The Topic Notes editor has remained virtually unchanged for a decade. A format painter (copier) has been added in MindManager 2012 and way back in 2002 the ink tools were added. Nothing else has happened. I met Blaine Mathieu Chief Products Officer at the Mindjet Revolution Roadshow, a few days ago. After a short discussion, he invited me to send him an email on this matter. Here are my thoughts and your chance to help me write that email to encourage Mindjet to be evolutionary and well as revolutionary!
I have used the Notes editor to create hundreds of web sites: the notes become web pages. Until last week I used it to create the Cabre web site but I had to do too much post processing to include bits of HTML for videos etc. and had other issues around site management not to do with the Notes Edtor. I have switched to WordPress with MindManager content where required. The ConferenceREACTION web site is currently produced with MindManager but will switch to WordPress soon. It’s a pity because all the content is produced with MindManager.
With the Word export I use Topic Notes to create the paragraphs in “Introduction to MindManager” (to be transferred to new web site), a 20 page booklet with 50 plus images in it. I started with Mindmanager X5 and I will updated it to the sixth edition 2012 shortly.
So why change?
It lacks:
- Word wrapping: you have to use tables.
- The tables are unstable when they get big (more than 5 rowsish) and if you use cell merge.
- You cannot include HTML, only links. So no embedded videos, maps or other “gadgets” e.g. mail list capture, twitter streams etc.
- You cannot resize large images to suitably sized images as you add them to the Notes (or Topics) thus preventing map bloat!
- It is difficult to manage the formatting in the notes to get the correct format in Word. If you transfer the MindManager Topic Notes format to Word, you can’t (easily) use the Word Styles to manage the formating.
Please add to this list by commenting below.
What would I like to see
Three and half editors:
- Keep it simple i.e.the current one. For simple note taking
- A Word editor which uses the style selected for the Word export. Perhaps it opens a Word window and saves the file as an attachment to the map visualised in the Notes pane. you can support this idea in Mindjet’s User Voice – Editing Topic Notes with Word.
- An HTML editor. Something like the ScribeFire for Firefox. It’s great for editing and storing frequently used HTML fragments. With the option of using Micrsoft Expression? You can support this idea in Mindjet’s User Voice – HTML Notes Editor
3.5 An editor for creating WordPress content. That is one which creates clickable image maps and other content that can be directly exported to my WordPress blog(s). I will write about this seperately. One respected internet commentator Graham Jones said in his newsletter last weekend: “In my view, though, there is only one way to go: WordPress.” Repeating my dream: Just imagine if Mindjet had developed the HTML editor they had in early versions of MindManager we would be using MindPress now!
There, that’s this week’s rant (so far) off my desk (chest). Please add your thoughts here and in Mindjet’s User Voice.
