If you want to do Mind Mapping the good old fashioned way, you will get out a piece of blank paper and some colored pens. If you want to leap into the 21st century and start using it on your computer then you need some great software and the best Mind Map software available is iMindMap.
But let’s first remind ourselves why Mind Mapping works and why iMindMap is such a powerful tool. iMindMap is a sofware reflection of how the brain likes to process information. We naturally think about things using images and how we feel about those images. These thoughts are then organized through the way the brain associates ideas which is through a series of chains or a collection of hooks. What iMindMap does is mirror this process so it creates an output that the brain loves because it is essentially speaking its language. This makes it much easier for the brain to handle this information and then comprehend and commit it to memory.
So what iMindMap does is take the hand drawn process and allow you to achieve the same thing on your computer. In addition to having the flexibility of using software to draw your maps, iMindMap also offers you a range of other facilities. The most advanced of these is the integration with some of the industry standard office productivity software like MS Office.
iMindMap comes in four variants which are Elements, Professional, Ultimate and Ultimate Plus. In terms of Ultimate and Ultimate plus, the software is exactly the same and the only difference between the two packages is that the Plus version comes bundled with a book and some other goodies.
At the basic end of the spectrum of iMindMap variants, Elements is perfect for those at school, college or university. The Professional version meanwhile is the right variant for those in a job or running their own small business.
At the top of the range we have the Ultimate version of iMindMap. This differs from the Professional variant in that it has full integration with Microsoft Office and includes some advanced features that include project management and e-Learning Course building.
To get the most out of iMindMap you should take advantage of the comprehensive training library that consists of brief but educational videos to show you how to use the common features as well as how to get the most out of the more advanced functionality.
The iMindMap software itself has some useful embedded video tutorials to get you started as well as a comprehensive help folder. As you would expect there are typical start-up tutorials on how to get around iMindMap and get started on the basic features of creating your first mind map as well as some useful guidance on how to use some of the more advanced capabilities. iMindMap guides are also available that will take you through getting started and these are useful to refer to after you have watched the videos so you don’t have to watch the whole recording again.
There are workshops available to help you get started but you will find that a couple of weeks finding your way round the software yourself will be a far better learning experience for you. After you have done that if you do attend one of these workshops (that are available online) you will find them much more beneficial.
You can get comprehensive iMindMap Tips from here or just discover more about iMindMap at our informative site where you can watch video tutorials and browse our extensive article library.
