Let's look at a couple of examples to see which tools will suit you the best. That way, you can make the right decision.

Choosing your Mind Mapping software is simple, once you know what your requirements are. We've provided a quick tutorial here so you can be confident that you have the best tools for the job.

Before you can choose mind mapping software, it's also a good idea to have some sense of your personal criteria. What are your needs and what interface are you looking for?

To clarify your needs, you could start to define your top criteria. For example, you might decide:

• Fast performance
• Ease of use
• Flexibility in putting a map together
• Attention grabbing aspects like great visuals or crucial time-savers
• Communication capabilities
• Project management capabilities

Next, get a feel for the overall package by asking what matters to you:

• How often will you use mind mapping?
• Does your operating system support it?
• What is your comfort level with computer programs?
• What price range are you in?

The key is knowing what you will want to use a mind map for.

Are you buying mind mapping software for its education and presentation capabilities? Will you be using it in the office, and require project planning all rolled into one? Are you looking for a study tool that will help with your studies? What do you most need now?

If you are more of a hands-on person, you can try out a few different mind mapping packages and see which ones actually do help you the most. Why not creating a mind map to chart your evaluations as you go, using the trial version of Nova Mind as a first step?

There are a few mind mapping programs that have achieved some level of recognition, and for comparison, let's look at their strengths and weaknesses.

One of the oldest mind mapping packages is called Inspiration, a great name and a product with some nice features but stuck in an old idea called concept mapping. Unfortunately, concept mapping doesn't have a way to create a hierarchy. Sure, you can brainstorm effectively using Inspiration but most ideas benefit from the organization a hierarchy (think parent and child) can give them. Also, Inspiration lacks a modern look and interface. For many people, the visual looks like it hasn't been updated for years.

Mind Manager is another product out there that combines project managing with simple mind mapping. One of the things that holds Mind Manager back is a lack of interesting graphics, a limited layout and an inability to position branches where you want them. This can restrict the flexibility you have in illustrating relationships on a map. Since one of the real opportunities with mind mapping is a fast and flexible display of ideas through visuals, it is unfortunate that this program isn't stronger in this area. It also has not kept up the support levels that users will want to have available.

Another product in this field is iMindMap, which offers a simple program for diagramming. One of the key elements of mind mapping is simplicity and yet iMindMap has limited capacities for extending the use of a mind map (like project planning and outlining features). It also performs more slowly than most of the other products out there.

Finally, there is the family of NovaMind products that offer a satisfying mix of features - the middle ground. NovaMind has been praised for its amazing visual flexibility, excellent graphics library, and strengths in organizing information. These go beyond just diagramming and include multiple hyperlinks which extend the information to other local mind maps and the web. NovaMind also has special presentation features. Maps can be created quickly, expanded in many ways and users can apply project management features to the program - either by designating project planning features like completion date or time estimate or priority. These can be emphasised through color, graphics or by exporting mind map data directly to a companion project management program. Either way, having the option to include project management information will save you loads of time in completing the nitty-gritty of facilitating your project.

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Nova Mind has recently announced they are refocusing their efforts in this area to make the data import-export even more powerful. They are also developing features and information guides specifically for leaders in education and business.

Given the ease and power of mind mapping, and the results that any of these tools can inspire, it's easy to see how much more effective you'll be with one of these products.

As for selecting the right one for you, knowing your criteria will certainly help to narrow down the options. And while broad functionality and flexibility may be most relevant to you, we believe NovaMind is brilliant at not just the basics, but the other areas like support and documentation as well.

If you haven't tried the test drive yet, start using NovaMind. And if you have questions or ideas, we invite you to join our online community and get in touch.