ConceptDraw has recently launched a new version of their acclaimed MindMap application, a tool to create handy, colourful diagrams that help you organize your work projects and personal ideas.

The latest MindMap includes a handful of interesting improvements that make the program generally more accessible, something novice users will be grateful for. The first great change we notice is a brand new interface with a fresher, more attractive design. What's more, MindMap includes a bunch of templates and a very complete tutorial to get you started in no time. You can tell the developers have made a real effort to make the program easier to use.

However, I still found it difficult to work on formatting aspects. Although you can use map themes to change the map aspect with just one click, they're generally quite unattractive. Then, if you want to customize your map you have to navigate through each element's context menu. Also, drag-and-drop is restricted to clipart, and can no longer be used to add new topics to the map.

On the upside, MindMap features some nice improvements. For example, now it enables to have the Map and Outline views simultaneously on screen. It includes a large variety of symbols and clipart to use in your charts as well. The Brainstorming tool has also improved a lot, enabling you to jot down ideas directly on your map and move them around without worrying about format, size or color. And once your map is done, you can export it directly to PDF, PPS, DOC or HTML.