Inspiration 8.0 Single Box Hybrid CD IS80-US-01 IS80-US-01

by Inspiration

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• ASIN: B000EG7742
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 1, 2006
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,498 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #15 in Software > Education & Reference > Science

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly Inspirational, May 18, 2006

By 

H. Grove "Errant Dreams Reviews" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inspiration 8.0 Single Box Hybrid CD IS80-US-01 IS80-US-01 (CD-ROM)

The problem I've always found with software that tries to mimic or enable such organic processes as brainstorming is that they generally lose something in translation. Part of what makes these processes work is their speed and their element of "flow"--the fact that you can just keep going without any significant pauses or stopping to analytically think about things. Most software slows this process down just enough--or introduces enough mental stumbling blocks--that something gets lost. Surprisingly, I found just the opposite to be true with Inspiration 8. Not only does it not lose anything, but if anything I found it easier to brainstorm and do concept mapping with this software than on paper.

Inspiration is primarily pitched at an educational level, where it can be used by teachers to teach classes, or by students to organize projects. However, I believe it has a far wider application than that. I now use it to brainstorm and organize my reviews and articles--all of them. It could be used to brainstorm or storyboard a roleplaying game adventure. A writer could use it for any step of the inspiration or organization process, for novels, nonfiction, etc. I even used it to create my plan of attack when turning my review of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cleaning" into a plan to clean my home.

While you can use this program to simply plan out your own projects, you can also incorporate video and sound if you want to use it to create more interactive or presentational works. Many curriculum templates are included to give you an idea of how you could use this tool in an educational setting. For instance, there's a diagram to help students do a benefit/risk analysis of the use of radioactive isotopes. The ability to export to Word makes this easy to integrate with other activities, and it can even include live hyperlinks. If you want to include a limited library of icons and such with your template to help students focus on certain things, you can create your own libraries.

The ability to convert from diagram to outline and vice versa is impressive and incredibly helpful. I can't express how useful this has been to me as a writer. The fact that the auto-arrange feature has an array of tree/web arrangements is fantastic.

The wide range of icons and symbols available for use is truly astounding. While you can stick to simple symbols if you like (default is an oval, and there are the usual flowchart symbols such as triangles and squares, as well as stars and talk-bubbles), you can also choose from a dazzling array of clip-art and photo images. You can search this database of icons by keyword, and I found that it was surprisingly good at turning up images that fitted what I wanted. This can jazz up your diagrams, making them more fun to create or use.

All in all, Inspiration 8 has to be, hands-down, the most impressive piece of software I have ever used. The flexibility, wide array of features, lack of noticeable bugs, intuitive interface, and vast possibilities it contains make me feel like a kid in a candy shop when I open it up.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for children with learning disabilities, November 5, 2007

By 

Vermont Mom "Mother of 4" (Vermont, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inspiration 8.0 Single Box Hybrid CD IS80-US-01 IS80-US-01 (CD-ROM)

My 15 year old daughter has been using this software for 3 years now. She has a very difficult time with writing assignments, and this software has really made a difference. She uses this software for all of her written assignments. The fact that Inspirations takes you from idea/concept mapping, to an outline, then on to your final draft is amazing. This software really works for children with learning disabilities!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for All Kinds of Things, September 9, 2007

By 

N. Hartman (APO, AE United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inspiration 8.0 Single Box Hybrid CD IS80-US-01 IS80-US-01 (CD-ROM)

I have used Inspiration software for years as a teacher, Educational Technologist, mother, and now as an educational consultant. While I always enjoy new bells and whistles on any new software, I am so glad that the fundamental elements of this software have been enhanced to make it more user-friendly. Even if you are not technologically inclined, this software can be used as soon as you open it up. My kids (4 and 2 years old) love making relational charts. We made an animals one after we came home from the zoo. It is great for teaching relationships as well as organizational thinking.