The minimap does help in passively locating where things are in a file, as "this is before/after this". It also gives a signature of which file you're editing j

The minimap does help in passively locating where things are in a file, as "this is before/after this". It also gives a signature of which file you're editing just by glancing at the shape. Not only the position in a source file is relevant for many languages, but if you're jumping to references/definitions blindly from another source, you can tell which source file it is and where you are in a single shot without looking at the rest. That being said, I don't use the minimap. I did try to use it though to see what's the fuss around it. For me it takes too much horizontal space. I can have another vertical split pane instead of having minimaps showing. Heck, I'm not even using scrollbars. Having an indicator of which function your cursor is currently inside provides very similar benefits to me. Not as immediate as a minimap I have to say, but more useful if you take the time to read it. This is a tradeoff people will argue on forever.