Thanks to a recent post on Twitter, I recently learned about another new mind mapping tool for the iPhone and iPod Touch called SimpleMind. Like its name suggests, SimpleMind provides basic mind mapping functionality.
SimpleMind enables you to add, edit and rearrange map topics. Topics may be rearranged by dragging and dropping them, and cut, copy and paste commands can be used to move topics between maps. Undo and redo commands are supported. The developer says that the size of maps you can create in SimpleMind is limited only by the memory of your iPhone or iPod Touch.
Map styles – incorporating background, topic and text colors – can be applied to the entire map, but not to individual topics. The developer says that the ability to create new customized visual styles will be supported in a future version.
What’s missing in SimpleMind is the ability to add notes and links, which I view as essential to mind mapping applications, no matter what platform they are designed for.
Maps can be shared with others via e-mail, or uploaded to the Simple Mind web server. At this point in time, it’s not possible to attach a map in its native file format to an e-mail, because Apple disallows it. Maps can be exported in OPML (structured outline) and Freemind formats. The program’s “save to web” command uploads your maps in a file format that can be downloaded by other Simple Mind users. Optionally, you can also adjust the program settings to upload maps in PDF or PNG file formats (which are view only). You can also upload Simple Mind maps to your own web server. You can enter the server’s address in the program’s settings.
Two versions of SimpleMind are available from the Apple AppStore: a free Express version and a full paid version, for US$6.99.
Bottom line: SimpleMind is a capable mind mapper, but compared to more fully-featured apps like iThoughts and iBlueSky, it has a ways to go to catch up.
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