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XMind - free open-source desktop mind-mapping software
Mind maps have become a pretty mainstream way to brainstorm. Children as young as grade one are being taught how to create mind maps on paper as a brainstorming technique. If you've been interested in using mind mapping, but have been turned off by the surprisingly high cost of the commercial mind mapping products, you might want to check out XMind.
XMind is a free and open-source desktop mind mappping tool that is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and even as a zip file that contains self-contained portable versions for all three platforms.
XMind also offers a commercial version called XMind Pro which offers business-focused features like Brainstorming and Presentation mode, additional security, Gantt chart view, and the ability to export to PDF, Word, PowerPoint, MindManager, and Freemind. XMind Pro costs $49US for a one-year subscription.
Comments
8
Subscribe to commentsjfjbDec 14th 2009 10:25AM
what does that mean, mind-mapping?
Their web site is not explaining anything related to the mind. Did I miss something or is it another bell for a whistle which has yet to be invented?
Sebastian AnthonyDec 14th 2009 10:44AM
It's... mapping out your thoughts.
Just a structured brain storm really -- instead of writing lots of shit down, you follow various trains of thought, I think.
(Never done it... but that's what I assume!)
sRcDec 14th 2009 11:09AM
yeah, thats basically what it is. I guess for those of us that weren't taught how to do that in this fashion the concept doesn't come easily
VotreDec 14th 2009 11:19AM
Mind mapping has been around for years.
Think of it as a diagramming and note-taking hybrid. Works great for some people. Others find it cumbersome and unintuitive.
The only real way to find out if it will work for you is to give it a try.
There's a fairly good article about mind mapping over at Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_mapping
jfjbDec 14th 2009 2:05PM
Thanks, guys, for your help.
What you're saying is what I call thinking, or is it not?
If so, mind-mapping is a synonym for thinking, and therefore the above-mentioned software is nothing but a toy -- like QuickBooks, NetBooks and so many gadgets around -- to make you work extra at duplicating what your head contents is supposed to do for you (me) when not inebriated or under the influence of mold.
Where did I put my pills?
And what about my glasses?
Honey, is that you?
Sorry, guys, I had a senior moment. What were you saying?
I need help. Please, map me.
kurisu628Dec 15th 2009 4:11AM
@jfjb
The snarky attitude does nobody any good.
What mind-mapping is supposed to accomplish is provide a way for you to commit a brainstorming session to a more preservable or shareable medium, while trying to preserve the fluidity of free-thinking. I will grant the process works better for me with more intuitive tools than a computer program, a keyboard and a mouse (I prefer pencil and paper, or whiteboard and markers), but in the end it's really a matter of learning how to use the tools.
In other words, mindmapping isn't a synonym for thinking; it's a synonym for remembering. A thing that the best head can't always do, inebriated, moldy, sober or otherwise.
Hobie SwanDec 16th 2009 12:08AM
I've been mind mapping for about 9 years and have worked for a couple of the largest mind mapping companies. Let's say you want to try mind mapping a home remodel. Mind mapping is like being able to quickly jot down onto index cards your thoughts on what you want to do to your house...add a closet to your bedroom, make the kitchen bigger, change the extra bedroom into a giant, geo-thermal-heated bathtub...whatever. Then you can take those cards and start to organize them into categories. And then in each category, you can start to dive deeper into more specifics. With the better mind mapping software, you can attach hyperlinks to each "index card"--say, web sites of good local plumbers. In a non-digital world, you'd end up with a floor covered with index cards, or maybe a room filled with index cards pinned to the wall, each of them connected to other inddex cards with string. Scary thought. So mind mapping software lets you do all this random thinking (AKA brainstorming), then group similar things together, add research, dive deeped into categories, attach pictures, sketches, etc. So in one digital file you end up with a nice combination of your thoughts, maybe some planning, lots of resources (web and otherwise). All of your thinking and planning for your new remodel all in one place. Download a free trial of, say, ConceptDraw, go into its brainstorming mode and just start typing in your your ideas...maybe on something fun you'd like to do, a trip you'd like to take, a project you need to plan. It's fast and it's fun.
eDustJan 10th 2010 2:59AM
Thanks Jason for this post. I downloaded XMind and so far it's great. I like it a lot more than Visio for mind maps. It's a good quality app and you can't beat the price.