MindManager or Personal Brain?

Longstreet

Longstreet

Professor of microbiology and infectious diseases
I am interested in purchasing a mind-mapping program. I have seen a lot about MindManager and Personal Brain. Any suggestions and/or comments about these two programs? Which one should I choose?

Thanks,
-Longstreet
 
Mindmapping programs

Hi Longstreet!

I am using MindManager for Mac. It's quick, it's easy, it's pricey for what it is, and it's a version behind the Windows version. It pretty much does what I need, but it is not very mac-like. I also have tried out Freemind, which is free and more compatible with iPhone mindmap programs, but have not yet spent enough time to see if I will switch to it.

If you have never used mind-mapping software, free is the way to start. I find that my use is mostly brainstorming, to get projects moving, and I transition out of the mind map into an outline/project support format fairly quickly. I don't use mind maps as knowledge maps. I have found that technical ideas don't work all that well in mind maps: they're too long and complicated to be grasped as a gestalt. In that regard, I don't know if Personal Brain is really a mind mapping program. I have only looked at in the most cursory way, but it seems more oriented to knowledge maps. It is perhaps more like Tinderbox, a rather heavy-seeming mac program.
 
Hi Longstreet,

There are some interesting discussions of the differences/benefits of each on the Personal Brain forum at www.thebrain.com.

Also, note that David Allen will be the guest on a Personal Brain webinar regarding Personal Brain and GTD on June 3rd:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/909788544

I've used, and continue to use both. Personal Brain serves as a repository for all the information in my life. Some of that information is in mind maps. I use Mind Manager as a tool for thinking, and Personal Brain as a tool for storing and accessing my thinking. You can do the same thing with multiple linked Mind Manager maps, but Personal Brain does it far more elegantly.

That said, there are those who view Personal Brain as a better mindmapping tool. However, it doesn't adhere to traditional mindmapping rules, and I find Mind Manager better for brainstroming as a result.

Check out the Personal Brain forum and the webinar, and make up your own mind. Note that the webinars are all archived after a few days if you can't make it live:

http://www.thebrain.com/#-130

Good luck!
Mike
 
Supporting GTD with Mind Maps

Longstreet,

Here are a few resources that can help you learn more about Mind Mapping and GTD...

David Allen Webinar

GTD & MindManager My own use and some map examples

Some useful GTD add-ins to consider:
Gyronix (GyroQ, Results Manager)
TPAssist (TPAssist & TPAssist Capture)

Also, the brain uploads MindManager maps so it could be possible to leverage both as well!

Good luck and I'm happy to answer any mapping questions you may have.
 
Sorry for a little off-topic, I wanna ask those of you who are use mindmapping tools like MindManager.

I was thinking about a feature in a ToDo list which will allow you to convert mindmap into the project. So, after you upload your mindmap file into the ToDo list it creates a project with folders and tasks structure based on mindmap.

Please let me know what do you think about this feature. Is it handy for you?
 
MindRaider

A free one I have come accross is MindRaider (http://mindraider.sourceforge.net/). I have not used any mind mapping SW (except freemind) but I would like to ask how this one stacks up against all the others people are using out there.

I would like to use them for Knowledge Management. So far I would like a cross between MindRaider and PiggyDB (for storage).

Keith
 
MindManager and PersonalBrain are different beasts. While they can both be used for similar activities, their focus is very different.

In MindManager you create a single file that is a topic-centered mind map.

In PersonalBrain you create a network that has no center and has links to notes, documents, websites and many other things.

PersonalBrain is great for demonstrating a _network_ of ideas. MindManager is great for describing layers and layers of detail around a specific topic.

To prudnikov, there are some capabilities for project management within Mind Manager. Each node can have dates attached to it and such. And I believe the Gyronix ResultsManager is an add-on that makes ToDo work even better within Mind Manager.
 
David Allen - MindJet Webinar?

Hello Michael ... I realize this post below goes back a few years, but do have any idea how/where I might access David Allen's webinar on MindJet? I find no such link on the MindJet webinar page.

Cheers, George

MichaelDeutch;67541 said:
Longstreet,

Here are a few resources that can help you learn more about Mind Mapping and GTD...

David Allen Webinar

GTD & MindManager My own use and some map examples

Some useful GTD add-ins to consider:
Gyronix (GyroQ, Results Manager)
TPAssist (TPAssist & TPAssist Capture)

Also, the brain uploads MindManager maps so it could be possible to leverage both as well!

Good luck and I'm happy to answer any mapping questions you may have.
Click to expand...
 
Software Updates

With both the Personal Brain and Mindjet having been updated, does one still use both products? Further, I watched the Webcasts and read various articles: Can anyone explain the differences in usage between "The Brain" and Mindjet, as updated?
 
scott.thackaberry;107048 said:
With both the Personal Brain and Mindjet having been updated, does one still use both products? Further, I watched the Webcasts and read various articles: Can anyone explain the differences in usage between "The Brain" and Mindjet, as updated?
Click to expand...

I think they are both obsolete on OS X and iOS, because there are programs that may do less but are simpler, more effective and cheaper.
 
mcogilvie;107050 said:
I think they are both obsolete on OS X and iOS, because there are programs that may do less but are simpler, more effective and cheaper.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the quick response. My company already approved the purchase of Mindjet. Unfortunately, when David Allen, in the webcasts, tries to differentiate the uses for the two products, the relevant portion is removed, interrupted or otherwise not understandable. Therefore, I am trying to learn the difference, but other web sites contain useless information about old products. Moreover, both companies do not refer, for obvious reasons, to their competitor's products.
 
scott.thackaberry;107069 said:
Thanks for the quick response. My company already approved the purchase of Mindjet. Unfortunately, when David Allen, in the webcasts, tries to differentiate the uses for the two products, the relevant portion is removed, interrupted or otherwise not understandable. Therefore, I am trying to learn the difference, but other web sites contain useless information about old products. Moreover, both companies do not refer, for obvious reasons, to their competitor's products.
Click to expand...

FWIW, I think they only sort of compete. Mindjet makes a feature-rich mind-mapping tool. If you are at all familiar with mind-mapping, you can get started easily and learn features as needed. Personal Brain has some overlap, but is more of a visual, associative database. Stuff goes in, and you hope you and the program together can figure out something. I used to use Mindjet, but they did not move quickly enough into today's world of small, fast tools and BYOD. Their market, I suspect, is mostly corporate now. I tried Personal Brain, but it's not something I need or want. I want tools that have as light a footprint as possible, and play well with other programs cross-platform. I use MindNode on Mac, iPhone, and iPad for mind-mapping. If you want to do mind-mapping on a PC in a corporate, collaborative environment, Mindjet seems like the logical choice.
 
mcogilvie;107070 said:
Personal Brain has some overlap, but is more of a visual, associative database.
Click to expand...

That's a great way of putting it. I wouldn't fancy trying to do a 'normal' mindmap in PB, but it works great for linking numerous thoughts. I still use MM more than PB though.
 
I don't use either...

For my mind mapping needs, I use the open source tool, Freeplane:

http://freeplane.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

Freeplane is actually derived from another open source mind mapping application called Freemind. I think Freeplane is more end user ready at this point, though Freemind, when it is ready will allow real time collaboration on it's mind maps.

Neither product has the tight integration the Mindjet's products have with MS Office, but that's not really a requirement for me. Freeplane does everything I need in a Mind Mapping app, is free, and runs on Mac, Linux and Windows.
 
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