Today I'd like to introduce a cool service I found for the first time in a while.

MindMeister

mindmeister_logo

A mind map is a notation/tool that helps organize ideas by describing them in a branching style. I personally have a lot of ideas and to-do lists, but I'm not good at organizing them systematically, so I've been using the free mind map tool, FreeMind.

How to use

  • Minutes and lecture notes
  • To-do notes
  • Organizing your thoughts while creating specifications
  • Organizing your thoughts while creating presentation materials

So, in all cases, I just scribbled away and then compiled them into groups later.

However, the problem is FreeMind's speed. The Mac OS X version takes several minutes to start up even on a MacBook with a Core2Duo (version 0.8.1 or later?), and recently I've been struggling to even start it up. Then, MindMeister released version 2.

So, I tried it right away.

Editing function #

mindmeister

As you can see, it has more features than FreeMind (although I have never used MindManager). Not only can you add icons to each node, but you can also change the color, font size, and add notes. Of course, Japanese is also supported. The note function is something I personally wanted in FreeMind.

Additionally, although I haven't tried it yet, it appears to have some sort of TODO management function.

OpenID support #

It also supports OpenID, which has recently become popular. OpenID is a common protocol that allows you to use services by authenticating your ID with other services, such as Yahoo!. (Note: If you use OpenID, you will not be able to use the widget introduced later, as authentication is not possible.)

mindmeister_openid

Import from FreeMind or MindManager #

You can import mind maps from the major mind mapping tools FreeMind and MindManager, which is great.

Instant posting from widgets or browsers #

mindmeister_widget

It's a shame to list them in bullet points, but it supports the following widgets/gadgets:

  • Windows Vista Sidebar Gadgets
  • iGoogle Gadgets
  • Yahoo! Widget Engine Widgets
  • Mac OS X Dashboard Widgets

With a single click from the widget/gadget, the note will be added to the default mind map. This will be useful for to-do management. I'm grateful for this.

Other features available include extensions for IE/Firefox and additional pages for iPhone.

Can be used offline #

mindmeister_offline

Above all, it's the offline functionality.

You'll need Google Gears on Firefox or Internet Explorer, but you can use MindMeister offline, so you can jot down ideas anytime, anywhere.

summary #

Although I couldn't cover everything here, it also offers the ability to share and edit mind maps, and even an API. (Although that may seem a bit outdated now,) this is a service that perfectly embodies Web 2.0.

However, offline functionality and other features are still not fully developed, so future developments are of interest. How will Google Gears, Prism, and HTML5 coexist? Furthermore, the importance of widgets and gadgets is increasing day by day. Now is the time to hone your JavaScript skills!