PaperlessUndergrad: The Blog!

P.S.I. Mindmapping Special - Update!

Well I should be posting up a review of ConceptDraw MindMap  today but with a busy end of week I'm a bit behind. Also aside from not getting to spend as much time with MindMap as I would have liked last week, and the fact I've realised (through reader's emails) that it may be of some worth giving a few updates and observations throughout each roadtest I'm resetting the dates from the beginning.

So the revised roadtest schedule (which now also includes OpenMind 2 - thanks Tari :o)) is as follows:

1. ConceptDraw MindMap (26/02/07 – 11/03/07)
2. 3D TopicScape (12/03/07 – 25/03/07)
3. Buzan's iMindMap (26/03/07 – 08/04/07)
4. Matchware Openmind 2 (09/04/07 - 22/04/07)
5. NovaMind (23/04/07 – 06/05/07)
6. HeadCase (07/05/07 – 20/05/07)
7. Inspiration (21/05/07 – 03/06/07)
8. Mindjet's MindManager (04/06/07 – 17/06/07)

P.S.I. Mindmapping Special – The Investigation Schedule!

As promised here are the basic details for my proposed (and now active) P.S.I. mindmapping software road test.

Firstly I’ve decided to settle on a total of eight  mindmapping software packages for the investigation. Ideally I would have loved to have explored each and every mindmapping software package out there but that’s an impossible target for a ‘one man band’ like me to achieve so I’ve settled on this amount. The criteria for the selection of the final eight came down to a combination of things - my personal reverence for an application (although I will remain impartial during review), recommendations from visitors and/or the application possessing a particularly unique quirkiness that invited further exploration. So after much deliberation the seven mindmapping packages I will be focussing on during this investigation will be:

1. ConceptDraw MindMap (26/02/07 – 11/03/07)
2. 3D TopicScape (12/03/07 – 25/03/07)
3. Buzan's iMindMap (26/03/07 – 08/04/07)
4. Matchware Openmind 2 (09/04/07 - 22/04/07)
    
5. NovaMind (23/04/07 – 06/05/07)
6. HeadCase (07/05/07 – 20/05/07)
7. Inspiration (21/05/07 – 03/06/07)
8. Mindjet's MindManager (04/06/07 – 17/06/07)
   

Ok so even the non-observant among you will have noticed a date (in silly UK format) next to each software title. These are the ‘road-test’ dates I’ve randomly designated for the exploration of each title. You may also have noticed that each road-test period lasts for a period of 2 weeks. I’ve decided to dedicate this much time in order to give myself a sufficient enough period in which to conduct a full and thorough investigation of each package and during this time I will be exclusively using that package for ALL of my mindmapping requirements. It is of course highly likely that I may detest one or more of these packages from the outset. However I am committed to persevering for the whole two week period because often I have found myself growing to like a program the more I get into it.

On completion of each 2 weekly ‘road test’ I will compile and post a full review of the mindmapping application adhering to my P.S.I. review framework to ensure consistency. I will also fully take into consideration the unique idiosyncratic requirements of mindmapping and whether the software accommodates them (all will become clear during the first review). Note that each mindmapping software title will be judged solely on its own merit during the individual reviews. So comparisons will be made to any other mindmapping application. It will not be until all of the 8 titles have received their individual reviews that I will conduct a final comparative review to discover which of the packages best meets my requirements and become the primary mindmapping element of my paperless toolbox.

So it’s game on! I’ve got to admit spending almost the next four months on this project is somewhat daunting but I’m really excited about it. I think it’ll be a real journey of discovery for me and hopefully such a focussed investigation will be of benefit to some of you guys out there too. As ever your thoughts and comments are most welcome

Paperless Pitstop - Progress during a summer of fun?

Firstly sorry for a slight decline in blog posts lately but with my daughters starting their school holidays and the hot weather hitting my frozen wasteland (ok I’m exaggerating a bit. I live in Scotland and not Siberia but even so sun is kind of rare around here :o)) I’ve had to re-prioritise my time and tasks somewhat. Don’t worry (as if you would be) I’m still here though and being in a reflective mood tonight I thought I would take a bit of time to compile a progress summary on some of my primary paperless related blog projects/pledges:

Paperless Software Investigation #1 – Paper Valet

A key instrument in a paperless operative’s toolbox is of course the software application(s) that allows him/her to transform a paper pile into its electronic counterpart. It’s a crucial piece of the paperless jigsaw and as such I’ve decided to kick off my Paperless Software Investigation (PSI) series with an examination of one of the lesser known document scanning applications I’ve found called Paper Valet (formerly known as Mr. Bills). What makes Paper Valet an interesting subject for review is that unlike the majority of similar products, Paper Valet is a light, minimally sized application with a price point to match and it will be interesting to find out how it stands up as a chief component of paperless operation given these factors.

Announcing Paperless Software Investigations (the poor man's CSI)

To add some usefulness to the paperlessundergrad blog (finally) I’m proud to announce, with the help of Nutty Note iconography :o), the arrival of a review series that will explore some of the primary software packages that facilitates (or can facilitate) paperless operation. These reviews christened, Paperless Software Investigations (PSI) will be denoted with a special graphic and PSI category tag. Every post tagged as a PSI will, as much as I can make it, be in-depth, uniformly structured and accompanied with as many screenshots and other media elements as required.