Comparison of some mind mapping programs

Mind Mapping is a very useful method to make brain storming, analyze problems, structure information and prepare reports, Power Point presentations and web sites. There are many mind mapping programs available now and all have some different features.

Here 4 of them are compared in regard of the offered features and in which application they have their special strengths:

• FreeMind
• ConceptDraw MindMap
• MindManager
• iMindMap
  

Toni Buzan has developed the concept of mind maps decades ago. He argues, that our thinking gets supported by drawing mind maps, because then both halves of our brain can better communicate.

And he developed some rules, how a mind map should be drawn, because he thinks, that this supports also our thinking and memorizing the mind map.

But that is only his personal conviction and no scientific investigation has been done as far as I know, that he is correct. And you can find quite controversial discussion about his claims.

A mind map is a graphical representation of an outline, like that of a book. At first comes the title of the book, thereafter the chapters and to each chapter sub chapters etc.

In the graphical representation of an outline, the title of the book is written down in the middle of a page, the names of the chapters are written in a circle around. In the next circle the sub chapters are written etc.

This representation is practical, because more space gets available for representing more and more details, by forming circles with increasing radiuses.


A free software is FreeMind. It can be downloaded at:

http://freemind.sourceforge.net/

As far as I know, it is the only mind map program, which uses also mind map in its help file. And it is best anyway, to study the help file at first, so that one gets an overview of all available features.

Included are all tools to create a mind map and powerful import- and export functions:

• main branches and sub branches and formatting of them
• hyperlinks to websites, local folders,executable programs and any document on the computer
• icons can be added to any node of a branch
• branches can be connected
• search functions
• folding nodes, to see more details or hide them
• export to html, a bitmap, a vector picture
• import of a folder structure. This is an excellent tool, to get access to all files of a hard disk
• import of mind maps from MindManager version 5
• integration with Microsoft Word and Outlook
• print of the total mind map on one page or on several pages
• use pictures in the nodes
  

Therefore FreeMind has most of the features, which are useful, to make it a valuable tool for daily work.

What else then, do offer the commercially available mind map programs like:

• MindManager from MindJet http://www.mindjet.com/

• ConceptDraw MindMap http://www.conceptdraw.com/en/products/mindmap/main.php?from_trial

Both offer plug ins, so that the mind map can be used, to create Gannt Charts for project management. Also support to create a web site is given, but only very limited.

If one does not need these features, then there is no reason to buy these programs, because they do not offer more useful features than FreeMind.

On the website of Toni Buzan is offered his relatively new mind map program, which is called Buzan´s iMindMap, probably in analogy to the iPod from Apple.

http://www.buzanonline.com/


What more or other features offers this program ?

• the installation on my computer was the longest of any software program, which I ever installed. Therefore be patient.

• Buzan tries to apply all his rules. The branches of the mind map shall look like the branches of a tree, getting thinner and thinner.

• the form of the branches can get distorted

• export to Microsoft Word is possible.

• Export to Powerpoint, with several features, to adjust the Power Point presentation.

• Import of mind maps from MindManager; the mind map must be saved in xml format, before importing it to iMindMap

• Import of mind maps from FreeMind

The only strength of iMindMap compared to the others, is the export to PowerPoint and the organic looking branches, which may be important for those, who like that.

iMindMap is not to handle as intuitively and easy as the other programs.

Therefore my recommendation is:

• For the beginner of mind mapping, FreeMind offers enough features.
  
• Who needs to do project managing, ConceptDraw MindMap is sufficient, if he needs only Gannt Diagrams
• if he also needs export to Projectmanager from Microsoft, then he has to buy MindManager.
• iMindMap has advantages only for those, who are specializing to prepare some nice looking mind maps or use it for exporting mind maps to PowerPoint. One other important strength of iMindMap is, that it runs under Windows, Apple Mac and under Linux. That may be important for those, who cooporate with others, which have the other operation systems.