TheBrain: Smart Notes & Links

Still does not work!! I have not been able to use brain on my I-pad, despite many emails still no feedback, are you to busy on your AI tool?

I have used the desktop app on and off for 10 years and having a mobile app to capture my thoughts on the go is simply the icing on the cake.

Oct 22 Update. I revisit from time to time as a long time user of thebrain on desktop (a very solid good and full functioned app) and at long last the mobile app seems to be evolving to a point where it is an almost usable app although not up to the functionalty of the desktop version ( eg no types or tags creation or thought multi select for instance). I am now invested in a couple of other good PKM products now but will give thebrain a go again and may ‘come back home’ if the workflow can be good enough (iOS version is fine as a ‘reader’ focussed app but still pretty frustrating otherwise when you have a mentally imbedded workflow for the desktop.. it just seems too kludgey to get text and clips into the brainbox and phone screen is really a little small for plex and all (iPad fine!)…overall +2*’s from me for now ( needs a quick entry function to capture fleeting notes either directly or via apple notes or shortcut functions ) === April 22 update Things are getting there on iOS … but very very very slowly. As a result I have now switched away to other products in an attempt to create a portable personal knowledge base due to the slow development and usage friction associated with thebrain on iOS. It’s a real shame as the desktop version is excellent and has had some real improvements in version 12. The whole PKM field is accelerating with some good and very cost attractive options, and I fear that the Brain is now falling behind other apps Just down rated to 1* for me / the iOS app as Apparently isn't a focus for the dev team... A shame as this did have the potential to be a killer iPad app. :(

Been a user since original v1 many many years ago only on windows. My dad had purchased it as it was a revolutionary way to do note taking. Now it’s grown so much as a great PKM solution. Works great on Mac, windows, browser and native iOS app. Really pleased with it and use it multiple times a day. Thanks guys! Keep going with the road map.

Quite simply, the mobile version bares no resemblance to the desktop app, which is a gem. Unfortunately, the developers have neglected the mobile space and I am sad to say that this al is TRASH! I’m really gutted that I have to be so harsh. But for example the app lacks a functional search feature!! Ridiculous and makes it unusable.

Just gets better and better. Does need companion desktop app to take full advantage and the pro upgrade (expensive) but worth every penny.

A real pain in the neck on iPad. It needs a lot of work.

Being able to map out thoughts as they occur, or link apparently disparate facts is kind of what this software is about. That's not to mention that you can't use it like traditional mind mapping software, which you can, but it has so much more to it than that. The basic app is free, and if you visit the website there are pricing options for added functionality. For me the best thing about the app is the dynamic nature of the mind map. In a traditional model, the central point is fixed and all things radiate out from that. In TheBrain Tech, the central point is the current node, with everything radiating out from that. So if you visit a new node, it becomes the centre of the mind map. As a guide at the National Museum of Computing, mapping out WW2 Bletchley Park is not easy, but with this software that process almost seems alive. It has made it very easy to find new connections that originally might have been obscured by the sheer quantity of information. The other beautiful feature that is core to the operation is that you are able to create ad hoc links as you go, without having to think of the map as a whole. The app works in a very organic way, mapping out facts as they are needed. I would go so far as to say this is the first human mind mapping package I have ever used. What at first seems disorganised, is actually the way we think. So bear with the app, it takes a little to get your mind around it, but the more you persevere the more it works with you.

Loads to love about this app. Way more flexible in terms of relating thoughts to one another than other maps, and I'm planning to migrate all my information management to it eventually. However, the glaring omission is an undo button. If you mistakenly delete a thought with lots of children, they are all instantly orphaned and impossible to find again, and there's no way of correcting your mistake. I just did this with the home thought with catastrophic consequences!

The latest version of the app brings iPad and even iPhone usability much closer to the excellent desktop software. The “brain box” function now operates across platforms as well as the brains themselves so you can capture something on your phone and, if you don’t want to incorporate it in your brain there and then, it will be sitting there for you on either the iPad or desktop. Excellent software I now run my work and personal life with.