XMind 2008 Pro

Getting thoughts out of your head and into your Mac isn't always easy. All of us have created a new, blank document only to stare at the vast empty space wondering what to do next. Mind mapping aims to prevent those cranial logjams through a process that gets the ideas out quickly, without needless organizational burdens. XMind 2008 Pro (version 2.3) stays true to the mind mapping ideals, though Macintosh standards are the occasional victim.

All mind maps start with a central topic. Child branches radiate out from there, using text, colors, and graphic embellishments to articulate the ideas. XMind is a model of simplicity for populating a new map. When you create a new document, XMind enters Brainstorm Mode, creating and selecting the central topic. Adding child and grandchild branches is a simple matter of pressing return or command-return. While pressing return may seem too simple to bother mentioning, the fact is that most mind mapping programs make populating the map harder than it needs to be. Trying to remember an arcane keyboard combination or, heaven forbid, reaching for the mouse can really harsh your mind-mapping buzz.

Alas, you can't avoid the mouse forever. When the brainstorming is over, it's time to give your plain map a little zazz using Drawing Mode. Here you can apply backgrounds, format shapes, fonts and colors, and graphical elements. Icon size markers are one of those graphical elements. Adding a marker to a topic is a simple drag and drop operation. Adding custom markers ought to be a drag and drop affair too, but requires a trip to the preferences and the use of a clunky interface that doesn't even let you see what you're typing.

Any image can be dragged into a topic from the Finder, and XMind even facilitates grabbing images from the Web through a built-in browser. Select a topic entitled, say, "microscopic crustacean"; when you choose to insert an image from the Web, you'll be looking at a microscopic crustacean in Google Images--a nice touch.

Look and feel

XMind comes up short on interface design. Like many multi-platform products, XMind runs on Mac OS X, but doesn't feel as comfortable as software that uses Mac design patterns. Placed side by side, XMind for Mac and Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express for Windows were clearly separated at birth. One window, three or four panes, tabs in each pane--this is a classic (and wanting) Microsoft design pattern. Color palettes are straight out of Excel, including the Automatic option; thankfully, clicking Custom opens the standard Mac color picker. Font management also bypasses Apple's tools in favor of a toolbar-like configuration that doesn't offer previews. None of these design choices are inherently wrong, but they don't deliver the Mac experience.

Interface design aside, the overall user experience with XMind is satisfying. I encountered no freezes or unexpected quits in daily use on a MacBook Pro. Performance was excellent too. Even when importing and exporting complex documents, XMind never threw up a pinwheel.

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