Thinkmap^® Introduces Visual Thesaurus, Version 3

Audio Pronunciations, a More Complete Dictionary, Spell Checking, and more

Thinkmap announced today the release of Visual Thesaurus Version 3, a new version of its award winning Visual Thesaurus product. The Visual Thesaurus, which has received a devoted following since its first release in 1998, provides users with a stunning visual representation of the relationships inherent in the English language. Users start by searching for a word, and then explore through clicking on related words and meanings. A free trial is available at http://www.visualthesaurus.com.

Described in the Washington Post as "a rare, rewarding example of a paper-bound process that has been radically rethought from the bits up," the Visual Thesaurus encourages learning through exploration of language.

The new version, available through subscription ($19.95/yr or $2.95/mo) and download/CD-ROM ($29.95), includes a host of new features to make the Visual Thesaurus a better product for learning about words and exploring the English language.

These features include:

A Better Dictionary

• Audio pronunciations. Visual Thesaurus 3 offers audio pronunciations in either a British or an American English accent. (You must have an Internet connection for this feature to work.)
• Other languages. For online subscribers only, try searching using the new beta versions of French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, or German.
• American or British spellings. You choose whether to see American spelling, British spellings or both. (E.g. color or colour)
• More words and meanings. Visual Thesaurus 3 now has over 145,000 words and 115,000 meanings.
• More proper nouns. Visual Thesaurus 3 now includes more than 39,000 proper nouns, so you can now use the Visual Thesaurus to more fully explore geography, world leaders, and even trademarks.
• More types of relationships. The Visual Thesaurus adds three new relationship types for even finer control of your navigation.

A Better Interface

• Spell checking. When you type in a word, you are provided with a list of suggested spellings.
• Expand your search to the Internet. Search the Internet for words or related images.
• Back and forward buttons. Clearly labeled back and forward buttons make it easy to retrace your steps.
• Better filtering of content. With four levels of content filtering and the ability to lock content filters, you determine what's appropriate for you, your family, or your students.
• More control of the display. Use presets to quickly choose from among three display modes (including new Free Association Mode). Also fine-tune your display using sliders.
• Two print formats. (Desktop Version only) Print single page view of your word display, or print multiple pages with color-coded definitions.
• Keyboard shortcuts. We now provide keyboard shortcuts for almost everything including Pronounce Word, Expand Selection, Search Internet, and Search Internet Images.

"We're pleased to bring this new version to our customers," said CEO Michael Freedman, "and feel that we have taken a great product and made it better. The Visual Thesaurus is an excellent example of the capability of visualization to improve navigation and understanding."

New York-based Thinkmap, Inc. develops and markets software that uses visualization to facilitate communication, learning, and discovery. We specialize in user interfaces and visualization mechanisms that allow end-users to more effectively browse and understand complex information. Thinkmap's products include the Thinkmap SDK, which allows other companies to take advantage of Thinkmap's proprietary visualization technology, and the Visual Thesaurus. More information about Thinkmap is available at http://www.thinkmap.com.

For more information, contact:

Michael Freedman
mfreedmanthinkmap.com
212-381-0556