ThoughtStack for Windows

Used ThoughtStack for Windows? Share your experience and help other users.

Key Details of ThoughtStack

Organize your thoughts, organize your mind.
Last updated on May 19, 2013
There have been 4 updates

Editors’ Review

Download.com staffMay 19, 2013

You probably learned in elementary school that outlining is a good way to organize your thoughts. ThoughtStack is a basic tool that lets you create flexible outlines, or tree hierarchies, with your ideas. It's not the most intuitive program we've ever used, but with a little practice, we can see how it could be a very effective way to brainstorm and keep track of what you come up with.

The program's interface is plain, with a text box at the top and a larger pane below where the tree is displayed. To add a node to the tree, you simply type your thoughts into the text box and then press Enter or click the Add to Tree button. You can continue to add items to the tree or to the nodes you've created. The program is highly dependent on hot keys for navigation, which can be a little confusing at first, but once you get the hang of them, the hot keys allow you to quickly move through your tree and reorder the items within it. The built-in Help file lists all of the hot keys that the program employs, but we do wish that it did a better job of explaining some other aspects of the program. Most importantly, we'd love to know what the large slider on the interface is for; we thought that maybe it lets you zoom in and out of large trees, but that didn't seem to be the case, and there was no other explanation. Overall, ThoughtStack is not a program for those who like a lot of features, but it is an interesting choice for people seeking novel ways to organize their thoughts.

ThoughtStack requires no installation, and at 737KB, it's lightweight enough to be kept on your USB drive.

What’s new in version 1.069

Version 1.069 represents a couple years worth of tweaks.

Added: Priorities are changeable in tree
Added: Multi-line edit
Added: Visible loading phase of startup
Added: "Copy to Clipboard" button in export window
Added: View menu option, "Toggle Buttons"
Added: View menu option, "Toggle HTML"
Added: Search ability in trees!
Added: File navigator
Added: Expand/Collapse all nodes with ctrl +/-
Added: Auto-check for updates
Changed: Requires java 7
Fixed: safer saving procedure
Fixed: Some unwated folds
Fixed: bugs.
Removed: Help -> Donate. Screw paypal.
Updated: UI button layout
Updated: new server address

ThoughtStack for Windows

Used ThoughtStack for Windows? Share your experience and help other users.

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Full Specifications

GENERAL

Release: May 19, 2013

Latest update: May 19, 2013

Version: 1.069

OPERATING SYSTEMS

Platform: Windows

Operating System

Windows 2003
Windows 2000
Windows 98
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Windows XP
Windows NT
Windows 10
Windows ME
Windows 8
Windows Server

Additional Requirements: Java 1.7

POPULARITY

Total Downloads: 14,983

Downloads Last Week: 1

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Last Updated

User Reviews

4.8/5

4 User Votes

Good but not recent.
Spamfilter239March 18, 2015
Pros
Handy notepad program with intuitive tree interface.
Cons
Not the most recent version. Developer seems to have left download.com when they started padding their downloads with bloatware installers.
Summary
The most recent version can be found at sourceforge.net/p/thoughtstack
Very good, but very basic
arafurianJanuary 16, 2011
Pros
Uncluttered in every way: easy to use, and no bells or whistles to complicate things. It takes almost no time at all to be able to use this like a professional.
Cons
If simplicity and ease of mastery is what you want, then there are no cons at all. But what you see is all you get; if you want to be able to include pictures, hyperlinks, or specially formatted data, then this is the wrong product for you.
Summary
As a simple device of ordering one's thoughts, then this is just about perfection. To use it, you create a series of folders, one for every major issue in your project. For example, if you are planning a short essay, you might put in a 'node' (sort of like a folder) for each section or paragraph, and then a text box to contain your ideas or the actual essay text. So why not use Notepad or some ordinary text program? The big advantage with ThoughtStack is that it allows you to expand and collapse different sections, so that you can work on easily switch from the Big Picture view (seeing the outline of your entire essay) to focussing on just one small area - a single idea, paragraph or sentence. ThoughtStack is one of the simplest outline tools around. Others, including the Treepad range, offer far more options - but then, the more complicated they get, the more effort and learning it takes to use them well. In the end, you makes your choice, and gets what you ask for!
Intuitive to use, easy navigation, excellent tool
sur707September 7, 2010
Pros
The cute thought logos, the indented tree structure, the hotkeys
Cons
the background color, a few minor elements of the design
Summary
I used to use notepad for brainstorming. This time while trying to clarify my ideas for a senior thesis, I used the thoughtpad and before I knew it, I had transformed an abstract, amorphous and complex idea into a coherent, hierarchically organized summary of a potential thesis topic. The hotkeys allow quick navigation which is really the key when you want your thought process to not be bogged down by slow navigation or distracted by confusing menus. The interface is clean and tidy and the design is simple. Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone who has lots of thoughts!
Very handy organization tool.
DrakenNuwarAugust 29, 2010
Pros
Keyboard friendly, remembers open tabs, tidy interface
Cons
A frew small bugs, could use some more features
Summary
From the author: An executable jar version of ThoughtStack is available on the ThoughtStack homepage. Also, remember to find us on facebook to provide feedback and stay up to date.

Developer’s Description

By Andrew Runka

Organize your thoughts, organize your mind.

Great for note taking, planning, brainstorming, and general thought organization needs, ThoughtStack is a free-form tool inspired by the need for an improved notepad for quickly and easily organizing thoughts. Thoughts are entered into a foldable tree structure for improved consistency and readability over plain text. The tabbed structure allows the user to have many streams on the go at once, and the intuitive hotkey system allows the entire program to be controlled by the keyboard alone.