iThoughtsHD- Mind Mapping for the iPad

Two weeks ago I went out and purchased an Apple iPad to see what all the excitement was about. I have to say it is a very seductive device and one that is hard to put down. I am enamored by its potential as a tool for some of the students that I work with who have writing, reading and organizational difficulties. The iPad is very fast at doing almost anything you want it to do (except play Flash media) and the battery life is really incredible.

Over the last couple of weeks I have investigated and bought many productivity apps to get an idea of how the iPad could be used as complimentary device to all of the other computers in my household. As someone who loves to mind map I quickly came across iThoughtsHD which I had heard so much about. iThoughtsHD is a full featured mind mapping application that runs on the iPad. It did take me a little getting used to the fact that I didn't have a mouse and had to touch the screen to create new nodes but once I got the hang of it-it was easy to use. I quickly created my first mind map in iThoughtsHD and was able to move my ideas around the map and relink them. Adding icons and formatting the nodes was quite intuitive and fast. There are some nice features to allow you to align your ideas to keep the formatting looking clean and your nodes equidistant. I have also used iThoughtsHD with my Bluetooth keyboard which made it even faster for me to create a mind map. While the interface is rather spartan there is a lot of functionality under the hood and you will find getting around iThoughtsHD to be quick and efficient. Within your mind map you can easily attach links as well as insert task completion icons to keep track of tasks as they are completed.

One of my favorite features is being able to send my iThoughtsHD mind maps to the cloud or transfer them to my computer using the WiFi Transfer option. Using the Box.net service it is rather straight forward to save your mind maps to the cloud that you can then access from any computer connected to the internet. iThoughtsHD supports a wide range of exporting features which makes it ideal if you intend to open your mind map with another mind mapping desktop application. iThoughtsHD supports exporting to : MindManager, MindView, NovaMind, iMindmap, xMind, and Freemind. iThoughtsHD also supports the use Task Completion icon and Start and Due dates for tasks on your mind map.

All in all, iThoughtsHD is a formidable mind mapping application for the iPad and works well with your desktop mind mapping applications. If you purchased an iPad and are looking for a top of the line mind mapping app look no further and download iThoughtsHD.

Nominate XMind for Best OpenSource Application

My colleague Stephen Zhu from XMind wanted to let you know that XMind has been nominated by SourceForge as one of the best Open Source Projects. If you enjoy using XMind then here is your opportunity to nominate it for the best Open Source project. You can vote for XMind at the following address. Please vote for XMind at- sourceforge.net

Good luck to XMind!

XMind v3.0.2 Released

XMind v3.0.2 Released

Thank you for your long time support. XMind, a leader in mind mapping, visual thinking and collaboration software, today announced XMind 3.0.2, the most feature rich, easy to use visual thinking tool to date.

This version designs some new useful features, such as "Security" to let users set the password for XMind files, instead of worrying about losing data.

For the corporate environment, XMind v3.0.2 includes some new templates, such as Meeting Template letting your meeting efficient, Personal Management Template letting you manage your life and work clearly, Project Management Template letting you work easily.

Please visit the download page and select the proper package for your computer:
XMind 3: http://www.xmind.net/downloads
XMind Pro 3: http://www.xmind.net/pro/downloads

XMind -- An Open Source Brainstorming and Mind Mapping Software!

XMind, a leader in mind mapping, visual thinking and collaboration software, helps you to think and create, and to collect and organize information with great flexibility.

Even more, you can also easily share your mind maps online with any people. As an Open Source software application , XMind also brings Web 2.0 concepts and community online sharing.

XMind will enable you to:

* Easily capture your ideas from brainstorming sessions

* Easily organize information for meetings and presentations with a wide range of formats

* Share your ideas and broadcast your knowledge to the world

XMIND 2008 to be Released End of September

I just recently posted a review of XMIND last month and am pleased to announce that XMIND 2008 will be released on September 30, 2008.



According to XMIND's website here is a list of the new features:

• 2D Charts
• Fishbone Maps
• Attachments of files and URL'S
• Audio Recording
• Presentation capabilities
• Search Topics from the Web within a mind map
  
• Poweer fitering capabilities
• Export to PDF/DOC/PPT

Take a look at the redesigned XMIND website for all the information and updates.

Highlights of Summer Blogging

I hope that everyone has had a great summer! I have been busy blogging this summer and I hope I can keep up the pace as I move into my Fall schedule. It has been a lot of fun writing about new applications and having the opportunity to meet and talk to some of the developers of the programs. But along the way , I have met some great folks who not only have a vision as to how these programs can be utilized but are passionate about the work they do.

For those of you who may be new to this blog, I have spent a fair amount of time talking about assistive technology, mind mapping, visual learning, project management, as well as talking about Web 2.0 applications that are both innovative and useful. Along the way I have also written about some interesting programs which I would like to highlight for you. If you have the opportunity take a look at the Archived articles, I’m sure you will find something of interest.

Review of MindManager 7 Mac
MindSystems ThemeReader & Text to Speech
InspireData from Inspiration
Odiogo- Adding Accessibility to Blogs
Teacher’s Guide to Mindmapping
TouchGraph Visual Search Engine
FastTrack Schedule 9.2
NovaMind 4 for Mac Released
IntelliGantt Add-in for Mindmanager Pro 7
PersonalBrain 4 Macintosh Released
JVCGantt Pro 3 & MindManager 7-Perfect Together
Vernier’s Labquest Handheld Data Analysis Tool
XMIND for Mindmapping
Hyperstudio 5 to be Released this Fall
LiveScribe- This Isn’t an Ordinary Pen
theRealizer-Mindmanager Add-in
ConceptDraw Mindmap 5 for Macintosh Shipping August 28


Enjoy and let me know what you think-your comments are always welcomed!

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.