Q. What are some typical uses of MindModel?
A. People use MindModel to create relational databases on whatever topics are most important to them. Some people use MindModel to create databases from scratch, while others export data from existing databases, then import the data into MindModel. Many people export data from spreadsheets that have become large and unwieldy, and turn them into easy-to-query databases.

Typical uses of MindModel include: customer relationship management (CRM), inventory, sales history (which customers bought which products), asset management (keeping track of hardware and software), research notes, contact management, human resources, screenwriting, class notes, bible study, medical data, etc.

Since MindModel stores information in English-like sentences, you can create a model on any topic you choose.

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Q. How can I tell whether MindModel is for me?
A. We pride ourselves on being a no-nonsense company. Rather than telling you that MindModel is for everyone, we've developed a set of three questions that we believe separate the people who will benefit from MindModel from those who won't.

If you can answer "Yes" to all three of these questions, you will almost certainly benefit from MindModel.

Question #1: Do you manage information?
Almost everyone who is succeeding in life is managing information. Whether you are struggling to maintain customer lists on paper, or are responsible for a large relational database, you are managing information.

This information might come from your business activities, or might be gathered in your personal life.

Question #2: Are you dissatisfied with your success in managing that information?
If you can't possibly imagine any improvement in your ability to manage the facts and ideas that confront you each day, why purchase a tool that helps solve that problem?

On the other hand, if you're challenged by an information-management project, why not let us help you? We offer free consultation on whether or not MindModel is the right tool for your job.

Question #3: Do you have a PC you'd like to use to solve this problem?
The current version of MindModel is PC software. It runs on a desktop PC, laptop, or server. Unfortunately, we do not have a version of MindModel for the Apple Macintosh, although MindModel does run under VirtualPC.

MindModel runs on Win95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP. Any PC with a Pentium I 132mhz, 64M RAM or better should run MindModel.

If you want to keep your database private, use MindModel Desktop. If you want to share that database over your corporate local-area network (LAN), use MindModel Multi-User. If you want to turn that database into a dynamic web site, use MindModel Web Server (MMWS).

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Q. MindModel uses pre-set categories to store information. Why can't I just type in things free-form, and let the computer sort them out?
A. Thousands of very intelligent people have spent decades trying to develop software that does exactly that. This software is called "natural language processing" software.

While we respect their intelligence and efforts, the results have been mixed.

At best, these systems cost hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars and require expensive hardware.

At worst, they just don't work.

When we started to design MindModel, we considered making it a natural language processor. Given all the work that had been done in this area, we decided that we didn't have anything worthwhile to offer in that direction.

On the other hand, we saw an enormous need for an easy-to-use system that just plain worked. It wouldn't win any artifical intelligence awards, but it would give people what they want: a place to store their most important data.

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Q. I'm interested in mindmapping. Does MindModel create mindmaps?
A. No. MindModel is not mindmapping software. Mindmapping software allows you to create diagrams consisting of circles and lines. These diagrams describe a project or a thought process.

MindModel allows you to create databases. These databases can contain any kind of information, linked by common words.

We have found that many people who love mindmapping also love MindModel.

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Q. How is MindModel used in education?
A. When we first designed MindModel, the idea was to use the product to give students a bare-bones summary of course materials: names, dates, facts, etc. We believed that teachers would pass these summaries on to students, who would memorize them. When it came time for class, students would have already mastered the basics, and could use class time to work with the teacher on subtleties.

In fact, educators have taken a different approach with MindModel. They've told us that learning to summarize is one of the most important skills for a student. Listening to large amounts of disorganized but related information, and picking out the most important points, was the skill they most wanted students to master.

They didn't want students to become passive consumers of information. They wanted students to learn to create models of their own.

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Q. What kind of technical support services do you offer?
A. We offer email technical support to all users of MindModel. This same high level of service is available to users of our free demo version as well as the fully-functional paid version of our software.

If you're not sure whether MindModel can handle the job you've got in mind, contact us and we'll help you work it out. If MindModel is not right for you, we'll try to recommend software from another company that would work better for you.

In many cases we can also work with you to transfer your existing data into MindModel.

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Q. I've already entered all my contacts into Microsoft Outlook. Does MindModel synchronize with Outlook so I don't have to enter the information again?
A. Yes. MindModel synchronizes with all versions of Microsoft Outlook, except for Outlook Express.

For Outlook Express users, we provide instructions for exporting your information to text files, then importing it into MindModel. For all other versions of Outlook, MindModel provides automatic synchronization.

If you've entered contacts into Outlook, you do not need to re-enter them into MindModel.

There is a command in the File menu of MindModel called "Import Contacts from Outlook ".

Choose this command, and MindModel will automatically read people and their contact information into the current model.

Once you've used this command, you can add information to either place, then use this command to make sure all the contact information appears in both programs.

The first time you choose this command, MindModel copies all the people and organizations and their contact info from Outlook to MindModel.

From that point on, you can enter new contact information into MindModel or Outlook, whichever you prefer.

When you choose this command again, MindModel synchronizes its information with the information in Outlook, making sure that both contain the latest information.

After you've used this command, you'll immediately be able to take advantage of MindModel's other features.

For example, you'll be able to double-click on "Texas" and find everyone you know who lives in Texas. You can even see a list of the states where you know someone.

You can double-click on a company name, and see everyone who works at that company. You can also see a list of the companies where you know someone. (You get the idea.)

MindModel also allows you to record the relationships between people and companies. You can record who is friends with whom, who used to work where, etc.

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Q. I have a SQL database (Microsoft Access, SQL Server, Oracle) that I'd like to view in different ways, but I don't want to spend the time and money to hire a programmer. Can MindModel help?
A. Yes. Most SQL databases can be exported to a format that MindModel can handle. Once the information has been imported into MindModel, you can use MindModel's features to browse, search, and report on the information.

In most cases, we can help you convert your existing databases, or even convert them for you, free of charge. for more information.

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Q. I have a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet with columns of data I'd like to import into MindModel. Can MindModel handle this?
A. Yes.

There is a command in the File menu of MindModel called "Import Statements - From Excel by Column". This command imports statements from a spreadsheet currently open in Excel into MindModel.

In Excel, information is presented in columns and rows. The information is arranged one way. Importing your data into MindModel will allow you to look up any item and see all information related to that item. You will have a relational database containing your information.

(These instructions are written for people who are already using MindModel. If you're not already using the software, some of these terms may be unfamiliar to you. If you'd like to try MindModel, you can and experience it yourself.)

MindModel expects the spreadsheet to be in a specific format. MindModel can handle any spreadsheet that can be converted to this format.

In Excel, columns are represented by letters and rows are represented by numbers. Individual cells in an Excel spreadsheet are represented by a letter/number pair, indicating the column and row. So A1 refers to the cell in the top left-hand corner of the spreadsheet. A2 is the cell below A1, etc.

A sample spreadsheet might look like this:

You can put any value you want into cell A1. You can use this cell as a comment or you can leave it blank. This command does not read cell A1.

Cell A2 contains the subject noun type for the entire spreadsheet. Person, organization and business phone number are all examples of noun types.

A subject noun is a noun at the beginning of a statement. "John Doe" and "Acme Widgets" are both nouns. In the statement "John Doe works for Acme Widgets," John Doe is the subject noun, and person is the subject noun type. In that statement, "Acme Widgets" is the object noun, and organization is the object noun type.

For a list of noun types, choose Help with Noun Types from the Help menu in MindModel.

If you were going to put together a spreadsheet where all the subject nouns were people, you'd put the word "person" (without quotes) in cell A2.

For our example, let's assume we're going to create a spreadsheet containing people, phone numbers, and where the people work.

Cells A3 through A7 contain the subject noun names, in this case, the names of the people.

Column B will contain information about business phone numbers. To tell MindModel the meaning of the cells in the B column, put the verb ("has the business phone number" without the quotes) into B1. Put the object noun type ("business phone number" without the quotes) into B2.

B3 through B7 contain the business phone numbers for the people in A3 through A7.

Column C will contain information about who works where. To tell MindModel the meaning of the cells in the C column, put the verb ("works for" without the quotes) into C1. Put the object noun type ("organization" without the quotes) into C2.

C3 through C7 contain the organizations that the people in A3 through A7 work for.

This sample spreadsheet contains one column of names and two columns of objects. Your spreadsheets can contain as many columns of objects (D, E, F, etc.) as you like. Your spreadsheets can also contain as many rows as you like.

If you have an existing relational database, you may be able to program that database to produce tab and carriage-return delimited text files, which you can then import into Excel. From Excel, you can import these files into MindModel. If you don't have Excel, you can import information directly from the text files.

If you find any of this confusing, or if you'd like us to convert a spreadsheet for you, just and we'll be glad to help you.

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Q. I want to know whether I need to download the latest version of MindModel. What improvements have been made to the software recently?
A. The current version of MindModel is 2.162.

The following table contains details of the most recent improvements to the software. The table is in reverse chronological order for your convenience, so the most recent items are listed first.

If you have any questions about these items, or you'd like to suggest a new feature, please contact us.

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