XMind Open Source: Excellent
Having played with a number of Mind Mapping applications in the last few months I have really grown to appreciate the range of learning and productivity opportunities mind maps offer. There are a number of great applications on the market all offering very similar tools and features. Unusually though a free application shines.
Xmind comes in two versions. An open source standard edition and a Pro version that offers a few more features that probably only the high end user will ever require. Certainly for education the open source version is fully featured and involves absolutely no learning to use.
Mapping is very simple and topics can be ‘jazzed’ up with images from either library within Xmind or the user’s own image collection. Relationship lines are easily added to the map which can then be shared in a wide range of formats.
I generally save the Mind Map File for editing at a later date and export a .png / .jpf file that can be used in presentations, documents and uploaded to the Virtual Learning Environment.
The user has complete control over the look of the mind map and subtopics can easily be added to the map and when the map grows can also be hidden from view by clicking the (-) at the start of the topic node.
Surprisingly even the free edition is enabled for online sharing and collaboration via XMind Share, a new website which allows XMind users to share their mind maps and other visual thinking content in a Web 2.0 style online community.
The application also offers the incorporation of various markers and attachments, the ability to drill down and drill up on a mind map, and the ability to import other types of mind maps and export to various image formats. The only negative so far is that I have run out of ideas for map.
What baffles me most is it appears a free application offers the best mind mapping solution for Mac over a range of reasonably priced alternatives. Perhaps we have missed features or drawbacks over the likes of Mindjet MindManager 7 ? If you Mind Map what application do you use and why ?
3 Comments
Can I ask what the screenshot is used in this post ? looks interesting – socialised web ?
[Reply]
Laura. It is a rough guide for a group presentation on 4 main social web areas. I have added it to the flickr account here. http://www.flickr.com/photos/digmocouk/3258112383/
[Reply]
I use freemind, because its better than the ones that I have used. Coming from the linux side, I use freemind extensively because of the ease of use and speed., being able to export of a number of different graphic formats and pdf as well as open office is big plus. I’ve never heard of xmind, but Im willing to give it a try. Thanks for the heads up.
[Reply]