Blowing the Doors Off Mind Mapping

For some reason mind mapping software has earned a special place in my virtual heart. They are useful for visualizing (and helping to solve) problems. One of the best of course is MindMeister and the veteran mind mapping vendor has released its biggest update in its four year history this week.

Many of the new features were integrated as a result of user feedback. Among the top requests was the ability to export to multiple MS Office (Word and PowerPoint) formats and MindMeister satisfies with this release. Users will also see some big improvement in design. One of the core issues in the previous version was problems dealing with large mind maps. MindMeister has added up to 20 new zoom levels to help users keep the "big picture" in mind.

Other improvements include the introduction of twelve new map themes that include gradient, shadow and background image options, and a live line drawing feature, along with improvements to visualizing branch connections. This version of MindMeister also has some features for the power user in mind. It's newest feature in Midas touch lets subscribers of MindMeister's Business plan to have the ability to convert other collaborators to a Pro plan and allowing them access to the full features of the application including adding images and attachments, while not counting towards their basic account map limit.

"This is something that we've been looking at for quite some time," comments Managing Director Michael Hollauf. "We've asked users' for their opinions and thoughts, as well as how exactly they use our product; which features they use the most often, and which they don't. We've gathered all of this information and translated it into a version of MindMeister that's sure to please just about every type of data visualizer out there."