I just downloaded MindNode, a mind mapping program for the MacOS. Here’s a screenie.

Now, I’ve used tried several mind mapping programs before, including the popular FreeMind, but I’ve never liked any of them much. Mind mapping programs are supposed to help you chalk out your ideas clearly and succinctly using visual cues to draw attention to important points. Unfortunately enough, most mind mapping software I used tried to throw in feature after feature, and forgot that you cannot think clearly, let alone organize your thoughts, if the software has this clunky interface and no way to quickly add/remove/swap/edit the actual nodes in your mind map.

MindNode is not as portable as FreeMind, but it has a simple and natural interface. The free version has very few features, but it doesn’t really matter to me. All I want to do is build mind maps of what I learn at college, and I don’t care if the program I use to do so doesn’t allow me to attach an image of an unconvincingly bright lightbulb to every node I add to my mind map. MindNode outputs simple, elegant and clear mind maps, which is all that matters.

Oh, exporting to FreeMind is supported, so I can take my maps from my Mac to my Ubuntu machine easily. Sweet.