I  looked at Open source and free offerings recently pondering these two models. Many questions such as; Are they sustainable, are these models really free in the long run and; can I actually use Open source and free software as the backbone of my information management processes that support my business operations?

IS IT DOABLE?

OK, so if I use Open office, Xmind, Nitro pdf reader and/or integrate my work with Google mail and docs; hmm, this really got me thinking; will this really work for me?

Well here the thing; it might work, and this really kills me to say this. I actually used Open source and free software for one week during March 2010. And as much as I now need therapy because of my willful experiment, I have come to realize it might actually be doable at a stretch.

Now if you’re one of my consultant/facilitator colleagues and/or commercial software developer friends; forgive me?

I now use Google mail and IMO the more professionally polished GMX mail as my primary mail clients; MS Outlook has IMO become rather obsolete to my needs.

As a professional Visual mapper during the experiment, I used Xmind to challenge my perceived negative view of open source and free. Admittedly it worked for me only to a point; there’s some functions that power Visual mappers just don’t have available in the open source and free models, so this is the downfall.

As an interesting addition; I also used The Gimp as my open source alternative to my regular use of Photoshop (yes I am a PS addict), and this worked really well too.

As much as this has been my personal experiment; I am now back to being my regular reliant self on the commercial models; “I am a realist after all”. This certainly has changed me though, and I am now more aware of the open source and free alternatives.

This was a very interesting personal experiment. The CAVEAT of my experience to date; if you choose to conduct the same experiment, be aware of many pitfalls and the surprising epiphanies also.

As a close colleague recently pointed out to me; there’s a notable difference between the Open Source and Free models. The question remains though; will these models remain Open Source and Free in the long term?

Have you tried this experiment also? What did you experience and what are your conclusions?

Wallace Tait: Visualmapper

Do you have best practises with iMindMap and work processes please inform us via the comment field, or contact us.

Read the full testreport about ThinkBuzan iMindMap 4.1 Ultimate

Hypershifters focuses on the use of visual mapping software. It addresses open source, freeware as well as commercial solutions.

The added value Hypershifters provides is in research, advice and consultancy for experienced and inexperienced users.

Many users have concerns about the possibilities of visual mapping in their work environment. This was reason for Hypershifters to create a test team that, co-advised by international experts in the field of visual mapping, critically reviews current products.   Not so much viewed from the intricacies of the software, but rather from its scope of applicability. Thereby think for example of doing some brainstorming, meeting management, project management and knowledge management.

The reviews are based on a matrix drafted by us to serve as a yardstick for the aforementioned scope of applicability. Besides the reviews you will also find the results in a comparison table.

iMindMap 4.1

Tony Buzan, who has been advocating mind mapping  since the late sixties, was and is not pleased with most software packages that claim to create mind maps. They do not conform to his image of a mind map – rich, organic shapes, full of color and graphics. Besides, the term “mind map” is registered to the Buzan organization, and thus protected.

After Chris Griffiths in 2003 decided to invest all his energy into developing a “true” Buzan software solution, the Buzan organization made a decision in 2006 to launch the mind map software developed by Chris. iMindMap 2 was released in 2007.

Indeed, with organic shapes, colors and keywords on the lines – a true mind map (however, it is the only form the branches can take). Meanwhile a vast online library of images has become available!

It was a bit of getting used to compared to the existing packages, but now you get Tony Buzan mind maps which also appeal to the right brain hemisphere.

Read the full testreport about ThinkBuzan iMindMap 4.1 Ultimate

Read the second part of the Mindjet MindManager 8 test.

Hypershifters reviews

Hypershifters focuses on the use of visual mapping software. It addresses open source, freeware as well as commercial solutions. The added value Hypershifters provides is in research, advice and consultancy for experienced and inexperienced users. Many users have concerns about the potential of visual mapping in their work environment. This was reason for Hypershifters to create a test team that, co-advised by international experts in the field of visual mapping, critically reviews current products. Not so much viewed from the intricacies of the software, but rather from its scope of applicability. Think, for example, of doing some brainstorming, meeting management, project management and knowledge management.
The reviews are based on a matrix drafted by us to serve as a yardstick for the aforementioned scope of applicability. Besides the reviews you will also find the results in a comparison table.