Is DTP actively being developed?

DEVONthink Feedback
1

Or is this a part-time thing?

I am very frustrated with the update cycle, because it seems to be incredibly slow - or in some cases, non-existent. We’ve been waiting forever for a better mobile sync solution. iOS 8 has been out for a couple of weeks now - for months as a beta - and we still have a broken DTTG and no decent sync solution.

Not meaning for this to sound too harsh, but why is it taking so long to keep up with current technology? Many other developers had their apps ready to launch when iOS 8 was released; why are we still waiting for an update to fix an issue that should have been realized weeks, if not months, ago?

My DTP databases need to be available on my mobile devices. Can we get a sync solution that just works? One where I don’t have to remember to sync before I’m off-grid? I want to be able to have DTTG integrated into iOS 8 so I can easily extract and save information into DTTG and sync to DTP. Where are the extensions? And absolutely, we need to be able to trust the software to not crash, to work when we need it (I’m specifically referring to the iOS app).

I have free and very cheap apps that have already accomplished this, why cannot the expensive software I paid for accomplish the same thing? Why are these things taking so long?

Yes, I do understand the difficulty of software development, but these things are not insurmountable, especially after months or years. Which leads me to conclude no one is actively working on this software or it’s a (very) part-time gig.

Seriously, though, what’s the issue? What’s the development roadmap, what’s being worked on, and when can we expect these updates?

2

Yes, all the DEVONthink applications are in active development, including DEVONthink To Go. There have been a succession of updates for the 2.x versions of DEVONthink apps for Mac. Updates of DEVONthink To Go 1.x have been limited, because the next generation of this app is in active development.

At this time the Sync procedure used in DEVONthink for Mac is being totally rewritten for a future release, and will become the basis for a new Sync procedure in DEVONthink To Go 2.x, together with many other improvements.

Version 2.x will be free to registered users of DEVONthink To Go version 1.x. As usual, we do not announce a release date in advance.

3

RobH,

DTPO is pretty awesome, but yes, it’s pretty quiet here on the razor’s edge. If DTPO were my razor, my beard would be long enough to trip over.

Still, there’s nothing better out there.

4

While I understand the criticism regarding synk and the iOS.app, the title of this thread and your conclusion is absurd. I beg your pardon because I don’t want to offend you, I just do not like the idea that new users probably get frightened when reading this thread.

I don’t know many software companies, indeed I’m not sure I even know a handful of them, that releases so many updates while constantly adding new features and listens so much to the users like DEVONtechnologies does - while charging nothing for new versions in almost 5 years now!

Here is the list of updates for DEVONthink Pro (Office) 2:

2014-08-04 v2.7.7
2014-05-22 v2.7.6
2014-04-17 v2.7.5
2014-03-27 v2.7.4
2014-01-23 v2.7.3

2013-12-06 v2.7.2
2013-10-24 v2.7.1
2013-10-16 v2.7.
2013-07-25 v2.6.?
2013-07-11 v2.6.
2013-04-23 v2.5.?
2013-03-07 v2.5.1
2013-02-28 v2.5.

2012-10-25 v2.4.3
2012-09-19 v2.4.2
2012-08-15 v2.4.1
2012-08-09 v2.4.
2012-05-24 v2.3.5
2012-04-19 v2.3.4
2012-02-29 v2.3.3

2011-12-11 v2.3.2
2011-11-03 v2.3.1
2011-09-15 v2.3.
2011-08-10 v2.2.5
2011-07-14 v2.2.0
2011-06-09 v2.1.1
2011-03-17 v2.?.?
2011-02-03 v2.?.?

2010-11-17 v2.0.6
2010-09-22 v2.0.4
2010-06-17 v2.0.3
2010-02-25 v2.0.1
2010-02-24 v2.0.

I pretty much have the impression that this software is actively developed. :wink:

5

Yes, it is absurd to ask whether Devonthink is still being actively developed, but the frustration behind the question (chiefly around mobile development) signals a challenge for DevonTech. I think the company may have missed an opportunity to be the Only Game In Town when it comes to Mac-specific data storage and management, because for most people, Evernote is beginning to eat its lunch.

I skimmed the slew of announcements from Evernote’s recent conference, and a few things become apparent. It’s become a huge phenomenon, it is embedding itself firmly into a large ecosystem, and it has a fast iteration cycle.

Evernote won’t do for people who want tight ownership of their data, but most aren’t troubled by that issue. It does what a lot of people want, well enough. That leaves the DT suite as a niche player for those who want industrial-grade functionality. But if it had pushed more aggressively I think it could have owned the Apple crowd in this whole area, and left Evernote as mainly Windows-only software.

I’m assuming that ruling the world wasn’t on DevonTech’s agenda, and fair enough - who wants the hassle? But the rise of Evernote is surely going to take a cut out of the company’s revenue, and compromise its ability to maintain its pace of development.

I’d prefer it was the other way around, but I’m also one of those who has moved to Evernote - my life is mobile, and DT isn’t, or not in the way I want it to be. I’m hedging my bets by backing up all my old Evernote notes to DTPO, but watching the different rates of development progress between the two companies, I’m wondering if that’s always going to be necessary.

I want DevonTech to win, but right now the company looks to be in the position of that legion of outstanding products that were the best in their field, but lost the race to a more agile, compelling competitor. - Palm, Betamax, Netscape etc etc

Then again, I haven’t seen what you’ve got in the works. Fingers crossed that it blows all this sort of bleating out of the water.

6

I’m in the camp who is not allowed to transfer work-related materials into random people’s clouds because it violates the agreements I’ve made for storing the data, so Evernote and its’ ilk are a non-starter for me.

I’ve no problems with DTPO and find it indispensable. I assume there will be a 3+ version someday but I’m not feeling a major lack of anything that it can’t do right now.

Except.

There’s really no mobile solution at all as has been pointed out. Being kind, DTTG is junk that mostly doesn’t work, crashes and is anything but stable or useful.

In 2014 a complete lack of a viable mobile solution/sync is something I’d consider to be a problem. I’m really not seeing a lack of progress on DTPO, as someone just posted there is a constant stream of updates, fixes, enhancements. All that.

The mobile version… not so much, a lonely tombstone?

7

To be clear, DTP is my preferred app for storing information. But, as mentioned in one of these replies, it’s falling farther and farther behind when compared to other apps out there. As the OP, I didn’t mean to imply that DTP is junkware, but the inability to use it with current technology (mobile, synching, etc.) is quite the hinderance in using the software as I should be able to.

I loathe the prospect of moving to something like Evernote. It can be great for taking quick notes on my iPad and having it show up in the desktop software, but I only use it because I cannot do the same with DTP and DTTG.

It’s a lot like waiting for the probably-will-never-be-released version of Scrivener for iPad. Great desktop software that is killing itself because it can’t put out a mobile solution.

Sincerely, I want DTP to still be around in the years to come, but without embracing the current technology - and being able to have an update cycle for it that stays in step with the updates of OS X and iOS - I fear that I’ll have to look for another solution because the company will close its doors due to lack of sales. I don’t want to do that.

8

I’m amused when readers comment about Evernote and DEVONthink developers in the same context as though the organizations could somehow be compared.

In an interview with Twist, a year ago, Phil Libin said there were 285 employees at Evernote and the annual growth rate at the time was about 100 – putting the total close to 400 today. Libin recalled that when the platform launched in 2008 there were 10 employees. Recent articles in the Wall Street Journal indicated the company’s market cap was well in excess of USD $1 billion, that there were 100 million users worldwide – of whom 70% pay for the Premium service, yielding over USD $1 billion in annual revenue for subscription fees alone.

On the other hand, DEVONtech lists 8 employees on their website. Revenue, market cap, etc., are closely held, but, really, is there likely to be a picture comparable to Evernote?

I like DEVONthink, never cared much for DTTG because it doesn’t fit my “mobile needs” (whatever that means, though my “life” is as mobile as anyone’s I know) as well as many of the 330 alternatives in the App Store. I like Evernote and use it hand-in-hand with DEVONthink daily. And I’ve always found that DEVONthink supports my work and research, which is what matters. But when it doesn’t (and when Eric or Criss don’t want to take my feature suggestions), then it’s no big loss. But they very frequently do take suggestions seriously – especially when explained objectively. It takes Criss, Alan, and Nathan a bit longer than the 400 people in that other shop.

All of this is just software, after all. Passions about software are somewhat pointless in the grand scheme.

9

It will :smiley:

DEVONthink To Go 1.4.3 is available now and compatible to iOS 8, DEVONthink 2.8 will be available later this week and be fully compatible to Yosemite (including an extension). These are just minor maintenance releases, there’s so much more in the pipeline… (not only Sync 2 and DEVONthink To Go 2)

As far as I know the conversion rate is about 6-7%, that’s more or less identical to the average trial conversion rate of 1:20.

10

For the record:

  1. I like DTPO.
  2. There is nothing out there that anywhere approaches doing what DTPO can do.
  3. The developers listen to, care about and appreciate their customers.
    But:
  4. I do not like Evernote
  5. In no way is Evernote a replacement for DTPO
  6. I do not think that constantly calling for “roadmaps” of a developer’s intentions is helpful or productive.
    But:
  7. DTPO is an incredible research tool
  8. DTPO is dependable
  9. DTPO is incredibly flexible
    Finally:
  10. Some of the contributors to these Forums, i.e. customers, come up with brilliant scripts to customise DTPO
  11. The developers actively encourage them to do so.
  12. :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: for all involved in developing, supporting and scripting this wonderful suite of applications.
11

Thanks for the nice kudos! :mrgreen:

12

How can you manager such a pipeline with only 7 staff… :slight_smile:

13

It helps that the original 2 members, Eric and Christian, are brilliant and have a development vision that has led to evolution of DEVONthink and DEVONagent as the preeminent information management and Web search applications for Mac. Their business plan was well thought out, and DEVONtechnologies has been in business since 2002, outlasting hundreds of Mac software startup companies. :slight_smile:

Contrast that with Doo, which flashed into existence promising powerful cloud-based information management and attracting a lot of attention. Doo attracted a lot of capital and hired a large staff of programmers. They released software, which initially resulted in sales. But users found it just didn’t work, and quit using it. Doo is gone, as are the files stored in the cloud by its users. The vision of Doo wasn’t well thought out, so it quickly burned though a lot of resources (people and capital) to no effect.

14

Since I also use both DTPro and Evernote, would really appreciate your thinking about how best to combine (sync?) the two, Korm.

So far, I tend to put quick notes into Evernote, plus on the fly webpage clippings. The more serious research stuff tends to end up in DTPro. But I’m wondering what might be the best overall strategy, and whether any killer sync solutions exist?

Many thanks,
Paul

15

I don’t combine DEVONthink and Evernote much. I use them equally frequently but they are different purposes for me. I have no reason to sync the two.

16

Fair enough. Was just curious to know whether there is any delineation in usage you find useful, since I know you are a very active and experienced DTPRO user.

17

‘No major lack of anything’ – an interface refresh would be quite nice, especially in light of OS X Yosemite.

OmniGroup, another productivity specialist Mac developer, have also refreshed the interface for their productivity suites (OmniFocus 2, OmniOutliner 4, …).

18

I don’t consider an interface refresh to be a major lack. Don’t get me wrong. The look and feel of the app are important, but it gets the job done right now, and that is a lot more than I can say for many apps that spit and polish their apps all the time. I value function over form, and DTPO is doing pretty well in this regard.

DTTG… Well, that thing is usable, but only just barely. Besides the crashing with RTF files (something that ought to be fixed in the next update), it definitely does need an interface redesign. If you use long titles, as I do, then there is a lot of hit and miss before you finally get to the file you want. If they can modify it to display the entire title instead of a tiny portion, it’d greatly improve my experience with it. In this case, the interface is affecting usability. I can’t think of anything like this happening with DTPO (besides the crashing with PDFs, but that is supposed to be fixed shortly).