DEVONagent Pro for Mac

User Reviews

• I would really like to like DevonAgent, but I don't

  mcgurmeJune 15, 2009

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  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br /> About me: This review is based on more than two years of attempting to use DevonAgent to automate my searches. I am a computer professional who has programmed in multiple languages, maintains multiple websites, and am very familiar with web technologies. Bottom line: I can almost always find what I'm looking for faster using Google or one of the other search engines. DevonAgent is so finicky that I spend much more time messing with it than I would spend just visually scanning through Google search results. I keep trying to make it work as I would like, but it never does. Furthermore, support is lacking. Just go checkout the Developer's website forums for "DevonAgent Troubleshooting." There are a huge number of unanswered questions and problems. I've seen this before from software developers - they love their technology, but they don't love their customers. I happen to think that the business should be about customers, not about the product. Maybe I'm old fashioned. Specific examples: 1. DevonAgent can't be successfully used to search eBay auctions. The company has known about this for years, but won't fix it. This is an obvious use for a tool like this. 2. I can do a Google search using a set of simple terms, and repeat that search using "internet fast scan" in DevonAgent. The Google search always returns a more complete and up to date set of results. The set returned in DevonAgent consists mostly of outdated pages, but more importantly, lacks many of the results found by Google. I don't know why this is, but I suspect the filtering in DevonAgent is at fault. 3. I can use a search expression such as "Fred NEAR Wilma" which means that the two terms must be found near one another in the returned page (usually within 10 words distance). Yet I get results where the terms are not near each other. 4. If I do a search at one level of depth, DevonAgent's disk usage blows up quickly to many gigabytes. There are many more little issues like this. Each one on its own could be overlooked. But I face at least one or two such problems almost every time I try to use DevonAgent, and it gets quite annoying, when Google is so much easier to use. I still want a tool that does what DevonAgent promises to do, but unfortunately, version 2 of DA does not deliver on these promises.

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• Excellent

  MarkSealeyDecember 21, 2006

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  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />I thought long and hard about <i>DEVONagent 2</i>. And I mean long - six months or more.<br><br> At first, I confess, I was put off by what seemed like a high price and by the claims of an application that <b>seemed</b> to duplicate what Google used properly does. (And by some negative reviews.)<br><br> OTOH I was - and remain - extremely impressed with the company's responsiveness to my doubts and questions.<br><br> But (my fascination for) <i>DEVONagent</i> wouldn't go away. I found myself using it as first choice when I really wanted to get to grips with a subject for which materials were available on the web but usually get buried in the welter of Google's returns. I started to do some comparisons between the two sets of results and consistently found <i>DEVONagent</i>'s more useful, better targeted and less 'noisy'.<br><br> Then I read the manual! I began to use some of the configurations not only for refining my searches (proximity, exclusion, grouping in particular), but also for saving, scheduling and fine-tuning specialized searches. The sheer power, flexibility and rich feature set of <i>DEVONagent</i> became more and more obvious. So too did the thought that has gone into the (interface and menu structure) design. I have a fast connection and get fast results.<br><br> The idea of custom plugins and search sets - e.g. for areas that particularly interest me (the arts, the Mac, the environment, history) is an exciting one. The notion that I remain in control of what gets filtered - e.g. the rejection of cartloads of index spam - is appealing. Expanding and adapting my searches, saving them and polishing what I get when (and having the results automatically emailed to me!) - these are winning features. And features alone which - go-ahead though it clearly is - Google is unlikely to provide on my desktop.<br><br> I don't suppose my 'conversion' experience is unusual. Like those of a really good friend, <i>DEVONagent</i>'s benefits may not be immediately obvious. But they are legion. Definitely recommended.

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• Wow...

  tersonodesignMarch 17, 2005

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  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />I never had a use for Sherlock (in fact, I think I've only ever lauched it 3 or 4 times) and I was dubious whether an application of this sort could really be much better than a regular search engine (especially as I know my way around search engines and am well aware of the techniques that get best results). How wrong I was! DEVONAgent not only provides a far more focussed set of search results than you will get from an average Google search, but also provides sufficient information to narrow down the field to the exact data you want without having to visit an endless list of sites. 9 times out of 10, you can go straight to the info you need. The integration with DEVONThink makes it even more useful. I only tried DEVONAgent because I was planning to purchase DEVONThink and saw they had a special deal going on the bundle. I'm glad I did =]

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• Impressive update

  VersionTrackerUserOpinionMarch 10, 2005

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  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />I use DEVONagent more and more as my main browser and search engine. The interface has really improved over previous versions, and also the speed of searching (using the new Fast Scan) is much better. As you play around with the search settings, the program's usefulness at honing in on pertinent information (and filtering out the junk) is quite apparent.

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• Nice product

  hatter10_6February 5, 2004

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  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />Good job! Truely innovative product. However, I would like to see DEVONagent integrated with DEVONThink, although both are great products. Also, speedier interface would also be good.

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• Powerful tool

  AVFolkFebruary 4, 2004

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  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />Imagine Sherlock on steroids. DEVONagent is probably the best intelligent data miner, consolidator, extractor EVER. It is fast, powerful, flexible, intuitive, and resourceful. The folks at DEVON Technologies are constantly tweaking this baby for speed, power, and perfection. They are helpful, and respond to questions and suggestions. In the hands of a driven info-junkie -- DEVONagent can help you compile awesome amounts of _useful_ information quickly and expertly and then filter the data to glean the richest material. For all its power and potential -- DEVONagent is a bargain, and the other Devon tools are of similar merit.

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• Better than Copernic's Wintel application

  debug1--2008December 24, 2003

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  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />This software is down-to-earth and simple to use. I appreciate not being overwhelmed with all the features found in Copernicâ??s Internet search software for Wintel. Too bad for them if they could not pickup on the potential Mac market for this sort of application. Besides, DevoNagent does a better job at sorting through the WWW for my searches. Oh, and cheaper as well.

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• fantastic

  kunstmalerOctober 29, 2003

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  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />google has been sent into retirement...

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• Excellent Software Devlopment

  Colonel PanikOctober 19, 2003

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  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />This is truly quality software from a very innovative company. DEVONagent is a great tool for those who need and use referenced information on a daily basis. It's an excellent companion to DEVONthink. I highly recommend trying it out even if you already have access to paid databases such as LexisNexis. With DEVONagent and additional database access, you will have full capability for doing very extensive research.

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• They Get It

  Tim ThomasOctober 13, 2003

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  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />For those who use the internet enough to feel they are overwhelmed by answers to questions you haven't asked, this program is for you. If you are tired of spending a day using web search engines to find that one morsel of data that can mean the difference between success and failure---man, wait till you use this program. Why someone has not delivered like this before is unknowable; but once you see this program in action, you will understand exactly what I mean. For searching vast amounts of information (.....the internet.....) this is a far superior means of navigation to any browser you have tried. This company understands the problem and has a wonderful solution. When you do locate that one priceless piece of information, this program is just getting started. Then there is this cool little button in the lower right corner that simply states "see also". Clicking on this gem will then launch an exhaustive and deep dive into that very treasure, finding ever more tasty tidbits to satisfy the most curious among us. If you need to spend more time with your family, significant other, hobby or just cleaning the house, DON'T GET THIS PROGRAM. Those other things will not gently fall to the bottom of your to-do list.

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