Does anyone have experience working with mind mapping software? What I’d really like to see is a product that runs on the desktop as a floating object – a la Adobe Air apps, or as they can be. The idea is that I don’t want to have to run an application each morning, I’d rather there just be a widget on my desktop that is there passively. When I need to see it or use it, I just WindowKey-D and work with my mind mapper.
Also, I want to use my mind mapping software as a task organizer. It will handle prioritized tasks with their hierarchical relationship to bigger projects. Is there a product that works best for this use? Currently, I’m evaluating Mindomo Desktop and XMind. They both seem more complicated than what I need, but lack the task-model ability of marking things as complete.
**UPDATE: I’m exclusively working with XMind to get a real good evaluation of the product. It turns out, it does have the ability to manage the various phases of a task. I don’t see any way yet to set deadlines for auto prioritization, but that may be one of those things that you have to pay for.
Hi,
I am not aware of any Mind Mapping Applications that run as you have suggested (not that there aren’t any, just I don’t know of them) but would suggest that to have something that has the weight to do your task management then you might initially have to look at a conventional program.
I personally use Mind Mananger from Mind Jet and iMindMap from the Buzan People to help me organise my tasks. iMIndmap is an extremely powerful software that has sophisticated project management functionality that might helo you with your tasks.
Certainly Mind Manager, particularly if you use the Results Manager Plugin from Gyronix would help you significantly with your productivity. But that involves spending a bit of money (but worth it in my opinion)
Xmind can be used as a task organiser but manually driven.
Personally I’d recommend Mind Manager because that is the best of the best (though it might actually be using a sledgehammer to crack a nut)
Hope that helps
Michael Tipper
Helping People Understand and Use Mind Mapping