XMIND- Mindmapping

It is really incredible how the mind mapping marketplace has exploded in the past couple of months with all kinds of new offerings and products. If you have been following my blog, software publishers have been coming out with new versions of their software at a record pace. We have seen a flurry of new mind mapping applications that are web based as well as some new entries from companies that are just breaking into the marketplace. I had the opportunity to connect with Stephen Zhu from Mango Software which is located in Beijing, China. Mango Software has recently published XMIND a visual mind mapping application that runs on Macintosh OSX, Windows XP, and Linux. XMIND allows users to create traditional mind maps complete with icons, graphics, boundaries, auto-numbering and relationships. You will find lots of ways to customize your mind maps by using the Properties panel.




Properties Panel

When you first open XMIND you will be presented with the opening dialog screen that lets you select from 8 different styled templates to start your mind map. The startup screen is visually appealing and is a quick way for you to get started on your mind map. If you have used other mind mapping applications you will feel right at home with XMIND since it uses a lot of the same conventions. Starting out at the central topic you can easily create a subtopic by pressing the Return key. Using the Tab key you can easily create a detail off of a subtopic. XMIND allows you to collapse and show different levels which is fairly standard practice. XMIND come with a small library of graphics that you can add to your mind maps. If you like you can create your own marker groups and add individual graphic markers that then become available to your mind maps. XMIND supports the use of relationships and boundaries and gives you a fair amount of control as to the shapes, color fills and line types. XMIND does support the ability to add notes to your topics and subtopics but does not currently support the ability to attach files to your topics. XMIND currently does not support the linking of URL’s to your ideas in your mind map. XMIND does support the exporting of your mind maps to images, Word doc, Text, Adobe PDF, and Powerpoint formats. XMIND supports the use of Map Association, which lets you open a Topic in a new mind map window. XMIND does not presently include spell checking. This is certainly a feature that I hope will be added shortly-since this is crucial. Overall, you will find XMIND easy to use and Mango Software has built a good foundation for future releases. You will find XMIND easy to use and the interface is clean crisp and inviting. You can download a 30 trial version of XMIND at their website.