Creating a mind map is a great way to brainstorm ideas, whether you're working on a project in a group or on your own. Traditionally, this would have been created on a flip chart with a marker pen, but XMind enables you to do the same form the comfort of your computer. In a matter of moments you can jot down a few ideas and from these additional trains of thought can be provoked - before you know it you will have several branches of ideas to work with.

The first time you launch XMind you will be prompted to create an account - this will enable you to share your mind maps online. Online sharing means that it is possible to collaborate on mind maps with colleagues, and it is also possible to see other users' workspaces which can be sources of inspiration. If you prefer the idea of sharing your mind maps with just a select group of people you will need to upgrade to XMind Pro.

XMinds can be used to create a number of inspirations documents such as mind maps and fishbone diagrams, and individual nodes can include hyperlinks and attachments for convenience. Completed documents can be exported as HTML files or to a range of image formats, but if you have the Pro version of the program PDF, Word and PowerPoint exporting is also available as well as exporting to MindMapper and FreeMind formats.

This is an immensely powerful program which makes it easy to work in a group of any size. Writers' block and idea drought may well come to an end.

What's new in 8?

- New workspace UI
- Brand New Clip Art
- New Useful Templates
- Working with Office/PDF
- Mind Toolbox
- Save to Evernote
- Themes & Fonts
- XMind Cloud
- New Share Dialog
- 60,000+ Pretty Icons