[suzyq2463]

Hi, I'm new here. I already own OmniFocus and adore that program. Right now I'm considering OmniOutliner and OmniGraffle.

Here's my question. I already own Novamind Pro and use it for all sorts of things. I downloaded a trial of OmniGraffle and like the interface, but I wonder if the two programs are so similar that I would simply be duplicating Novamind if I bought OmniGraffle.

Can someone clarify what the main differences between the programs are? Is there any reason a person would want to use both programs (i.e. do they serve very different purposes?)

Thanks for you help.

[priceless]

Hello

I am a user of both Novamind (platinum) and Omnigraffle Pro -- I think there is SOME overlap, but not as much as you might think. Yes, both do mind mapping, but Novamind's interface is much smoother as it is a dedicated application. When I need to brainstorm on a topic, I go there.

Omnigraffle offers hierarchical drawing / outlining -- which can create mindmaps, but I don't find it as useful and slick, so I rarely use it for that.

That said, I use Omnigraffle for some many other things -- it strikes an excellent balance as a fast and good looking diagramming tool. With the stencils, you can very quickly create all sorts of flow diagrams, block diagrams, screen mock ups, and many other uses that I find OG is one of the apps that is in my dock all the time.

In some ways, Omnioutline might be more similar to Novamind as they both create tree-like lists. They have their plusses and minuses. I find myself reaching for omnioutliner when I am managing a list of tasks, or building out some detailed items that need more categorization, etc. Having multiple columns that can be created on the fly is very nice and the user interface is great - one of the best for an outliner that I have used.

And of course these can interoperate to a degree, thanks to linkback.

I hope that that helps.

-- Morgan

[BRD]

I've struggled with this over many months. Here's where I think I've arrived:

For pure brainstorming--fire off as many ideas and associations as quickly as possible, then look for relationships--Novamind gets the nod. (I get frustrated, though, with some Novamind limitations, e.g., my inability to create a single boundary around branches with a dissimilar ancestor and put the branches in the foreground.)

For anything more deliberate or graphically oriented, it goes to Omnigraffle Pro which, with its outlining capability, I find far more flexible. (Omnigraffle makes short, easy work of the kind of task I mentioned in the previous
'graph.)

Hope this helps.