Comments on: 5 essential features you should look for when buying mind mapping software

By: Faheem Abbas

Faheem Abbas — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:26:14 +0000

Sir,

Ms. Jamie Nast suggested I contact you to bounce a few queries I have on mind mapping in general, and on the MindMapping software that you advocate, “Mindjet MindManager”.

Here’s the context. I take fairly detailed notes when reading a textbook, and am always interested to integrate the big picture with the small bits. Also, some of my notes – “flow of ideas” and “bloom of ideas” are action items or loud thoughts that have applicability in a context that’s different form the one I’m reading about in the text.

1a. How does one encapsulate this tangential thinking? Does it mean I need to do separate maps?
1b. Irrespective of how sophisticated the software might be, given my purpose – of summarizing and synthesizing my notes of a text book – I’d always have to first hand write a map. Won’t I? (Pls see question 3 in this context as well.)

2. Can I design my own icons and export these into the Mind Mapping software for onwards use in presentations and Word docs? As self indicators, these may or may not be intelligible to another person, but they make sense to me because I’ve codified it an dam the only user, the purpose of it essentially being brevity and specificity – I suppose also because my mind is trained and familiar with that language/vernacular.

3. Can I scan a hand written doc, and export this scan into the Mind Mapping software, and still use all editing / cosmetic functionalities of the software?

4. Can I convert a word doc, a pdf, and a ppt into a mind map using your Mind Mapping software?

5. Where are we at in terms of technology on mind mapping? Can the software do any kind of predictive or suggestive mapping by picking up on ones history of mind mapping?

Many thanks and regards,

Faheem Abbas

L: Karachi, Pakistan
E: faheemineductaion@gmail.com
C: + 92 333 230 3001

By: Empress

Empress — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 13:27:01 +0000

I would add easy brain storming function, meaning the ability to randomly list out a bunch of thoughts and then later rearrange them on or into a map. Even better would the ability to import or copy in an indented list (outline) and have it automatically make a map and vise versa, export it as an outline. Sometimes I feel like “thinking” in traditional outline, but later would like to see it and manipulate it as a map.
The other feature I have chosen as a bare minimum is importing/exporting in freemind, .mm format. If I want to test a new program or switch, I am not going to want to re-do all the work I have already. If a program won’t import one of my current mind maps from an .mm file, I won’t even try it. I have all the important maps I have ever made in any program “backup up” in a .mm format.

By: Mind Mapping Software & Essential Features for Software Mind Maps | Michael on Mind Mapping

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:29:48 +0000

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By: Andrew Wilcox

Andrew Wilcox — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:29:38 +0000

Marie

In MindManager you can add emails to the current topic in a map with the MindManager button in Outlook. It appears on the standard tool bar after installing MindManager.

The email details (From, To, Cc, Flag to and Sent) are in the topic and can be minimised, the topic notes have the content of the email and the attachments to the emails are attachmented to the topics.

The attached document in the map is a copy embedded in the map and increases the size of the map file by the zipped file size of the attachment. The attachment stored in the Outlook pst file remains there.

Andrew Wilcox

By: Marie Hogan

Marie Hogan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:56:59 +0000

Do you know if there is a mind mapping software that allows you to save an email attachment directly to the map? I have Mindjet now and I recieve a lot of attachments thru email. Currently, I save the attachments in my documents first then go to the maps and attach them to the map from documents. Do you know of a way to eliminate the step and save them directly to mind maps?

Thanks

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Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:16:16 +0000

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