Education: Keep Your Mind Sharp

First of all, let me just say that this is solid software. It is available on both Windows and Mac. I will say that I’ve only used the 30 day trial version, but to the best of my knowledge, it’s not in the best interest of Inspiration to offer a trial program that is only a fraction of what the whole product is, seeing that it is a 30 day trial. Please correct me on this one though.

The full version of the software is at an affordable price, compared to similar software, such as SmartDraw, MindManager, and Microsoft OneNote.

Inspiration allows for the user to present information visually. As far as seamless features are concerned, it has room for improvement, but I like the features such as the “Create” button which is on the Main toolbar. This feature allows one to select a part of a diagram such as a circle, box, rounded circle, cloud, or other shapes, and then proceed to add another attached shape to show relationships, and either to the right, left, below, above, or any four diagonal positions, connected to the original shape. Hope that makes sense.

However, as far a seamless aspects of it are concerned, I’ve had a bit of trouble. When trying to edit text in a text box that is stretched out a considerable amount horizontally and is also large (50 or more), it is a bit tricky to do so. This is because when one wants to edit only a certain amount of text in a text box, they must double click on it, which in turn zooms in, greatly into the text. You may understand how this would create problems when a text box is spread out horizontally. I tried playing around with it, and figured out a way to edit a certain amount of text in a text box, but it is not very seamless. It includes selecting all of the text in a text box via CTRL+A and then pressing and holding SHIFT and then clicking at the conclusion of the text I want to edit.

As far as other features are concerned, incorporating a pretty decent dictionary into the program is a plus in my book. You can also insert a word that you look up, into a text box or into a shape (incorporated into a diagram) It includes a dictation, albeit it sounds a bit too much like Mr. Roboto (if he were real), I give the creators of Inspiration credit for adding such a feature.

The “Rapid Fire” feature, from using it so far, seems like neither “rapid” or “fire”. I’ve yet to really figure out how to use it. It is meant to be a brainstorming feature, but seems to fall short. I will give it some more usage and update this review if I come to find out how to use it effectively.

Something else I like is the option to add “Notes”, which are boxes that are distinguishable from the shapes of the diagram and are easily perceived as just that–notes, by a box that allows for a colored outline and colored fill inside the box (for “fill” think “inside of a shape”, in computing terms). In addition to this, it seems to allow for a text document within a document, as the “Notes” box allow for one to scroll up or down–I’m just not sure how I would use the scrolling option, and I believe other reviewers have said the same thing in regards to different features of this product. Can I transfer a file to PowerPoint or MS Word, and still have the file retain all of the characteristics and affordances of this software? I haven’t been able to yet, and speaking of transferring.

I need to, and users or potential buyers of this program should familiarize their self with different files and their properties. There are a lot of files one can choose from to convert a file made in Inspiration when transferring to a different program. (Plain Text, Encoded Text, Rich Text Format, HTLM Document, various word document files and including 2007, Single File Web Page, and a few others). I believe all have benefits and trade offs.

One more feature I like is the ability to insert hyperlinks into a file. One can include a web page, document, a file, such as a picture or sound, or another inspiration document. One cool way to incorporate this, and I’d like to do this for classes I’m taking this semester, is to include a hyperlink to part of a lecture I’ve recorded and edite and shortened, and then insert it as a hyperlink into a file in a program such as Inspiration.

Inspiration also allows for a variety of pictures, and they seem to be rather updated. The main trade off is that the photos aren’t that high of resolution, but that is a trade off one makes when variety is offered in form of selection of pictures is concerned as well as lesser price. I say this, because when increasing the size of the pictures, they become distorted. The art, on the other hand, which can be inserted just like a picture, is lower picture quality, but can be increased in size, and still retain its resolution, but not for all of them. Also, one more major drawback is that the pictures and art have no label as to indicate what they are exactly, such as in Microsoft programs.

In conclusion, I’ve yet to find one program that seeks to allow the user to create and re-visit information visually for a modest price and affordable to a student. I believe Inspiration is more so geared to K-12 teachers, but is of value to those not in that group. I would like to see Inspiration improve some of the aspects I mentioned, especially the ones that would not take much investment to do so, such as allowing for easier use of editing large text that is spread horizontally, adding margins onto the working space, and allowing the user to know what it is they are looking at as far as pictures/art are concerned.

Rating: 4 / 5

I am a veteran of Inspiration, having bought my first copy from the program’s then husband-and-wife creators (and one of their dads) at a computer trade show long ago. I’ve stuck with the program because it offers a quick way to do mind maps (particularly rapid-fire), an outliner and presentation creator in one simple, very efficient and generally bug-free package.

Over the years the company has focused its attention primarily on the K-12 market. It seems a natural fit, though I think the company could have achieved some degree of success in the commercial market as well. However, their marketing wisdom may be right: the competition for mind mapping software in the commercial marketplace is fierce and there are a couple of Microsoft products in this space as well.

So Inspiration ticks on – and delivers a very nice product a reasonable price.

You can put together a simple, graphic linked outline or mind map with less than a minute’s instruction, if that. The program comes with a large library of illustrations and symbols. You can switch quickly and easily from the graphical view to a traditional outliner view, a feature which I find very useful.

Finally, you can create reasonably nifty presentations with Inspiration as well, though I don’t use it for this purpose.

Overall, if you like having a simple to use, but very flexible tool immediately for visual or traditional outlining, Inspiration is the little wonder that your schoolkid may know about, but you don’t. It is a great little product.

Jerry

Rating: 5 / 5

This product is amazing. I recommend this product to any person who wants to stay organized. Me, being a teacher, use it in the classroom for taking notes all the time. It’s a great way to get your kids to have fun and learn by taking notes all at the same time!
Rating: 5 / 5