MindManager or Personal Brain？

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

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

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?

Take a look at Buzan's iMindmap (www.imindmap.com): the most creative and fun to use mindmapping software.
Have fun!
Friso

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.

MindManager or Personal Brain？

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