Hi Wolfgang. Thanks for your input. I don’t recall saying anything about mindmapping for DT Pro. Nor in making DT Pro some kind of word processor. I use Mellel for that and I can’t see that happening anyway. It would be too huge to try to integrate that kind of function, though perhaps I’m wrong and some basic word processing functions could be added to DT Pro.
But what I have in mind is more consistency in the user interface, such as sorting behavior, etc., better control of printing output, increased outlining capability (I don’t like OmniOutliner, but thanks anyway), things like that–functions which I think are already present in DT Pro but could use more development. I think this will only add to DT Pro and certainly won’t inhibit its capabilities. It would help writers such as myself who store everything in DT Pro for research and development to be able to also develop those ideas within the same program.
I fail to see how this would weaken DT Pro and make it mediocre in any way.
I would expect that the decision about whether or not DEVONtech decides to improve their outlining capabilities will not be taken solely on the requests articulated in this forum, but rather in the context of other more rigorous analysis that include opportunity analysis, segmentation, capabilities and value differentiation.
Each one of the users in this thread (me included) presented a usage scenario, brought up their satisfactions and frustrations with the existing functionality, and requested that, if their usage scenarios where inside Dtech’s future target such and such feature would come handy. They did so because it is possible, with the information and context each one of them has, to articulate what they would wish the application did: here is my need, here is the gap. Simple substractive logic…
On he other hand, I doubt any of us users, from the outside, can make a good case against a feature or functionality based on variables such as “available development resources”, improving “the core strength” of the product, competitive analysis of other alternatives, and such. If anything, I would make such a case only in terms of usability of the resulting entity (i.e., feature bloating, collisions between usage modes, or such). In this case, it is really hard to make such a case (at least for me), because the issue of outlining is (a) a can of wigglies already opened by Dtech, and (b) a set of basic gestures that, as you well point out, all of your favorite tools seem to have. It doesn’t look like basic outlining capabilities would create an unmanageable usability, or does it?
I don’t want Dthink to be the best outliner out there, and I don’t read other postings as requesting that… In my particular case, I just want to make the case for Dtech to finish what they started [hierarchical outlining is already in the product, but only as a half-way solution…] so that three great creative modes of operation can be joined at the hip. Every once in a while, a product emerges that destroys categories by synergizing the best of the old ones: such products tend to have a very healthy and prosperous future… I hope Dtech gets tempted to do precisely that
[hierarchical outlining is already in the product, but only as a half-way solution…] so that three great creative modes of operation can be joined at the hip. Every once in a while, a product emerges that destroys categories by synergizing the best of the old ones: such products tend to have a very healthy and prosperous future… I hope Dtech gets tempted to do precisely that