iMindMap 3 released; improvements address my concerns

I recently wrote a review of an early beta version of iMindMap 3 that suggested that the program was still a bit rough around the edges – that some of its features and capabilities didn’t measure up to my expectations.

I’m pleased to tell you that the developer took my concerns seriously, and has addressed many of them in the final version of the program, which is now available.

Here are several of the improvements that they made, in response to my review of the beta version:

More ways to add topics in speed mapping mode: I lamented in my review of the beta version of iMindMap 3 that adding new topics while in speed mapping mode was less than intuitive. In response, the developers have added 3 new ways to add new child topics to your maps:

• INS – to add a new child (and to make it the active branch)
• RETURN – to add a new sibling
• CTRL + SPACE – to edit the label of the existing active branch

Toolbar enhancements: In my last post, I said that I thought that the iMindMap 3 toolbar, with a small number of large toolbar icons, looked somewhat less than professional. The developers addressed this by enabling users to right click the toolbar and select large icons, small ones or small ones without text. I also heard from managing director Chris Griffiths that his development team’s goal in designing the toolbar the way they did was to decrease the number of toolbar buttons (which tend to confuse new users) and ensure that the program didn’t get in the way of users’ creative flow. I guess that makes more sense, now that they have explained it to me.

Adding links and notes to maps: In my first review, I indicated that I couldn’t figure out at first how to add links and notes to my maps. Chris indicated that the program usually ships with help files and instructional videos (which my beta version didn’t have) which should help new users understand how to do this.

I should have iMindMap verson 3.0.2 in my hands shortly, and will let you know if I have any other observations. I will say that I’m blown away by the responsiveness of Chris and his team. They took my feedback to heart, and did something about it. That’s more than you could ever hope to expect from most software developers. Thanks, Chris!