The app is sold directly by the developer and not in the Mac App Store.

The file format (.itmz) is the same used on iThoughtsHD for the iPad so you can move the file back and forth between the two platforms. (Sarah, my 11 year old, provided the Ukulele music.)

You have to see this part to believe it so I made a short video. You can drag Markdown text into a blank canvas and it automatically creates a mind map based on linked images and heading levels. The Markdown support is particularly clever. Like its iPad predecessor, iThoughtsX also can export to several formats including PDF, Image, Docx, Powerpoint, OPML, Markdown, and CSV. I described this workflow at length in MPU 82, Cooking Ideas. Using these tools I’m able to quickly start assembling ideas for later use in writing or dictation. This is so second nature to me that I spit out mind maps as fast as the ideas hit me. Need a sibling branch? Tap return three times. Need a child branch? Tap the space bar three times. The Mac version also inherits the iPad version’s quick entry method. (I’ve got to admit I’ve never used iThoughts’ clipart feature.) There is a rich assortment of line and box types along with icons and images. The color pallet includes Ethan Schoonover’s great Solarized color scheme. Many of the features I like about iThoughtsHD also appear in iThoughtsX.

You really should have this app in your tool belt and at the temporary price of $2, you should probably go buy it now. iThoughts is 80% off for a short time making it easier for upgrades and first-timers alike. This is a new version requiring a new purchase. iThoughts is firmly entrenched as the power-user mind mapping application on iOS. Like its predecessor, iThoughts gives you a lot of control over the look of your mind map with color palettes, tools, objects, and typography. With the re-write, the app feels smoother than ever and really gets out of your way as you create and move entries around the screen. There are quite a few new features in this version including rich text support, faster Dropbox sync, Bluetooth keyboard support, and it imports Markdown files. The new version is universal (working on both iPad and iPhone) and looks great in its iOS 7-ified brilliance. For nine months, Craig Scott, has been hard at work with a ground-up redesign of iThoughts for iOS.

Ithoughts for mac