MindManager Wish List 2
I think as I add features I will just add a number to the list and call the post MindManger Wish List # Once the list gets big I can make a seperate page for it on my website and link to it but that's down the road.
Well I did poorly on an Anatomy Practical so I'm kind of avoiding school work now hence the last few posts but none the less
Wendy has listed one of her own features she would like to see.
Wendy wishes there was a firefox extension like the IE icon. I use Firefox as well so I completley understand. When I know I am doing some research or plan on using the send to icon I have to use IE just for that simple feature.
Well for you of those that don't hav
e MindManger I figure I would just clarify for the heck of it. It also a feature I wish was available and probably not even that hard of a think to create but yet it is not there.
You open IE and when you find a page you want to link to go to your map and click on the topic where you want the link to show up on. Of course you could just click the icon and have it send it to
MindManger and then move the link to its proper place laster on.
You then go back to you IE window and click on the nice little send to icon that should be on your toolbar. If you installed
MindManager and it is not there it may be hiding or you have edit your toolbars so it shows up. if you have personal problems email me and I'll help you out.
You can then go back to you
MindManager Map and you have a nice little link to the web page that you wanted. You can also sort of use the feature to set up a RSS feed page and there is a nice little template for that in the program. Maybe I will go into that but not right.
So although it is a very simple feature I kind of turned in into a length post but in the end the second thing to be added to the list is a send to
MindManager icon for Firefox and maybe even other browsers.
MindManger Wish List- Subscripts
- Send to MindManger icon for Firefox and other browsers
Note Talker Contest Stay Tuned!
I just received a very exciting email and could not contain my excitement. It centers around an application I use everyday and if you think hard you may be able to figure it out. For now, let me just say that it is going to be a very cool contest. It is one I actually have MANY entries for and even helped to inspire one of the categories! How great is that?! I may have to do some editing to make it more exciting so hopefully time will allow me to do so but who knows with my busy schedule. The details have yet to be ironed out but the prizes are going to make you really want to put on those thinking caps.
I will post details as soon as they are available but for now you may want to check out the
NoteTalkers website that is going to feature the contest. I plan on becoming involved as much as I can to promote this as it’s really a great thing. The best part of it is that you won’t have to be a tablet user to participate! Anyone with a computer will be able to get involved and I encourage them to do so.
I even plan on revealing one of my latest projects (hopefully sometime this weekend) to kind of add to the excitement. It’s not quite done yet or very exciting but I think it’s kind of neat. It is very easy to edit and add stuff to it as I go so stay tuned!
In the meantime check out
NoteTalkers.com
MindManager Wish List
Well I no longer can go through my day without
MindManger. It has become a central application to my day. With
MindManger and
OneNote I have found two programs that really allow me to do many of the things I want. I keep
GoBinder around for appointments and such but really want to find a way to slowly remove that program. Maybe Results Manager would work here but I'd rather have a lesser expensive option.
Because I use
MindManger everyday I also come across things I really wish I could do with the program. Since I encounter these at random moments its kind of hard to blog about all of them at once. Instead I decided I will just make a running tab or wish list of features I would to see in
MindManger. I can add on to list as I go so I don't have to waste time with time consuming entries.
So to start off I really wish there were subscripts in
MindManger. I deal a lot with H20 and CO2 and all those good substances and although it is entirely aesthetic I really wish they would show up in such a form. I do sometimes ink to do but a lot of the time I am entering these equations in the notes area. Ink takes up a lot of space so what I prefer to type here, although without subscripts it just is sometimes hard to read.
Dorko's MindManger Wish List- Subscripts
Goodbye PC Mag Hello Science
Over the past few weeks I have become quite obsessed about reading
Science. It's a very intellectual science magazine with many experiments and findings that are relevant to the science community. This new found love came one evening when I was heading off to bed and saw that on my desk next to my bed I had several layers of magazines. The titles of the magazines included ones like
PC Mag and
PC World. So what's wrong with a little computer geek knowledge you may be asking yourself right?
Well this use to be my thinking as well and its alright to have hobbies and interests in things not related to your career but after analyzing my reading habits I discovered I was reading more of these kinds of magazines than I really should. I was flooding my brain with all sorts of new gadgets and tech news that although is incredibly interesting left little time for my love of science. As much as the introduction of a new tablet or the next version of windows is interesting to me so is an article on say using spleen cells in mice to promote the pancreas to produce beta cells to help those with type 1 diabetes.
My love for technology is strong but my goal in life is to help people and make an impact in the medical community. Maybe one day I can combine the two but for now its time to replace those PC magazines with ones like Science and Nature which will allow me to read and learn about things that actually may help me in my career of medicine one day.
So if you see a trend of more posts about the medical community and less about technology don't be alarmed. It's just my way of making some adjustments in order to be more successful down the road.
Lower Limb Anatomy Study Aid
Well this is another post for my fellow students at Oakland University and especially those in my anatomy lab. In order to practice I turned our study sheets into downloadable pdf files so you can download them and print them off yourselves and not have to worry about making copies. I like to fill these out completely at least three times before our exam on Thursday and recommend you do the same to make sure you really know it well! Also don't forget about open labs this weekend saturday and sunday 1-3! I know I will be there along with a few TA's if you need any help.
Good Luck Studying!
Lower Limb Blank Study Guide
U of M Dentistry Open House
For all my fellow dental students that are intrested in or have considered the University of Michigan for dental school I thoght I would remind you that they are having an open house this saturday (March 25th)
It provides an opportunity to see the school, ask questions and listen to dentists talk about their careers. Its a very cool opportunity and I recommend going if your at all interested in Dental School.
Check out the flyer here!
Getting the word out on MindManager
Well it's been a very busy week and I've also tried to concentrate more of my energy towards classes like Microbiology instead of worrying about updating my blog or looking into the newest technologies. This has led to less updates and I apologize for that but I think all students will understand how sometimes we have to step back on something in order to concentrate on school and thus is the case with me.
Well despite the lack up updates I checked out my stats for the blog and it has been getting more hits than ever! This was quite surprising since I have not had the updates but then I learned my blog got mentioned on the
MindManager Blog. So it seems that is where all the additional traffic is coming from! Well I thank
MindManager for the link and really hope it helps getting out the word on
MindManager for students!
This especially comes from another week where MindManger has now really became a part of my day. I will admit that I don't use MindManager as much as I would like for taking notes in class. MindManager is a bit sluggish in those settings and sometimes just being able to write anywhere on the screen is needed. It leads to some crazy notes that often requires me to go back and reorganize them but its a system that works. Sometimes with really confusing things that require some visual work MindManager is really good at this and a couple of times it has allowed me to organize a map that could capture more details and connections than the linear style of my notes.
But where MindManager is really showing is in organizing my day, classes, and all the materials associated with them. I made those two videos to show different ways to use MindManager but I didn't know if I would actually apply it to my busy day. Well I will tell you right now it has become a major tool in my day. In fact I can't see how I ever organized my ebooks, diagrams, pictures, notes, online study guides and so many other things. Although MindManager is essentially doing the job of windows explorer it works so much better for me and allows me to see so much more. Again check out those two videos again to see what I mean but I absolutely love this ability.
Hopefully with MindManager displaying a link to my blog other students will see how MindManager can help them. Of all the programs available to students MindManager I think is the program that most don't know about but could really benefit from. This is especially true for anyone with a Tablet PC and likes to scan all their documents. I scan all my handouts and such and with ebooks for most of my classes and MindManager has increased my efficiently to access all this information to such a great extent I can't emphasize it enough and really hope more students will look into MindManager .
Hopefully with the word getting out on MindManager and more students using MindManager , the program may be able to work with students more and possible adds features or even an education edition that includes a few things that would make the program better tailored for students. I have a lot of things I would love to do with MindManager but don't see it benefiting the business world so much so don't see such features getting implemented any time soon. I've been told to submit my ideas to MindManager as they would love to hear them but I always feel weird submitting little ideas everyday. Instead I think I will post them here as I think of them and then after I accumulate a large number of them I will merge them and form a major list to send off to the MindManger geniuses. I also suggest that if your student you email me your ideas or post a comment. There is also a student forum on MindManger where you can post your ideas but little activity I don't see it getting all that much attention there but it is another option to share you ideas.
So still using MindManger despite the lower number of posts and really hope to get the word out to students as their really is something behind this program that students need to take a look at!
But can yours do this?
So I have a friend that is heading off to Graduate School in a few months and had decided it's time for a new laptop. He went with a new
MacBook Pro and came to me all excited about it today. He was bragging about cool it was and how superior of a laptop it really is. Now I would have said that's awesome what a great machine, I really like that they use Intel Chips yada yada. But then he decided to throw down the hammer. "Yeah and it's way cooler than that little black thing you have!" And then it was on!
I was up for a little rebuttal and of course had to defend my Lenovo X41 Tablet as I take great pride in it. The argument went back and forth and we compared processor vs weight ratio, screen size, the Mac OS vs Windows, software choices and a whole bunch of boring specifications that only computer geeks would care about. They really are two totally different machines and have different places but that battle raged on.
Weight vs power became a hot issue. One is light and thus sacrifices power and a smaller screen while the other is more powerful and has a bigger screen but weighs more and has a shorter battery life. Although I wish mine was more powerful I would not want something that weighed more and had less battery life. The debate continued until finally I had remembered the single best thing about my tablet.
From within my nice lightweight bag I retrieved my tablet and said fine yours may have more aesthetic appeal but when it comes down to things that REALLY matter mine has yours beat. He starred at me puzzled for a second and then I muttered that famous Tablet user phrase, "But can yours do this?" I then proceeded to rotate my convertible tablet to slate mood and began writing on the digitizer. I had it recognize some text and then sat there ready for his rebuttal. He sat there beaten in his chair with nothing more to say for no matter how powerful his machine was it would never be able to handle the feat I had just performed.
Score one more for us Tablet Users!
Of course if Apple did introduce a Tablet PC I guarantee you I would in line for one. But for now there is no substitute for a Tablet PC and the Tablet PC OS!
The Master List: A Must Download!
Like I have said many times the
Student Tablet PC contest was an incredible success for everyone and now we really do all get to reap the benefits!
Tracy has worked very hard to organize and arrange for all of us a
master list of all the tips collected! There are 220 great tips and tricks with some even this expert Tablet PC user can benefit from!
It is a must download! Tracy even goes over some of her
personal favorites and reassures us that if you don't have time to read through all the tips now they will presented to you in a daily, more easy to handle format provided by the
Student Tablet PC's Tip of the Day!
Thanks again for everyone that contributed to this holy grail of tips and tricks and especially to Tracy for organizing them all. I know I organized my own master list a few weeks back and it took me a good afternoon and this was when there were not nearly as many to sift through. So what are you waiting for! Go
Check it Out!
GottaBeMobile MindManager Ink Video
GottaBeMobile.com puts out some very cool
ink shows where they display different applications and go over brief overviews of what the program is and how it can realate to the Tablet PC world. This
video or ink show again is great and is really good at showing what
MindManager is.
My Videos kind of jumped right into the program without much explanation. So if you were confused and want to see
MindManager in action in more general terms check out their
Ink Show.
Then Check Out
My Videos Again to see it from a Student's Perspective!
Gyronix ResultsManager
I have received several emails now from fellow students and others that have come across my blog and many of them have recommended Gyronix's ResultsManager to me. I love emails like that so keep them coming!
Now to address their overwhelming recommendation I decided to finally look into it. I headed over to the Gyronix site to see what all the hype was about. If you've never heard of Gyronix or ResultsManager you might as well head to the site yourself now because I fear my first impressions will bias your thoughts on a potentially useful program. I also know several people that really find the Getting Things Done (GTD) system that the plug-in is really built around to be incredibly helpful to relieving stress and increasing their productivity.
I have spent a good chunk of the afternoon looking into and I just don't see it yet. If you love the GTD philosophy and love the Gyronix's ResultsManager software then I recommend you stop reading. Also please don't send me emails like your so stupid you didn't even give it a chance. If you can shine some light on my frustrations then by all means share but I am simply trying to express how I feel about the software at this current moment.
As with all new software I first looked at the price to see how much this little application was going to cost be if arrived at the conclusion I had to have it. There is a standard and a professional edition. The standard costs $145 and the pro version was $285. Also this is assuming you already have MindManager. The program is not a stand alone application and is meant to work with MindManager. There is a student discount though which is 40% off the pro edition. That's $171! Here I would like to remind you that with your educational discount MindManager which is an entire stand alone application will cost you only $150! So immediately I am thinking to myself I already don't like it. It's really going to have to impress me to get a hold of my money! A $171 plug-in???? That's more than MindManager the thing better be something at that price!
So moving past my frugality, I downloaded the trial. I started taking screen clippings, jotting down notes about the installation and recording my thoughts figuring I would be able to report back here about how wonderful the experience was despite having to spend more on a plug-in than the MindManager software alone.
I got it loaded up, read through the tutorial and glanced over the demo maps. I went over the things they told me made ResultsManager a must for anyone that works with MindManager. But the whole time I kept thinking what is so darn special???? My impression was that my videos that demonstrated my usage of MindManager have already incorporated a very similar scheme. My own MindManager maps and school organization process, although a little more crude esentailly captured the main concept. Linking to maps, recording daily tasks, using markers. Yes you can create this nifty little thing they call a ResultsManager Dashboard but I was not impressed. It seems the methods I have developed do nearly the same thing but ended up costing me what? Nothing!
Maybe I am stubborn and like my own system, make I am mad because my bracket has fallen apart, or maybe I just can't comprehend spending $171 for a plug-in. It's only day one right now but until someone can show me what I am missing or I have a change of heart I'm going to tell my fellow students to save that $171 for something else! Play with MindManager a bit more, discover its more advanced features and rest assure your not really missing that much with this the thing called "ResultsManager"
*For those of you that love the program I am not attacking you or your beliefs in its effectiveness. I like the GTD system and find it to be very effective! I just don't think the Gyronix ResultsManager is anything special yet. That may change when I look into it more (I saw nothing special in MindManager at first) but for now I still don't see how such an expensive plug-in can benefit me all that much from my current system. I do see how it could replace GoBinder as my schedule and planning software but at $50 and built in and easy support for adding classes I see GoBinder and my wallet finding a stronger relationship.
MindManager Instant Meeting
Finding my way to the
MindManager site like I often do I saw that MindManager has a new plug-in and it's a very exciting one!
MindManager Instant Meeting and
WebEx have come together to offer a plug-in that now gives
MindManager the ability to work/meet together online and work with
MindManager together. At first glance this looks very similar to the online collaboration feature in OneNote that allows users to create a shared session and work together in real time and work on the same note. I think OneNote 2007 is going to improve on this ever more.
I really like this feature in OneNote and this new
MindManager plug-in seems to bring those great features now to
MindManager. From a student's perspective it is nice to see this feature as well. One of my biggest goals in promoting new technology and digital note-taking applications is that more students will start to incorportate them into their daily lives. When this transition is made the opportunity to create online study groups were students share and go over their notes in an online enviroment will exist and benifit us all. Peer study groups are excellent ways to study but sometimes getting together at the library or coffee shop to study together is difficult. With applications that allow students to work with and share their notes with one another and to work with another online these difficulties may be over come.
This kind of online studying will especially be helpful for school's like my own. I understand
Oakland University is a minority is this respect but we are definetly a commuter school. Very few students live on campus and I know several students that drive over an hour just to get to school every day. With the rise in online universites and many people going back to school and taking online classes to work around their busy schedules these tools will be even more valuable to them as well.
I have not tried out the plug-in yet myself. I don't know anyone else at my particuar school that uses
MindManager to take notes so really testing it out is difficult. I could test it over my own home network, like I did for OneNote, and when I get the opportunity I plan to do so.
Well if you're interested in the
plug-in make your way to the
MindManager site and check it out!
March Madness
With March Madness and a few exams all comming together next week I can see my weekend having very little time for updates but for now I would like to share something I find very cool that is related to the topic.
As technology advances it slowly finds a way of changing all of our lives and connecting us in ways we never thought of. For example on
facebook there is a bracket tournament where you can make your own bracket, post it, form pools (from many schools) see live updates and see how you rank against people in your pool, in your school and everyone across the nation! It is really a cool idea and I love how I can share my March Madness cranizess with all my friends even if they go to different schools.
To make matters worse there are live updates on
espn. You can sit there and if your not near a TV you can see how a game is turning out. For example since my campus is wireless in most places I really was anxious to see how BC was going to do when I heard they were down early on. So I connected my wireless and it updated me while I was in class. I will admit it was kind of distracting but I was able to pay attention to both. Of course many will argue that this is not a good thing. Students should be paying attention to class not worrying about basketball scores but I think students are talented and smart enough these days where they can be responsible and manage both activities at the same time. I feel looking at the score every 5 minutes really quickly was not distracting me enough to really hamper my learning. I was able to keep track of the game and take pretty good notes at the same time!
There is also this on demand video available at the
NCAA website where you supposebly can watch the game live over a broadband connection. The service is free but you have to wait "in line" if yout don't have VIP access. I am sure you have to pay for the later, although it only took about 2 minutes for me to start watching a video. It was actually pretty good quality. I was impressed. I think they are only offering this for the first few rounds and you have to pay for the final four and championship.
None the less it once again cool to see how technology once again really does imporve our lives and by the way Darn You Syracuse! Your really messed up my bracket!
Lenovo X41 Tablet Commercial
Saw
this on
GottaBeMobile and you should really download the video and check it out!
Not only does it feature my own
Lenovo X41 Tablet (which I still love and would not trade for anything else that is available on the market as of now) but its a really cool tablet commerical in general.
Glad to see Tablet PCs keep making more progess in the mainstream!
Lenovo X41 Tablet Commercial-via
GottaBeMobile
You Know You're A Dork When
Last week I forgot to post this on the website, this week I forgot to put it in the blog. Although I did remember it a bit quicker this time around. Anyways I don't what week it is but here ya go...
You Know You're A Dork When....this is your mouse pad
You Know You're A Dork When...
MindJet Blog and Forum
If your looking to see what's new with
MindJet and their MindManager software or need some help with the program itself then you should head over to the
MindJet website. They have a nice
blog listing links to website and others news that you might find interesting. They also have a nice
user forum, although it does seem a little bare at times but you can still get a lot of help from the experts there! If I find the time I may even introduce myself to the forum as there is already a link to
my first MindManager video in the education section.
These are good resources for anyone that uses
MindManager and definitely worth the time to check them out!
And The Winners Are....
After an incredible run the
Student Tablet PC Contest has come to an end and what a contest it has been. Last Monday I organized my
master list of tips (the tips that had been collected since then)and thoughout the week ever more have been added to give a total of over 230 tips! Its looks like the daily tip of the day will be resurected so I look foward to that. I did not post any tips despite the many, many that I have because I just didn't have the time or the energy go go through and type them all in one sitting. That's what this blog is for! I can share them as I remeber them or discover them and then can comment on how they have helped me.
Congradulations to the winners and a thanks to everyone that contributed and took the tipe to share their tips. It will is a contenst that benefits everyone!
So here we go...
And the winners are....
1st Place: Nithi Sothilingam,
2nd Place: Ed Schaefer
3rd Place: Hugh Sung
Setting Goals With MindManager Video
We all set goals (or at least should) and I have always found it helpful to write down those goals and tasks everyday. Previously I plastered them on a piece of paper or whiteboard in order to prevent me from drifting off course. I could then glance at it throughout my day and adjust my current tasks accordingly so that I would complete everything I had to. I thought
MindManager could assist me in the process and then decided to put it to the test. At the end of week I discovered that
MingManager will now be my tool for organizing all my weekly and daily goals and tasks.
MindManager had a cool template with the days of the week and I saw the opportunity to use
MindManager to track my goals and tasks. The program works beautifully with this task for me as
MindManager again allows me to have a lot of information and notes at my disposable all within a single click. I can now track my goals from day to day and even see my progress at the end of the week. It also gave me the opportunity to really work with Map Markers and the Power Filter which are two additional features that really make
MindManager a powerful tool for organization.
Setting goals is very important and having a procedure to do so is a big key to being successful (for me at least) so I really thought it would be nice for me to make
another video of how I go about doing such a feat with
MindManager. It also allowed me to show off the Map Marker and Power Filter features which I did not get to present in my
First MindManager Video.
Again this is not a professional video and if I had the time I really could create a better production but I am a student with a busy schedule so I figure something is better than nothing. So I hope you enjoy my
Setting Goals with MingManager Video and if you didn't check out
my first one check out that one too!
Dorko's Setting Goals With MindManager Video
Tablet Extensions, Comments and Dreams
It seems everyday we learn something new. In school, about friends and even about programs we work with often.
MindManager is no different in this respect and since the program is still so new to me I find new ways to incorporate it into my life and also things that assist in the functionality of the program itself. The other day I discovered the
Tablet Extensions add-ins that were available. This little add-in back is not going to revolutionize the way you use
MindManager but if you have tablet pc it could prvoide two nice little features.
The first one is the
OneNote Export feature. This allows you save your map as a
OneNote section so that you can further mark it up. It inserts it as an image and inserts a link to it in the botom but I honestly don't know how this is realy that much different than printing the map to
OneNote like I showed in
My Manager Video. There is a
flash video of performing the operation on their site.
The second feature is the import Journal feature. This takes a Journal file and turns it into a
MindManager map. The feature is neat but I personally only use Journal if I need to sketch out something really quickly. Then If I want to add it to my
MindManager Map I create a hyperlink. If it could somehow do this to my
OneNote notes that would be really nice but completely unexpected since my
OneNote notes are kind of all over and I don't think any program could take all that ink and organize it correctly.
A few things I really wish I could do with my tablet and
MindManager is direcly ink on the map itself and then be able to expand, collapse and filter those ink markings. I also wish I could ink on the pictures I insert into a map. I sometimes use the note feature too add something to the image but If I could somehow circle a part of the image it would be nice. Yesterday when I was organizing my Anatomy notes I had all the different parts of the os coxa bone on the left and then inserted the image of the bone as a summary on the right. I then really wanted to insert a relationship curve or add an ink arrow from a particular feature to the part on the bone (a specific part or hotspot on the image). And then be able to expand and collapse that arrow so I could see one at a time. (See picture below) I think it would be a very effective way of studying. I do understand that with the strucutre
MindManager uses this is pretty much impossible but a guy can dream can't he?
So although I didn't find these features entirely useful others may so if your new to
MindManager like me and have a Tablet you may want to
check them out.
I already own a Tablet PC do I really need an UMPC?
It is week three and the
origami project has been revealed. I think we can honestly say it really is not much of a surprise. Many of the rumors and speculations were very accurate in their predictions. Many of the images I saw around the web even turned out to look like the actual unit. We will have to wait and see if this device can make its way into our lives but for now I still remain a skeptic.
In the end origami or should we call it by its proper name now the Ultra Mobile PC, UMPC for short, is just a small Tablet PC. Is this idea really that revolutionary and will everyone want one? My first prediction is no. The Tablet PC platform has been around for a while and has yet to really catch on. Although there currently is a move in Tablet PCs I think we still have a long ways to go. One could argue that this new device will actually help the Tablet PC market but I don’t see that happening any time soon.
I really wish I could rally behind this idea but a few things prevent me from jumping on board. For one my own personal device is calling out “I’m bigger and better than that midget and I can still be mobile!.” My tablet is the IBM/Lenovo X41 tablet and resides in the category of ultra portables. It was its small size, weight, dimensions and excellent battery life that led me to its purchase. Glancing over the hardware details I noticed that although these are not set in stone initial specs on this UMPC have it with a 7” (or smaller) screen, 800x400 resolution, 2 pounds, Tablet 2005 OS, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled. The specifications of my table are a 12.1” screen, 3.2 lbs, 1024x768 resolution and of course wi-fi, Bluetooth, and the Tablet OS. So one could say that my Tablet is a monster compared to this new ultra mobile PC but it really isn’t that much bigger in my personal opinion. In fact I do carry my tablet with me just about everywhere I go and usually do so without any problems. At times I wish it was smaller. I wish I could take it out more easily at the grocery store when I need to look at a list, or write down someone’s email right after class but these are the rare occasions where I can see myself actually truly benefiting from a smaller device.
I’ll admit that a smaller unit would be nice but if I had really wanted something smaller and more compact then I would have gone for something like Motion’s LS800. I think it’s about 2.2 lbs with an 8.4” screen so it resembles the size of an ultra mobile PC. It is also a true slate model like the UMPC so its dimensions in overall thickness would also be similar. However as a student I don’t think smaller is necessarily better in this case.
Students are always digging around for that extra dollar. We don’t have an extra $1000 laying around for a new toy. So when it comes to major purchases a lot of time and energy in making such a decision is required. The pros and cons of the situation must be analyzed. The first major disadvantage that comes to mind is during note taking. Sitting in class frantically scribbling down notes on such a small device would be very pleasant for me. I like the fact that my tablet resembles the size of a piece of paper, anything smaller and I would feel cramped. A paper sized device also makes the note taking process a little bit less foreign then if I had to squeeze all that information onto such a small screen. So when it comes down to it, if I have to choose between a Tablet PC and a UMPC I am going to go with the Tablet PC every day of the week! But I did not choose the Tablet only for its size. In fact if size was an issue there were other alternatives such as the LS800.
A small tablet like the LS800 or the new UMPC has its place but my tablet has found its own niche in my life. I also like the ability to have a convertible. When on campus all day there are some classes where I prefer to type and others where the tablet function is more practical. No matter my preference I always have the option to easily convert from one to the other. Now of course you may be thinking why would you ever want to type anyways? The UMPC is for being mobile and entering data on the go. You have your laptop for all that typing stuff right? This brings me to my next point; the UMPC is not going to replace your notebook or regular Tablet PC.
Personally I just don’t see the UMPC being able to accomplish such a feat. I honestly think that it will not be able to handle the job of all our current notebooks. Again who cares right? Well because it won’t be able to replace our notebooks many of us that use notebooks on a daily basis will still end up carrying around them even if we have a UMPC. With cell phones, ipods, cameras, and notebooks how many gadgets do we really need to carry around? The UMPC could potentially replace the function of an ipod but do you really think all those people are going to lay down their white headphones and run out to buy a new $1000 toy? I don’t think so. So in the end it would actually increase the amount of things we would carry.
There are examples though where an UMPC would pay off. If you’re not venturing off to the office or class and still want a PC with you all the time then a UMPC makes sense. It would me much easier to carry such a device when shopping or riding around in a cab or subway. But is this convenience worth the price?
This brings me to my last point (for now). Price! Everything has a price it seems and it is no different for the UMPC. No numbers are out yet but from what I’ve heard the device is going to be in the sub $1000 range. In an economy that is already struggling at times is such a device really practical? Of course there will always be those that have the money to buy anything they want and us geeks that like to buy the newest gadget but I think if the UMPC is to take on wide adoption it is going to have to appeal to many more people than these select groups. In fact if someone gave me $1000 I can think of numerous other things that I would like to purchase before an UMPC. (Of course if someone gave me a UMPC I would have no problem accepting it either)
An oversized Pocket PC, a super small Tablet PC, or an Ultra Mobile PC, whatever you want to call the new device it is being released. How successful it is and how many people really will say I need that is still up in the air but for now I’m just fine with my Tablet.
Weird Things with MindManager
I have a list of things I don't like about MindManager, yes its' true. MindManager is by no means perfect. One of the things I
was going to complain about is the handling of images.
When I inserted an image into MindManager it would always look blurry. It's hard to explain and I am unable to reproduce it now which is the weird thing. I reinstalled it yesterday after the program was continually eating up my CPU (over 50% even when minimized) and had forgotten all about adding images to my MindManager Maps. Since they were blurry I just started using links and had them open up in a new window. Today I opened up one of my previous maps that had an image inserted in it. I didn't like the size of it so I reset the image size. And boom it was clear! It wasn't crystal clear like when I open up the image alone, but none the less the text was actually readable now! I even was able to resize the picture without losing much quality!
I previously had tried this on two different computers and got blurry images on both. Maybe I will go back to the second computer and see if I can get it to reproduce that error but for now my Tablet is displaying pictures much better. Weird!
Origami What?
Well anyone that is at all up to date with Microsoft, Intel and all their technology announcements has no doubt found themselves surfing over to the
Origami Project website. I admit I myself have visited it and found it interesting but I still don't see it as that big of a deal. Maybe I am just skeptical of Microsoft and their ability to get the word out on new technology but until I see it I won't believe it.
Take the Tablet PC platform for example. It is by far one of the most innovating concepts. Well this of course is my opinion but I still think it up there in the grand scheme of things. Of course writing and pen input is nothing new by any stretch of the means but having a pen to enhance ones ability to work with every day laptops and desktops is something we have not seen take on large adoption.
Also there exist many gadgets out there that already provide many of the features that this new and inspiring
Origami project is claiming to be able to do. Maybe it'll make the idea of using the gadgets more popular I don't know.
Basically I should say that its cool that Microsoft is able to create so much hype on it but I will remain a skeptic until I really see what its all about and how they expect to distribute it. I own a small Tablet and had a powrefull Pocket PC for awhile but honestly just see this Origami thing being right dap in the middle. We'll all see very soon I guess.
Found this
link on MSN via
GottaBeMobile.com
A Riddle For You!
What you get when you combine an excellent website for students, many knowledgeable and enthusiastic Tablet PC users and a contest with prizes? Give up?
You get Over 180 tips and tricks that span 21 pages and that provide an invaluable source of information for everyone!
I took all those tips and tricks from
Tracy's Contest and made my own master list. Organizing them by contributor and now working on organizing them into different categories like buying a tablet, OneNote tricks, etc. I have probably the single best source for tricks that I can use with my Tablet PC. I am sure Tracy is going to make her own "Master List" but for now I am enjoying going over and reading through mine.
After initial organization I have a total of 184 tips that span across 21 pages in word. I have to really go through these and that number most likely will change as my initially numbering could be off but regardless is fantastic none the less!
Tracy's Contest was a spectacular idea that benefits everyone in the tablet community and would like to thank her and everyone else that contributed! Way to Go!
Spring Fling!
Well as much as we hate to admit it, Spring Break for a lot of college students is all about "hooking up". Well stranded in cold Michigan I was far removed from any such chance. However my Tablet PC is a real player, both in the classroom and out in public and he had a bit more luck! I also think his new "friend" will be more than just a one night stand and I see their relationship lasting for quite somet time! Check out the picture for youself!
You Know You're A Dork When...
I can't believe I am still admitting all these things so I hope you find them entertaining at least!
You Know You're A Dork When...you take a picture of your Tablet PC and a MindManager software box!
See
Spring Fling Post
M280/CX200X Student Tablet PC Review
Tracy from
Student Tablet PC had the opportunity to play around with a Gateway M280 this weekend and despite the load of homework and classes she has to deal with she has posted a very nice
review on the tablet. Her overall conclusion: "
Overall, the Gateway M280/CX200X makes for a great laptop and a poor tablet"
M280/CX200X Student Tablet PC Review- from
Student Tablet PC
Tracy's review on the PC is harsh but honest and that's what I like! She dissects the notebook and really reviews it from a student's perspective. In a lot of big magazines and review sites you are not able to capture this perspective and it leaves students really wondering how much they can trust those editors. A student's personal review on the tablet is always more valuable then someone getting paid to review it.
The review does hit a sour note with me because I was the reason for a few purchases of Tablet PCs past semester. A few students came to me after they initially saw my X41 tablet and decided they just had to have one as well. One of those students picked up the Gateway CX200, which I find to be very similar to the M280 Tracy reviewed. I worked with the tablet myself and personally just saw it kind of the other end of tablets when comparing it to my own.
My initial feelings like Tracy's that this is enormous! I could not imagine lugging that thing around! After my petite 3.2 lb X41 that thing seemed like a monster. But with the increase in size you did get an increase in real estate or screen space. This I did love! The screen, although not spectacular, did put my screen to shame. I would much rather watch a DVD on that widescreen tablet than my own. However I did noticed that the screen liked to pick up fingerprints more than my own and that made viewing unpleasant at times.
I also didn't like the widescreen format. I really like widescreen on notebooks but either I am not use to the widescreen for a tablet or I just find writing in portrait mode to be unusual with such a long display. This opinion will probably change as much notebooks and probably tablets as well will adopt the widescreen format but I am currently comfortable writing on a tablet with your old fashion standard screen.
I only played with the tablet for brief amounts of time and by no means feel I could write an accurate or fair review on the machine like Tracy but those were my first few impressions when I did have the opportunity to help that individual.
I should also note that I think that the Tablet in the Gateway Ad I posted about earlier is in fact the M280 but I am not positive.
Again, great review Tracy and I think all students can appreciate the opinion of a fellow student!
Microsoft and Dr. Crounse: EMR and the Future
I found
this article via
Medical Tablet PC and although it is quite long it is very interesting. At least I found great interest in it as Dr. Crounse is doing exactly what I would like to do. Practice medicine in a practice for some many years and then his key knowledge in broadcasting allowed his two passions to collide to where he is today.
Working with Microsoft since 2002 he is the Healthcare Industry Director for Microsoft Health Care and Life Sciences and is involved with working with clients to apply technology to this sector.
In the biology field many us are not as familiar with computers in technology as say those involved in computer science or engineering. This is not because we don't like technology but many time is because we don't see its as worthwhile investment. As a student with a Tablet PC I do admit that there have been times that using my Tablet to do certain tasks requires more effort and energy than if I had done something the old fashion way. These are times I question my use of technology and have to ponder is it really worth it? Most of the time after I get past the initial set up and learning curve it is. It does take some effort to incorporate my Tablet and other technology into my life as a biology student but after I have that initial investment the return is usually very rewarding and may even same me some time in the long run.
I think this is the way a lot of doctors and hospitals turn the backs on the new technology initially. Why spend the money to incorporate it? They would like to make money just like everyone else so if it does not pay off for them why do it? For me it would just be my love of technology that would provide the desire to incorporate such tools but for others that is not enough.
As technology advances this will all change. I should all say that technological advances not only include faster and smaller gadgets but also the increase in accessibility. If you make the technology easier to use more people will use it. As Tablet PCs become more common, as we start to see the benefits of going paperless, we will see the deployment of such technology in many different sectors.
These are just my thoughts though but if you want to hear it from an expert check out the
article!
Dorko's MindManager Video
First off, if you decide to subject yourself to this
video you must agree not laugh at my incompetence. I honestly ran out of time and wasn't able to show all the features I would have liked but none the less I feel I was able to show how I plan to use
MindManager the rest of the semester.
Going in with little expectations,
MindManager really came out swinging. Maybe it's just my particular learning style but the program meshes very well with my studying techniques and I see myself incroporating
MindManager into my daily schedule. When I have an external monitor I'll probaly just keep
MindManager up on that and it'll basically serve as my desktop and central hub to get to all the things I need.
I made the video with
Camtasia like so many others and it really is a neat program to showcase off this kind of stuff. I have just a month to work with it but hopefully I can make at least one other video before my trial runs out. I am thinking about doing it on my ebooks so everyone can see what an ebook is like and the different formats I work with. For now enjoy the
MindManager Video!
*Note the file is kind of big so let it download and then click play so the audio is in sync with the audio.
Dorko's MindManager Video
MindManager Video coming Soon!
Well I've been working hard today writing down and organizing some of my
MindManager maps in hopes that the video will be done by the end of today. It's just a simple Camtasia video like many others have done but none the less will show you some of the reasons why I have really fallen for
MindManager this past week. Also it seems someone else I know has a crush on MindManager and I caught them in the act the other day. More on that later!
Time for sleep now and up early to follow through on that Video!
STPC Contest Everyone Wins!
This is probably the coolest
contest because everyone is truly a winner in the end! Well not everyone wins a prize but everyone does get to see everyone else's cool tips so I consider everyone a winner because we can all benifit. I have tons of tips myself but I see a lot of them have already been mentioned. Maybe I will skim through them latter to see if any that I know of are missed but to be honest there are so many I know I can't even imagine writing them all down. That's why I created this Blog! Well enough of my rambling go ahead and check out the
STPC contest and enter for your chace to win a cross pen and some software too! I think a license to MindManager is available and we all know how much I love that!
It's Here! GoBinder 2006
I was opening up
GoBinder tonight because I have physical therapy tomorrow and needed to find out what time my appointment was at. I opened up the program and checked for the newest build (I was a GoBinder Beta tester) like I always do and I came across the message you see to the right. It seems after many months of Beta testing
GoBinder 2006 has a final release. I of course immediately checked online and what do you know it is in fact on their
website as well. I especially like the "Student Tested, Agilix guaranteed" Part! I guess because although I did kind of abandon the forum when the semester started I was still a part of the testing. (sort of)
All the new features in
GoBinder 2006 make it much superior to the 2005 version. Some of the
new features include Ink Enhancements, Calander, Tasks, and Contacts Enhancements, new course tab, search enhancements and the most exciting is the open architecture which should allow for many cool plugins. The overall feel and look of the new program also runs circles around the 2005 version. I liked it so much that although it was unstable at times I could not stand going back to the dull 2005 version! You can check out all the new
features in
this pdf which is located on the
site!
I bought my copy at the beginning of the semester and tried using the Beta to take class notes for awhile but due to the instability and lack of built in recording (a plug-in may help me now) I decided that OneNote was the best decision to stick with. I still use
GoBinder, but mainly just as a planner. Now with my new recent love for
MindManager I wonder how much attention the new GoBinder will recieve but I still intend to look into it as it is still one of the best programs out their for students and especially students with Tablet PCs!
Agilix has put out a terrific product and I will check out this final release before my break comes to an end (which is coming much too soon if you ask me!) and see if those instability issues that were once there have been resolved. If I know
Agilix though I should have nothing to worry about.
I'd like to thank
Agilix for giving many us the opportunity to beta test
GoBinder 2006 and also for working so incredibly hard to do so. I can imagine that those guys have to be so relieved they finally have a final release. I think I downloaded the beta in November so the time they have put in since then is unimaginable. Congrads
Agilix and I look forward to giving this final release another run through.
Bring on the Plug-Ins!!!
Note: If you want to see GoBinder 2006 in action
Tracy put up an excellent
video that geatured many of the cool things in GoBinder and the guys over at
GottaBeMobile did a terrific
Ink Show on the program as well. Both of them are great resources and you should check them out!
How MindManager Helps Me Study
First off let me start of my warning you that you may find this article to be a bit on the boring side. It shares some personal information about me, my learning style and my genuine feeling that
MindManager will be an incredible benefit to my learning, organizing and overall experience as a student. I feel this information may assist you as I post more about MindManager throughout the semester but hopefully now you will understand why I post with such enthusiasm.
My relationship with MindManager this week thus far has been an interesting and exciting one. I should mention that I have been on spring break so I have not been able to really “test” my hypothesis that MindManger will enhance my learning entirely. However I have taken it upon myself to introduce MindManger to many of my classes and the subject matter covered to see its interaction with such material. I wanted to discover if MindManager would form a water and oil relationship with my OneNote notes or if it would add anything to my planner in GoBinder. Would it be just another separate program to work with or could it be integrated into my current programs and studying habits. Common sense would say with my busy schedule that learning and working with yet another program would be ludicrous However, I had some time over break to really give it a chance without worrying about it distracting me from my school work.
The more I work with MindManger though the more I see it taking over a lot of the things that I use the above mentioned programs for. It may be only a matter of time before OneNote and GoBinder are enhancements to my MindManager Maps. Only time will be able to answer this question in its entirety. As I spend more time with MindManager the more I see that it coordinates with my particular learning style. I hope to share several experiences in how it performs this task but I think knowing more about me on a personal level will allow you to understand how beneficial MindManager is.
I am biology student that has the dream of attending graduate school and becoming involved in the medical community. This means I take classes that revolve around the worlds of biology and chemistry. These two subjects can provide a lot of difficulty if one does not know how to organize the material. I also have ADD and have been diagnosed with it since my days of high school. Although a lot of people see ADD as a pseudo disorder that many people use as an excuse, it is something that I have had to face for numerous years. With often large and complex material and a tendency to drift from main ideas I constantly find myself studying all the time. I often have difficulty seeing the “big picture” and really organizing everything into a manageable form and thus spend time trying to abstract it all from my notes and text. To combat all this I have been able to come up with a few things that work. Standing in my room the other day I observed one way that I do this.
My room is decorated with 3 whiteboards and numerous boxes of different color dry erase markers. I have printouts taped on my walls and around my desk that accent the neatly arranged diagrams from my text books. My taste in such decorating allows me to capture the big picture while I am reading about the details in my textbook. Basically I like to see as much as I can at one time. It is this wall space that allows me to make important connections and grasp core concepts. I understand that everybody has different study methods but for anyone out there that faces similar difficulties I suggest you take a serious look at picking up a copy of MindManager.
As you can see in the pictures a lot of my drawings are main ideas and thoughts organized in such a way that allows me to see visually how they interconnect. This visual connection that is formed really allows me to see everything in how it relates. I sometimes draw these in OneNote but I always quickly run out of space. MindManger solves this problem by allowing me to expand and collapse different aspects of the map at will. This power lets me view only the main ideas or I can expand everything to see it all at once. If I want to expand just one main idea then I can stay with that topic and expand that one area of interest. If I want to see how that specific section relates to another main idea then I can usually just reveal those two sets of details in very close proximity to one another. If you’re anything like me you’re probably reading all of this and only seeing words. To see what I am talking about you really need to see a video. The tutorials from MindManger are pretty good at showing you this but I honestly hope I can somehow make one of my own for those struggling with the concepts.
If you’re having a hard time understanding just how helpful the program can be then you really need to download the trial and start playing around with it. Playing around with it the past few days have been truly remarkable. This may sound over the top and you may be thinking, Ok how much are they paying this guy to say all of this, but I kid you not; I honestly see MindManager as something that is really going to help my learning.
I’ll still have those white boards for awhile but I honestly think MindManager will be promoted and actually end up doing a better job than my beloved white boards. For one I won’t have to have as many whiteboards and setting up photo shoots where I capture the information on them will be something I no longer will have to be embarrassed about. I can now just create a new map and save it. In sense I can have as many whiteboards as I want with me wherever I go! It is sure a lot easier to carry around my tablet with MindManger on it than several 4’x5’ dry erase boards and a toolbox of different color markers.
If I had a large widescreen LCD hooked up to my Tablet and running MindManager the amount of information that I could display would be extraordinary! Maybe I should take out a few several student loans to make this happen. I can say I need a gigantic LCD to enhance my learning. Of course this is a fantasy but if you’re lucky enough to have a campus that allows students access to such displays or projectors this could be entirely possible. I can just imagine a group of students sitting together with a giant MindManager map on a screen and walking their eyes through it while verbally discussing it together. You would then incorporate the visual aspect, the verbal and the peer group cooperation to create a very promising study eniviroement.
I can also recall on several occasions when studying with friends where we would have to rummage through our notes to find something we are looking for. I can usually do a quick search on my tablet but then I am often far away from the material that had lead to the initial search fest. With MindManager all the information that needs to be discussed would be right there in front of you. It would only be a matter of expanding a different section of the map to see all the details.
Seeing, really is believing. This phrase suits MindManager in that you really do need to see it in action to really understand the power behind it all but also goes back to my learning style. One reason I make all those different drawings is to put all that information together into something I can actually see and visualize. I think I saw a statistic on the MindManager site that said something like 60% of us are visual learners. Many of my textbooks are really good at helping us with this by providing many diagrams and drawings that accompany the complex words and paragraphs and transform it into a medium we can visualize. MindManager takes it once step further by allowing the combination of all those diagrams, pictures, and paragraphs into one easy to manage MindManager Map.
Now I am sorry if I bored you with all of this but I could probably continue to go about this but hopefully a few posts here and there will speak louder that my words. My goal is writing this is as always to help other students. if I can help just one student that faces the same problems then this article was entirely worth my time and effort. Going into the medical field it is obvious that helping others is really the core value that fuels my desire. I hope to give examples of all this throughout the rest of the semester but for now felt it necessary to express just how helpful this program will be for me as a student.
Teaching with MindManager
Anyone that has been to my blog recently knows I have been blogging about
MindManager pretty extensively this week. I even am finishing up an article on how
MindManager really benefits me personally and hope to have it up by tomorrow (well actually depending on what time it is where you are tomorrow may in fact me just later today but technicalities aside it should be up later on. All of my posts of course are from my perspective as a student.
Tracy has found a
video with a teacher using MindManager. Now If I work really hard and all the planets align correctly I may be able to put together my own little demo. That's the mission that I would like to accomplish but for now check out that
video!
I was even mentioned in the
post! I thank Tracy for mentioning me and I hope someone actually gets some benefit from all this gibberish I put out. Like I've always said though if it helps just one person then it's worth it!
Excellent video on how a teacher uses MindManager -via
Student Tablet PC
You open IE and when you find a page you want to link to go to your map and click on the topic where you want the link to show up on. Of course you could just click the icon and have it send it to MindManger and then move the link to its proper place laster on.
You can then go back to you MindManager Map and you have a nice little link to the web page that you wanted. You can also sort of use the feature to set up a RSS feed page and there is a nice little template for that in the program. Maybe I will go into that but not right.
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