Pros
It's a programme I thought I might need - but I never realised how extensively I could use it. I'm still barely scratching the surface - and yet, I already feel I have gotten my money's worth - and I'm maybe using it for 35-40% of what it is capable of... Not many times I've been able to say that about software...
Cons
It's complex. [Yeah - I'll say it again]. But only because you need to get your head around what it can do. It only comes in to its own, when you start manipulating the information that you put into it. Do one import, and nothing else - and you will find yourself staring at it, wondering what the heck makes it so special. In fact - you might feel cheated if you've bought it. Relax. Get to grips with the manual, watch the Youtube tutorials, and spend time on the excellent support forum - and all will start becoming clear.
It's the learning-curve that is its only Con. And it's necessary. Push through it.
Summary
I am an academic researcher. Before DTP, I had literally thousands of PDF's, scattered across many sub-levels of Finder/Windows Explorer folders. All very neatly stored - and always accessible. I was very comfortable using the Search option, and always find what I needed to - primarily because I was so careful with how I named my PDF's - I was consistent, which meant I could always locate everything I needed to...
So why DTP? Because as much as I could access everything, I was battling to "see the big picture"... With files being separated into sub-level folders, I was spending too much time clicking around in Finder/Explorer, trying to open up Articles, to be able to make sense of how they all fit together. What was worse, many articles did not "fit" into only 1 sub-folder - but really belonged in several... I took a step up and bought YEP, to help with tagging, so as to visualise everything better - and it certainly helped - but then I came across DTP, and realised it offered everything together, in one package...
You have the choice of simply "replicating" your folder structure within DTP, once you've imported everything. But with DTP's deep-level search functionality, and the added benefits of fully-customizable tagging and labelling, you don't really need to. Add to this DTP's intelligent Auto-Classify & "See-Also" relational algorithms - and you quickly start realising that once you get all your "data" into DTP - it becomes the only thing you need to use in order to engage/manipulate/sort/classify/ annotate/ highlight/create/do-anything...
There are no doubt other software packages out there that might do the same - so by all means, have a look around - but discount DTP at your peril. I am in no manner affiliated with the company, I just couldn't believe such a "low" rating, to what is truly a mind-blowingly-powerful piece of software. If you work with lots and lots of files/research - and sometimes find yourself thinking you are missing crucial things, simply due to being "out-of-sight, out-of-mind", then do yourself a favour, and have a look a DTP. Best Mac software bundle sale I ever purchased! [Knowing what I know now - it's full price is still absolutely worth it!].
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Pros
Can't think of any. Would be nice, if I hadn't spent the last five hours trying to figure out how to even start using this software.
Cons
Complex. No real user help files. Did I mention complex? I spent HOURS trying to figure out how to make groups in my databases, or to attach tags to photos (still can't, apparently they are made automatically and stored in a 'tags' folder that is always in your way), there is no flow or intuitive way to use this software, it is NOT user friendly! Didn't get past setting up databases after five hours of work, I GIVE UP. One of the most unintuitive software I've ever used. Good thing I got this software bundled with other software I CAN use, or I'd be seriously upset if I spent this kind of money.
If your looking for a simple way to organize your workflow, I strongly suggest you look somewhere else, or you'll be spending most of your productivity-time just learning the software.
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Reply by RainyHawk on March 21, 2013
When i first approached this program with a trial copy, i thought WTF? Where do i start? So i can relate to this reviewer's frustration. But then i spent an hour or two looking at the tutorials and it all started to make sense.
I set up a test database, imported a folder, and indexed another. Then i tried a test search and was quite amazed at the results. I quickly located information on my HD i simply wouldn't have been able to locate easily with Spotlight.
So while i agree that this software is not intuitively simple out of the box -- it does require some learning to use -- once you grasp the basics, it is very user friendly and easy to use.
After i saw how wonderfully it worked on my small test database, i quickly bought the software (at a time when money is tight, and i'm loath to spend a dime). The software was worth it for me. I do a lot of research, have many documents stored in a well structured hierarchy of folders, but it's been getting harder to find info i've saved.
Pros
I have a few different applications which allow me to gather notes, clippings, images, documents, etc. together, but this application is, by far, the most powerful.
Cons
It is very complex. I've been using it for quite a while and still feel I've only just scratched the surface.
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Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
If you want to use it with small amounts of data it works OK. However, large databases constantly freeze up. Create a database and import a ton of PDF's. This will take hours. THEN, it will freeze. You have to kill it at that point. This has happened to me many times.
This is a very expensive program. It should work at that price. It doesn't.
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Pros
i can move anything into it, organize immediately, or not. for research -- on a book for instance, it's invaluable. this version is so much easier to use than previous iterations that it was worth the wait.
Cons
takes a long time to get used to it. but like learning a language, once you have it, it's second nature -- and it sure makes life easier.
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Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
For some reason DEVONthink Pro version 2 has trouble synchronizing files. The "guru" that was out here insists it has no problem, but he doesn't explain the weird response I get from the program when I use it. Once again, here is the problem:
We have a large number of PDF files out on a server. All I want this application to do is go out there and index all the PDF files and allow me to search on them. I can import the entire site without a problem. However, what is one to do when someone adds a new PDF file to the site? When I tell DEVONthink Pro 2 to synchronize, it does absolutely nothing. I don't even see the point of having the synchronize menu item in the program. It does nothing. However, that is not the main issue that I'm having. The problem is that after someone adds a new PDF file to the site there is no way for me to add back new material to my database. The only way I have been able to figure out how to do it is to reimport the entire site. There is no synchronized, or update feature. Obviously I can't go out and just import the particular documents that have been added since my last import because I don't have any way of knowing what documents have been added. If this is meant to be an improvement over version 1, it leaves a lot to be desired. In my view, the program simply does not work. And I suspect that this is one of the reasons this program has been in the beta stage since before time.
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Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
The program doesn't work correctly. As I outlined before, and the developer ignored, it does not sync. So, I waited until the next "upgrade." Still no file synchronization. I decide to hell with it and went back to 1.5.4. However, for some reason it now thinks the program is "unregistered." So, I had to dig out the serial number again. (Another company more interested in those who did not buy the program than those who did.)
I entered the serial number information exactly as it was emailed to me. No luck. Apparently, version 2 kills any chance re-register version 1. I contacted the company with the problem. Their response: They will get back to me "at our earliest convenience." Gee, thanks.
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Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
Smart groups haven't been fully implemented yet when every other info manager has them? This beta is buggy (as one might expect): I imported my DTP database, and after using it for a while, DTP 2 pretended that it needed to be updated again!
More importantly, unless you're sold on the "AI" design of this, DTP 2 is really too late. What people want is for their notes to be available everywhere, on their desktop, the web, and their iPhone. Evernote offers that now.
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Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
I have used DT since I got my first Mac in 2006. While it has been critical to my work, it did suffer from some problems such as slow loads, instability, etc but it was so useful I stayed with it anyway.
But....after using the 2.0 beta for a short while, it is clear that the product has moved light years ahead.....stable, fast, and with MUCH more compact databases not to mention a slew of new features. I am confident enough to dump all my other data repositories and plan on just using DT for all my data in both the work and personal realms.
This product is simply ahead of everything else in its class!
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Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
This program may be considered the state-of-the-art, but I'm not convinced that is saying all that much. It still has some problems.
for instance:
â?¢ A system which is supposed to help you manage data, under OSX, that doesn't offer spotlight support is just a disconnected database.
and worse:
â?¢ The program is buggy.
The second one must be qualified I suppose. It is
all too easy to get the program into a mode where clicking things in the list on the left, does
not display or update the document area, or selecting links only highlights the item in "unselected gray" in the list rather than actually displaying it. From that point, about the only thing you can do is close and relaunch the application.
Additionally, from a usability standpoint it suffers serious flaws. As an example â?? the various modes of the program are nice, but it has a tendency to "hide" things which you think should be displayed in the lists, and reveal others which you wouldn't think would be there depending on what mode you are viewing in. I think it needs some list handling conventions which it sticks to no matter what display mode the program is in.
In general, it the program acts as if it takes one mess of data, and makes a different mess out of it with its own set of rules.
On the plus side â?? it has powerful and fast search. That's about it though.
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