do round trips between the two platforms. Your MM file loses certain features as it moves into PMM, so I find that PMM is best as a tool that I use if an idea occurs to me away from the computer. I can capture it on my PPC and them move it into MM for doing the real work. It could be better, but it's still very useful.

[SassKwatch]

MindManager is way more than a brain storming tool. While this is one of its strengths but it has other applications:
Agreed.

In addition to the other uses listed by gordo, it would also make an excellent flow charting tool.

[SassKwatch]

I have to admit that I've never used any sort of "mind mapping" software, although I hear people rant and rave about them. What's a good one for me to look at? What do you use them for? I imagine I'd want something with both a desktop and Pocket PC client...
Just curious if you've pursued this.(?)