Windows apps can export to Office, including Project. I need these things to make something like this really useful. Otherwise, I just have to retype everything...

Thanks for this post. Desperately looking for a replacement to Mindjet Manager. I tried X-Mind, great app, but small things like not automatic resizing of topics make it irritating.

Mindnode seems great but badly miss, call out topics feature.

MindView seems like a great tip. Will have a look, but what a mega pricetag!

Will continue to look sigh

Freemind was showing its age but is now reinvented as Freeplane. Much prettier and still the same ease of navigation as the old Freemind.

I would like to see example of some of the mind maps you have made, if possible.

I'm pretty happy with MindNode on the iPad.

What's the benefit of having iThoughts HD as well?

I used Mind Meister for years but now my workflows involve an OPML export to Scrievener, with Mind Meister does not support. I wrote to the developers and they say they do not plan OPML export. I now use iThoughts and Mind Node Pro on my iPhone.

Hi Brett. Interesting to read your opinions on this. For me, personally, MindNode is the winner on all platforms. Maybe I'm opinionated or stubborn, but it's the app I'm using since it's been in beta a couple of years ago.
But, anyway, Markus, the developer, and I met recently and are working on a screencast for the next iOS version. I'm not allowed to say much, but compared to iThoughts, the more "advanced" features are super-easy implemented and uncomplicated to use (who else loves to remember the "double return" thing?) in the new version. I love it already.

Andreas

Brett did you try MindView? It's what I settled on as a replacement for MindManager—which I loved as well, and morn how the Mac ver has seems to have slide by the wayside—because it had good export options for Office. However I don't think the product is being actively developed and updated.

I like iThoughtsHD on the iPad as well. It's a great app I think. Since it looks like MindNode Pro is being updated and $20 isn't a steep price to pay, I might give it a shot.

I outlined all my books in a mindmap first, then into Scrivener to write them. It's essential to me, just wish the clients were updated more often.

I wrote a script called (notes indents to markdown.rb) just like a week ago. One line version:

puts ARGF.read.gsub(/^\s*\n/, "").gsub(/^([^\t].*)$/, "\n### \\1\n").gsub(/^\t(\t*)/, "\\1- ") + "\n".

My main gripe with mind mapping applications is that there's too much redundant information. The exact coordinates of the nodes, the colors of the branches, text styles, and so on. I'd like to see an application where the only thing you could control would be the structure of the tree and the text contained by the nodes - basically equivalent to a plain text outline.

MindNode does seem like the most sensible app for OS X though.

Great write up. I'd be interested in knowing what your workflow is. Also, and I know this might take some time, but if and how omnioutliner for iOS factors in.