I work with mind mapping almost every day. I use mind mapping software to facilitate and clarify project work as well as to capture and record coaching sessions. I started my quest for the best mind mapping software by purchasing MindJet Business 4.O, and Inspiration last December (2000).

Once I found the two most highly recommended by other brainstormers, I set Mind Manager and Inspiration side-by-side in my own comparison. I ran the competition for three months. Mind Manager came out as the winner hands-down.

Here's why: MindJet offers a product that is far more intuitive, easier to transfer text from, prints up sharper, and moves faster to keep pace with my notes.

I picked up the functionality while I took a quick tutorial in the back of a boring meeting. It took less than 20 minutes to learn and I'm not a technocrat by any means.

Instantly I could keep up with any project planning session or any coaching discussion that came my way.

I often use the software while coaching and training project teams. We brainstorm major pieces of project plans with the tool. The text easily copies and pastes into word documents or MS Project templates. I like the transferable ease of Mind Manager over what I found with Inspiration.

When it is time to print, I find the images are sharper, the color highlights and text are more legible, and the overall capture exceeds the quality of Inspiration's maps. I can get fairly fancy with design in Mind Manager and only marginally inventive with my maps in Inspiration.

Finally, I like the speed of MindJet's product. I type quickly and the action in brainstorming sessions moves at the speed of thought. The action gets heavy and I need a software that is quick. Often Mind Manager is one nimble step ahead of me in flash mode. All I have to do is fill in the branch already provided.

Once Mind Manager won my vote, I decided to pit it against the flow-chart diagramming mastery of Visio. I work with process dynamos who swear by the powers of Visio. So, I decided to see what it had to offer. Once again I picked Mind Manager.

Visio was built for diagramming and mapping. It kicks cyberbutt in those areas, however for mind mapping the quick draw and the illustration capacity of Mind Manager wins my money. In fact, if I were to do it over, I'd purchase Mind Manager and Visio, and leave Inspiration in the box.

Try for yourself first. It is risk free. Both Inspiration and MindJet offer free downloads on a limited basis. My first copy of Visio came from a free sample disk, so see if you can play with it as well.



Recommended: Yes