May I chip in?
I’ve been an enthusiastic user of DEVONthink since 2008 and have always purchased the latest versions as they’re released. It holds a permanent place on Desktop 2 of every Mac I’ve used since then and version 4 is no different but while I’m pleased with the many impressive new features and refinements of DEVONthink 4, its interface doesn’t do them justice—it ‘hides its light under a bushel’.
The subjective component of aesthetics is commonly overstated. Yes, personal preference and cultural learning are factors in how individuals perceive the aesthetics of a thing I’d argue that objective criteria play the dominant role. Our perception of a thing isn’t fixed, it’s affected by the changing world around it and today DT4 doesn’t look as modern as it is under the surface. It’s not just me: David Pierce, in the latest issue of The Verge’s Installer recommends DT4 but comments that the ‘design’s a little ’90s for my taste…’ and I see what he means.
Perhaps this should be a separate post or feature request (I think appearance and interface are related) but for me, the lack of a customisable inspector is frustrating. I am constantly switching back and forth between inspector views and wish I could build my own arrangement of the panels I use the most. My suggestion would be to look at applications like Affinity Designer 2 and, specifically, it’s Studio Presets feature which allows users to save multiple workspace configurations to suit their needs for different activities. I’d use one ‘workspace’ for filing and sorting and a substantially different one for searching and writing.
I hope that after the development team has taken a well-earned rest they can turn their attention to subtly updating the interface without disrupting what long-time users enjoy about DEVONthink.