This forum is pretty well mannered, and I think it’s vital that there is a high degree of respect shown to DEVON Technologies, who have provided all of us with an awesome application and something in common. However, can I raise a question which many seem too polite to pursue - can we have an indication of which quarter of 2008 we’re likely to see DTP 2.0? Or are we now, sadly, looking at 2009?
I think all users of this forum don’t have to prove their loyality, but certain recent replies from DEVON Technologies have shown a degree of complacency. I’ve been surprised by the tone. Frankly, it worries me a lot that we registered users might be taken just a little for granted. That sounds much much harsher than I wish it to, but I think my frustration shows through.
There is now an anachronistic look to this application. I think this is implicitly and explicitly documented by the forum, if you care to dig. It annoys me when I download trial versions of stuff like Eagle Filer and Yep and other apps about which forum contributors are misty-eyed, and see things I too dearly wish were in DTPO.
Therefore, I think that registered users should - whilst underlining our admiration for what is a central part of our Mac lives - nevertheless start to ask for a fairly rapid modernisation. I think we deserve to know when it’s going to happen. We were once given the explanation that it was waiting on Leopard. Almost four months into Leopard, I think we have a right to ask for an application that reflects the visual impact of the new operating system.
What about this secret new app that was announced a while ago, any news on that? I use DTP every day, but there are certain UI bugs that just annoy the hell out of me and I hope they get fixed.
For example, search for something in the main window search, a few articles pop up. You select one and it only shows you the first result in the doc, no option to skip from result to result in the same doc. So I open the search in doc window and enter a word, hit enter to search and the window disappears (this annoying or am I being daft?) while the next result shows up.
Now I open the window again, cycle through the doc and notice “Nope, not it”, ok so on to the next doc. Highlight it in the main results windwo, try to run a search in doc on this one and it won’t work until I click in the document window!
I have posted before about Spotlight finding stuff in DTP documents, DTP showing them too, but when running a search in the doc it gives me nothing although the term is clearly to be seen. Billy answered, but it seems I don’t get it…
All occurrences are immediately highlighted and DEVONthink scrolls to the first occurrence initialy. And as long as it’s a text or PDF document, just use Go > Next/Previous Highlighting commands (or their shortcuts) to go to the other occurrences.
Agreed! Am wondering if I should buy DTP 1.x now or try to wait? Don’t want to feel like a dope three months from now. How large is the promised “free upgrade to 2.0 for recent purchasers of 1.x” window, i.e. how recent is recent?
What’s that about. It’s not as if the application costs $ thousands. People think nothing of blowing $ tens of thousands on a car, yet agonize about paying out for something as inexpensive as DevonThink. I just don’t get it. If it’s as useful to you as it is to me, just buy it. It’s cheap at the price. If an upgrade is required in a few weeks or a few months, just buy it. It’s too small a sum to agonize over.
Some people blow tens of thousands, not all. As far as database software goes, it doesn’t sit on the cheaper side of things. Well worth it, no doubt about that.
I agree danzac. Even though you say it doesn’t sit on the cheaper side of things it certainly doesn’t sit on the more expensive side of things either. How much for Photoshop, Illustrator, Filemaker … any of the big apps? $ hundreds, and in some cases $ thousands. DT is extremely inexpensive in comparison.
Fair enough – and I fear I’ve derailed this thread with my question. But … I don’t own/use Illustrator, Photoshop, or Filemaker, much less a car worth tens of thousands. If it’s a matter of $15 or $20, that’s fine; if it’s $50 or $75, that requires thought–it’s the price of a second piece of software, on my budget. If I was a longtime DTP user I wouldn’t think twice, I’d think of the upgrade price as amortized across my months of ownership. But as a soon-to-be first-time buyer, I think it’s reasonable to not want to feel like I’m about to buy something that I’ll quickly have to buy again. Anyway, agreed, this is a minor drone of interior monologue. Let’s get back to the more exciting business of anticipating DT 2.0 …
You’re right that a lot of these other apps are pretty expensive.
For myself, the largest reason why I use OSX is because of DT and DA. If it wasn’t for those apps, I’d probably end up using linux. I look for GNU tools all over for everything I need - so in other words, the most I’ve ever spent on an application so far has been DT/DA for the most part. I’m very price concerned with things - although I did just upgrade to DT Pro office recently.
I’m hoping the upgrade costs for 2.0 aren’t too extreme.
it’s now May. well into the 2nd Q of 2008. none of us on this forum is getting any younger, and there is still no sign of Version 2 of DT.
DT’s data matching and search query management is peerless as far as I know, and it’s that which keeps us loyal. There just isn’t another application around in the mac world that can handle data this way.
But what looks increasingly like stalling really doesn’t inspire confidence. If Version 2.0 is out of development, then say so. I for one would accept it, but to keep teasing us with ‘not this quarter - try next quarter’. This type of data management is for serious users - it’s not like playing around with playlists in iTunes for fun. We use DT Pro because it’s a way of safeguarding months or years worth of research.
If it’s going the way of the dodo, then 'fess up. we can take it. on the other hand, if it’s going to be 2009, or 2010 - then let us know. I’m sure we can all live with it.
It’s fairly obvious that we’re working almost all the time on version 2.0 and that all 1.x releases are basically maintenance including minor improvements.
While I am anxiously waiting for version 2.0 and the new mystery/surprise application, here is my perspective.
Yes, people have for the most part been waiting very patiently and long for DT v2. But note the recent release of Leopard added a new twist/wrench into the mix (albeit an excellent one) to development. Many developers have expressed challenges with Leopard. For example:
I don’t know if the DT v2 development has been rough or just voluminous.
While we have been waiting, a final Leopard release is a recent event.
DT has been an incredibly solid feature rich application (with exception of only the scanning challenges/bumps of Pro Office).
I would rather DEVONtechnologies release a solid DT 2.0, when it is ready (too many developers push releases out for the sake of it, prematurely, and users suffer the consequences. (I seem to recall OmniGroup, another stellar OS X developer also had exceedingly long delays between v.1 and 2 of OmniOutliner and other apps, not wanting to release anything before it was ready).
While waiting for 2.0, the DT developers have delivered to us substantial updates and applications. We have received DT 1.5, Pro Office, as well as numerous updates to ALL applications, including Freeware apps/tools. Desktop Transporter was also added.
I would very much like to know at least a bit about the new mystery/surprise application. That way, I can plan accordingly and avoid the time of testing and purchasing other software where that one might fill the need. But for now it is entirely guess work of what that app might be.
I do understand that some user’s patience has been sorely tested. But we wait with anticipation, because we have been the beneficiaries of DEVONtechnogolies’ applications. Incredibly powerful, flexible and unique applications – the icing on the cake, priced for mere mortals.
