Windows Phone Thoughts: Mapping the Eureka Moments! -- Pocket Mindmap 1.3 reviewed

Topics as Tasks
Each of the topics created within Pocket Mindmap can be converted to Tasks, which can then either be retained as a Mindmap task list or be exported into the Tasks database within Pocket Outlook. All of the Task definition functionality is included directly within Pocket Mindmap.


Figure 12: Creating Tasks from Topics in Pocket Mindmap.

Exporting to Pocket Outlook creates a link between the Mindmap Task and the Outlook Task, so changes to one are reflected in the other.

Output
Output to paper or other applications is limited, but Pocket Mindmap does provide three methods of sharing your masterpiece. The first is through the transfer of Pocket Mindmap to the MindManager (from Mindjet, one of the most popular PC-based mind-mapping applications) through the PMMPartner application, which is described below.

Pocket Mindmaps can also be exported as bitmap (.bmp) files. The bitmap image is not modifiable nor importable into Pocket Mindmap, however it’s just fine for pasting into a Word document or a PowerPoint presentation. You could make minor modifications to it using a painting program such as MS Paint.

Since Pocket Mindmap files are stored natively as XML documents (with the .pmap extension), you can transfer the files into any other application which can read and interpret the XML schema. JKRB also provides a listing of the XML schema on its Web site.

Be careful when you use the 'Save As' function. Although you can change the location to a CF or SD card, the folder structure displayed is not updated to reflect that of the card. Instead, it retains the structure of the My Documents folder in main memory. It's best to select 'None' from the folder list, which places the file at the top level of the device, then move it to where you want later, using a File Manager.

Integration with the Desktop
JKRB software has released two versions of its PMMPartner version 1.0 for the PC desktop. One version supports MindManager 4.0 from Mindjets, and the other supports MindManager 2002.


Figure 13: Pocket MindMap desktop partner.

The PMMPartner allows the user to review Pocket Mindmap maps which are located in the My Documents folder which is synchronized by ActiveSync, or those created in MindManager, and transfer them between the two systems. There is no charge for either version of PMMPartner.

Documentation and Support
JKRB Software has certainly done a complete job of providing additional documentation support for Pocket Mindmap. On their Web site you’ll find presentation material, tutorials, and sample mindmaps to get you started. To be honest, I knew very little about mindmapping when I started this review, and the material provided by JKRB was very helpful! There are even message forums for use by interested parties!

Conclusions
I was very pleasantly surprised to find out about the mindmapping technique through Pocket Mindmap. I used it for coming up with the basic outline for this review, and I can see making use of a form of it for discussions I’m frequently asked to facilitate at work. The neat thing about a tool like Pocket Mindmap is that, as they claim, it lets me take it with anywhere and work on the concept as the inspiration hits me – no matter where I am! (Well, maybe I’ll have to step out of the shower first ;-)) I’d like to see a few more options for output directly from the Pocket PC (printing through a product like HP’s Mobile Printing solution? Or directly into a Pocket Word document, etc.) but there’s enough flexibility here to get through most situations. Adding support for video and audio to the Topics would be a major bonus as well, taking full advantage of the multi-media capabilities of the Pocket PC.