This is the third and final part of my MindNode update. Today I’ll focus on the iPad and my current (subject to change) plans for it.

The big picture

• There will be two versions of MindNode for the iPad.
• The first version will be a universal binary of MindNode (touch) with minor adjustments to take advantage of the bigger screen.
• The second version will be a completely redesigned version of MindNode for the iPad which will take full advantage of the new platform.

MindNode (touch) 1.2.1 Universal Binary
Starting with MindNode (touch) 1.2.1, the application will be a universal binary. This means that you will be able to run it on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. On the iPad it will take advantage of the bigger screen and will come with a slightly optimized interface. It will be more or less the same application on all three platforms and its focus will stay on bringing you the best possible experience on iPhone and iPod touch devices.

This version is mostly done and I will submit it as soon as I had a chance to test it on a real device. Sadly Austria is currently one of the countries without an official release data, but I hope to be able to import one from the US.

MindNode for the iPad
When you watch Steve Jobs iPad announcement and follow Phil Schiller’s iWork for the iPad presentation, it becomes pretty apparent that the iPad is more than a bigger iPod touch. The bigger screen allows to design applications that feel similar to application currently only available on the desktop.

However this means that simply scaling up an iPhone application is not the best solution to create a real iPad application. It means that if you really want to take advantage of the iPad you need to specifically design the application and the user experience with the iPad in mind. Add to this that the developer API (a set of functionality developed by Apple to let developers interact with the system and solve common tasks) on the iPad is much more feature rich and allows to do things that are currently not possible on the iPhone/iPod touch.

Designing a real iPad application also means that you need your application to behave and feel similar to Apple applications – for example MindNode’s interaction design on the desktop is heavily inspired by Keynote. Doing this is not possible without holding the iPad in your hands. Touching it, interacting with controls, moving things around and so on. To give you a real life example: would you recommend a recipe you just wrote on a piece of paper to a friend without first cooking/trying it?

Anyway, what does this mean for MindNode for the iPad? I will start designing it as soon as I hold an iPad in my hands. It will be similar, but not identical to MindNode Pro on the desktop and it will be released when it’s done.

I released MindNode 1.0 (the free version) exactly two years ago and at that time I never expected MindNode to become my sole income only two years later. The past two years were amazing and I’d like to thank all of you for making it happen. Thank you!

Three small tidbits I’d like to share with you:

• Volker sent me, all the way from Germany, a chocolate cake modeled after the MindNode (touch) icon.
  
• Merlin Mann picked MindNode (touch) and MindNode Pro on last weeks episode of MacBreak Weekly.
• After more than two years working from home and working at a local Starbucks, I rented a space in a coworking space here in Vienna. This is how it looked like after my trip to IKEA.