Apple has destroyed my workflow, old hardware

DEVONthink
1

I have been using DEVONthink for more than 12 years, since the end of 2010.
I am, or rather was, extremely satisfied.
(iMac 27" Mid 2010; Fujitsy ScanSnap 1500M; DEVONthink Pro Office 2.11.1)

But Apple’s operating system has not been updated for years.

I could no longer open various websites and later email because certificates had expired.
So I could no longer make bank transfers. This made the system unusable bit by bit.
I think DEVONthink was also no longer updated.

Now I wanted to tackle it and update the Apple hardware to get my office running again.
I have now bought a Mac Mini.

Problems

  • Apple Mac Mini 2023 M2 8GB; Mac OS 13.0 (Ventura)

    • Cost $650

  • I cannot install DEVONthink Pro Office 2.x.

    • My old 2.9.14 dmg does not install, I cannot download a new one.
    • Do I need new DEVONthink Pro 3.0?
    • Cost $99 (update)

  • I can’t install ScanSnap.

    • There is no more driver download for ScanSnap S1500M.
    • Do I need a new Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1600?
    • Cost $360

This frustrates me: my old hardware is maintained and works well.
Because Apple no longer updates the system, I have a very high cost.

Is it possible to install DEVONthink with ScanSnap on another operating system?

I think Apple has destroyed my workflow.

2

Devonthink Pro Office 2.9.17

Might not be compatible with Ventura; the OCR may not work.

Scansnap home (not scansnap manager) works on the newer operating systems.

They are still working on Apple Silicon support, but it at least works. The image processing for my Sv600 is agonizingly slow, however. (Sometimes reducing my screen resolution helps)

1 Like
4

I don’t think Apple invented, or is responsible for, bit rot as it happens across the board (as you’ve discovered). Regarding the ScanSnap, the very latest drivers don’t support your scanner (I have that model too) but if you go back a release you’ll find that it supported. Once you have those older drivers installed and working, turn off auto-update so you’re not nagged about updating to a version that’s incompatible. You many not be able to coax another 13 years out of it, though.

3 Likes
5

You must update your old DT version to be able to get it running on MacOS Venture. Check the update/upgrade options on their home page.

1 Like
6

Because Apple no longer updates the system, I have a very high cost.

So tired of people expecting manufacturers/developers to support very old hardware/old operating systems because they bought stuff once over a decade ago with a version of Devonthink that’s 6 years old. I’ve got an old Mac Plus sitting around and Apple sucks because Ventura doesn’t run on it…

You can either install the previous version of the ScanSnap driver or you can use VueScan which supports your scanner on Ventura for $49. Purchase VueScan for macOS, Windows, and Linux

4 Likes
7

The OP is looking for help, not judgement.

1 Like
8

Weren’t they? I gave the OP help but of course you cherry picked the part you didn’t like. :rofl:

The OP was clearly looking for more than just help. One does not wax rhapsodic about being cheated/ruined by Apple if they are just looking for help.

5 Likes
9

The world has moved on…
Roland Deschain: The Gunslinger

While your old hardware may function, you can’t expect it to be supported by developers, including Apple, in perpetuity.

You will need the Pro edition of DEVONthink 3 if you want to use OCR in it. Also, it is the successor to Pro Office.

I use ScanSnap Home with an iX100 on Ventura 13.4. While it may be running on Rosetta 2, it functions perfectly fine. Regarding your hardware, the previous suggestion of Vuescan is a good one.

10

The quick responses from jerwin and GordonMeyer encouraged me to research at length.

The solution is simple, I can run the ScanSnap S1500M under macOS Ventura 13.4.
The driver from pfu_ricoh_com is MacManagerV72L60WW.dmg. I am not allowed to post links here.

I will use it with DEVONthink 3 and will explain the installation once the moderators approve my post (and allow links?).

For completeness, here are the results with OCR problems on old DEVONthink versions:

DEVONthink Pro Office 2.9.17 can be installed and is running but OCR error is (translated from German):

Text recognition could not be started
Please contact support@devon-technologies.com with this message and everything you can find about this issue in the console (in Programs > Utilities).

DEVONthink Pro Office 2.11.3 can be installed and is running but OCR error is (translated from German): PDF file → Convert → to searchable PDF.

The operation could not be completed. Invalid CPU type in the startable program
1 Like