It has just come to my attention that Microsoft is offering a Beta version of Visio 2010 for free download.

Please be aware that the reason Microsoft is offering this for free is to use you as a guinea pig (in the nicest way possible, of course). The software is not quite finished and Microsoft is giving you a temporary license so that they can gather data about any bugs or other issues in advance of the actual launch. This also means that Microsoft will rescind the license when they issue the final, non-Beta version… so, like Cinderella’s coach that turned back into a pumpkin at midnight, this deal will not last forever.

Um, what’s Visio?

Visio is a Microsoft desktop application geared for building informational, structured graphics, like diagrams, flowcharts, hierarchy structures, and so on. Since those terms may not mean a whole lot to you, let’s look at some examples of things you might create in Visio:

Example 1 – An Organizational Chart

Example 2 – A Website Map

Example 3 – A Workflow or Decision Tree

Example 4 – A Layout and Map of a Physical Space

As you can see from these examples, Visio is used to create structured graphics where entities, or objects, in the graphic have some sort of relationship to the other entities. Visio makes it quite easy to create simple objects, add descriptive text, and then add connectors to show the relationships among the objects. Visio comes packaged with a lot of great-looking graphics and a ton of connector types. The only problem?  It costs money!   What if you just have to put together an organizational chart once for a volunteer gig? Or you only think you’ll need it to quickly diagram a workflow?  Visio is expensive enough that if you’re only going to use it a few times, it may not be cost-effective to purchase it.

So, what’s a free alternative to Visio?

There are several shareware or freeware applications out there that offer Visio-like capabilities, but many are geared for an engineering audience and can be difficult to use. One option for Windows that’s easy to install, use, and is appropriate for all types of informal diagrams is Dia (http://live.gnome.org/Dia). You won’t find all the slick graphics and advanced capabilities of Visio, but it is relatively straightforward to learn and the price is right. The only downside is that its only for Windows and Linux users (actually, Visio is not available on any platform other than Windows anyway).  For Mac users (or PC/Linux users who don’t like Dia for whatever reason), try Gliffy.com (an online app, free for up to 5 diagrams) or OpenOffice Draw (http://www.openoffice.org/product/draw.html).