Online sharing means that it is possible to collaborate on mind maps with colleagues, and it is also possible to see other users' workspaces which can be sources of inspiration. The first time you launch XMind you will be prompted to create an account - this will enable you to share your mind maps online. In a matter of moments you can jot down a few ideas and from these additional trains of thought can be provoked - before you know it you will have several branches of ideas to work with. Traditionally, this would have been created on a flip chart with a marker pen, but XMind enables you to do the same form the comfort of your computer. It’s unfortunate that XMind doesn’t import from other competitor products, and can’t read documents formatted in OPML or any other XML standard.Creating a mind map is a great way to brainstorm ideas, whether you're working on a project in a group or on your own. With a modest amount of tweaking, the imported map looked as good or better than it did in FreeMind. Importing documents from the open source FreeMind yielded similar results. XMind also turns poster-style background images into tiled backgrounds, the only background style it offers. Upon import, core mind map elements were faithfully converted with correct placement and formatting, though some background colors mysteriously changed. In my testing, XMind ably converted complex MindManager documents. The migrating mind mapper has limited options when switching to XMind.įreeMind are the only file types XMind can import. Everything must be performed in the context of the five supported chart types. Yet for all its various chart types, XMind does not allow free-form charting. All of the chart types share the same tools and formatting options, so there’s no significant learning curve to prevent you from making full use of all of them. Organization charts, flow charts, project management charts, and Fishbone charts are offered as well. Even when importing and exporting complex documents, XMind never threw up a pinwheel. I encountered no freezes or unexpected quits in daily use on a MacBook Pro. Interface design aside, the overall user experience with XMind is satisfying. XMind goes beyond mind maps with templates for org charts, flow charts, and the aptly named fishbone chart. None of these design choices are inherently wrong, but they don’t deliver the Mac experience. Font management also bypasses Apple’s tools in favor of a toolbar-like configuration that doesn’t offer previews. Color palettes are straight out of Excel, including the Automatic option thankfully, clicking Custom opens the standard Mac color picker. One window, three or four panes, tabs in each pane-this is a classic (and wanting) Microsoft design pattern. Placed side by side, XMind for Mac and Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express for Windows were clearly separated at birth. Like many multi-platform products, XMind runs on Mac OS X, but doesn’t feel as comfortable as software that uses Mac design patterns. XMind comes up short on interface design. Trying to remember an arcane keyboard combination or, heaven forbid, reaching for the mouse can really harsh your mind-mapping buzz. While pressing return may seem too simple to bother mentioning, the fact is that most mind mapping programs make populating the map harder than it needs to be. Adding child and grandchild branches is a simple matter of pressing return or command-return. When you create a new document, XMind enters Brainstorm Mode, creating and selecting the central topic. XMind is a model of simplicity for populating a new map. Child branches radiate out from there, using text, colors, and graphic embellishments to articulate the ideas. XMind 2008 Pro (version 2.3) stays true to the mind mapping ideals, though Macintosh standards are the occasional victim.Īll mind maps start with a central topic. Mind mapping aims to prevent those cranial logjams through a process that gets the ideas out quickly, without needless organizational burdens. All of us have created a new, blank document only to stare at the vast empty space wondering what to do next. Getting thoughts out of your head and into your Mac isn’t always easy.
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