Archive for the 'MindManager' Category
March 3rd, 2006 by Matt
I have written about mind mapping in a few previous posts covering some of the basics. In some forthcoming posts I will mention different mind mapping applications and how to use mind maps as a clever and information-rich form of project management.
Arguably the most feature-rich and extensible mind mapping application available today is MindJet’s MindManager. One of the biggest complaints from Mac users, however, has been MindJet’s lack of a Mac edition of MindManager.
If you are a Mac user and are interested in mind mapping, take notice. MindJet is now developing a Mac edition of MindManager, and are looking for beta testers. You have to apply on their website, but this is a great opportunity to be involved in the development of this wonderful application on the Mac.
As I have personally considered whether I could switch from a PC to a Mac, one of the most significant barriers was the lack of a Mac version of MindManager. Now, this barrier will apparently come down soon! Another barrier for me is the Tablet PC platform itself, but the rumors are rampant about how we may see more from Apple on this in the not-too-distant future.
Technorati Tags: mindjet, mindmanager, mac, beta
February 10th, 2006 by Matt
Want to see some real-world applications demonstrated on a real person’s Tablet PC?
James Kendrick, of JKOnTheRun has created a video demo of several Tablet PC-enabled applications, including Sticky Notes, OneNote, inking an email in Outlook, ActiveWords Inkpad, and a great section on my favorite, MindManager. Check out the video in his JKOnTheRun podcast.
Also, Rob Bushway, another Tablet PC MVP, has a short video on his CutMeLoose blog demonstrating the Tablet Enhancements for Outlook (TEO) application and the ActiveWords InkPad. It shows the power of combining these two amazing apps to integrate ink in more of what you do on a computer.
Both James and Rob used TechSmith’s Camtasia app to create these videos. Camtasia appears to be a very powerful and useful tool; however, it is also priced powerfully, so it will be a while before I produce any demos of my Tablet PC usage with it.
Technorati Tags: video, tabletpc, mindmanager, activewords
January 31st, 2006 by Matt
In my last post about mind mapping, I wrote about another way mind maps can express information in a succinct, efficient manner. I also described how you can use mind mapping to effectively capture information in context, which can be easier to use in some cases than simple written text.
This time I want to show an example of using mind mapping to take take notes in a meeting, and compare the notes in mind maps to the same notes in a Word file and a PowerPoint presentation.
I created some notes from an imaginary meeting with four attendees, and three prepared agenda points. There are a few bullet-point notes and then some action items. The notes are taken from the perspective of the person chairing the meeting.
First, the notes in the form of simple text, as an MS Word file. (click on the image to see the PDF of the full Word file).
Now, here are the exact same notes, but in the form of a PowerPoint presentation (again, click on the image to see the PDF version of the PowerPoint file).
Now, here are the exact same notes in the form of a mind map. I’ve also created a PDF version of the map and the actual MindManager map file below.
I think that the map form has several advantages over the Word and PowerPoint formats – it’s easier to quickly see the different types of information it contains (attendees, notes, actions); consequently it is easier to quickly find a specific part of the information you are looking for; it is also easier to highlight the specific actions and their deadlines for later reference; finally, the notes in map form all fit easily on one page, while the Word file is 2 pages, and the PPT file contains several charts.
In my next post, I will talk about some different mind mapping applications.
Hopefully this simple example helps display some of the qualities of mind maps and how you could use them to capture information in context. Have these examples been useful or interesting to you? Have any other thoughts on what I’ve discussed so far? Please let me know, I’d love to hear from you.
January 19th, 2006 by Matt
I wrote about how using a map can capture both the information and its context in a very succinct, dense yet clearly readable format. I referred to this as Information in Context. Today I want to continue this thought but demonstrate not how maps can simply capture the context of information, but how they can actually convey it back to the reader / viewer in an efficient and effective manner.
What if, in stead of taking down notes of a meeting, conversation, or list for your use later, you in stead wanted to convey a complex idea or concept using both words and visual cues? I’ve shown how maps can efficiently record and display some types of information that is related – e.g. actions, items in lists – but you can use the visual and spatial features of maps to convey something more conceptual in a much more effective way than by words alone.
For example, some friends and I have been reading and discussing a book about faith (When Faith is All You Have). The book reviews the people listed in Hebrews chapter 11 in the Bible, and how each of them displayed faith in their lives. One of the first elements of our initial discussion was to understand just what faith is. Is faith the same thing as belief? Is faith the same thing as action? Is there such thing as blind faith? Does everyone have faith in something? We had a terrific discussion about these points and used both our own reasoning and some cues from the Bible to help come to a working definition.
After the meeting, as I thought about our discussion further, I thought that a way to express the ideas we were wrestling with might be better with a picture rather than just a collection of words. I wanted to capture the idea that faith is what bridges the gap between belief and action, whether the action is actually a physical action or whether it is more of a decision. Faith obviously has implications in the context of religion and one’s belief about God, but I wanted to express the idea in a more basic, somewhat generic manner.
I came up with the following representation in the form of a small, yet I believe powerful, map:
To me, this simple map communicates exactly what I wanted to say about faith: that it doesn’t exist apart from action or from belief, but is the mechanism that turns belief into action. You can believe something, but unless you act on it you don’t really have faith in that thing. Similarly, you can take any sort of random action, but unless it is based on a belief or knowledge, then it is not an expression of faith.
A map can not only help you make note of information or ideas in a quick yet contextually-meaningful way for your use later, it can also help you convey complex ideas and relationships in a very succinct way.
In my next post on this subject, I will discuss maps as a means to capture “information in context” for a meeting, and compare the use of maps to two other popular forms of meeting communications: a text file (MS Word) and bulleted charts (PowerPoint). Please come back and check it out!
January 16th, 2006 by Matt
Previously, I introduced the concept of mind mapping as a more efficient means of communicating certain types of information compared to traditional written prose. Maps contain information arranged visually to help quickly convey a message or data that is categorized, grouped or otherwise related.
Today I want to talk about what I’ve found to be the most succinct way to characterize the value of maps: Information in Context. Usually, when we want to capture or communicate information, we implicitly capture the context of the information along with the actual data.
For example, when you attend your boss’s weekly staff meeting, if you take notes, you would (hopefully) write a heading at the top of the paper indicating “Staff Meeting, 1/16/06” or something similar. Then, when you came across that piece of paper later, you would know to categorize the information you wrote down as having come from that meeting.
At a much lower level, most other information has specific contexts, or relationships, to other information. When you make a grocery list, the obvious context is the grocery store. Without understanding the list of items represents things you specifically need to buy, and by when you need to buy them, the list is of little value.
When you write down an action you need to take, it only fully makes sense when you understand who gave you the action, when they gave it to you, and why. Knowing part of the discussion that took place beforehand may also help give more meaning to the action and allow you to meet the complete intent of the action.
How do mind maps help communicate contexts?
Continue reading ‘Mind Mapping - Information In Context’
January 13th, 2006 by Matt
I have mentioned a couple of times that I have become very intrigued by the concept of mind mapping. What exactly is mind mapping? Well, it does not refer (in this context anyway) to any type of psychological exercise or Freudian assault on your psyche.
The term actually means representing information with pictures and connections, rather than simply by words. There is a history of thought and research on the subject (see wikipedia) and it is not necessarily a new concept. However, the utility and availability of mind mapping has significantly increased in the past few years, due to advances in software applications – both free and commercial – that allow easy access to this technique.
I have been using probably the most popular tool available for mind mapping – MindManager from MindJet – for several months now, and I want to write about how it has enhanced the way I capture, catalogue, use, and communicate information.
First, the use of the term “Mind Maps” is trade-marked by The Buzan Organisation, Ltd. in the UK and the USA, so I will simply use the term “maps” to apply to my subject at hand. Some of my readers will be well-versed in mapping and especially with MindManager, but some may not be. I learned about the concept myself from reading other blogs about the subject, so I want to add my input on the value that I derive from maps and how I use them.
So, to the point – what is a “mind map” or map?
Continue reading ‘Mind Mapping - What Is It?’
October 6th, 2005 by Matt
Even though my side of the closet is fairly clean, my lovely wife still has an issue with the old computer, monitor and printer sitting under my shirts. And, so do I. However, I don’t want to simply toss it in the trash can. I’ve come to understand that the silicone and other electronics aren’t necessarily the best thing to through into our ground and let sit for hundreds of years.
I’ve heard of computer recycling programs, but I don’t know of any programs or how to go about recycling my computer. We recycle our plastics, steel and glass that our city service will pick up, but I haven’t seen any computer recycling places where I live in Dallas, TX. How do I find a place to recycle my computer? Will it cost me anything? While I’m at it, I should recycle the broken DVD player, wireless phone and old VCR that I’ve been keeping in the garage until I could dispose of them properly. What’s the next step?
Continue reading ‘How to Recycle My Old Computer - I Want to Know’
