I’m a pretty hard core Evernote user, 2635 notes in a short amount of time. However, i find that Evernote is not the best app for knowledge worker. Sure, there’s related searches, good search functions, nice UI, shortcuts, notebook, tags and etc.
But the organisation is a mess despite everything, the best way to find a note in Evernote is to search. Filing your documents is a bit of a pain compared to Devonthink’s filing method.
I don’t know, it’s such a pain for me that I’ve changed my full blown Evernote system (with ninja tricks like having !top tag that will show up as first in tag list) to keeping everything in inbox. And naming each file YYMMDD keyword keyword keyword. (this works as tag, and categorisation)
Ok, my point it I use Evernote for:
- stuff i need to sync to my mobile
- web clipping of interesting articles. (recipes, hobbies, etc)
- as a diary, powered by instagram, foursquare, twitter with IFTTT
- some how to stuff, like apple keyboard shortcuts symbol and it’s equivalent keyboard
- dimension of my house, wattage of lights when i need to go to hardware store.
- stuff i need to share with others
I don’t use Evernote for:
- note taking
- work related projects and it’s relevant files
Devonthink is great for knowledge worker and knowledge based projects. I can create new database for each project (so the AI can give me new insight for the project, and for organisational purpose).
My notes in DT feed on each other, giving me more and more ideas. I use it as my digital commonplace book.
I also use DT for serious stuff like tax documents. You don’t want to search through evernote. It could take you many searches, and sometimes relevant documents that you forgot to tag “tax” or sometimes documents fall through the cracks.
Conclusion: DT is only for serious work. Evernote is for convenience.
Another perspective, my notes in DT is 50 to 500 words and they’re themed. They’re fine grained, and refined notes.
My Evernote consist of huge articles that’s not so focused sometimes. One article can be about productivity, health, posture and etc. They’re broad stroke.
So I think of my DT as a precision weapon, and my Evernote as a shotgun. Sometimes i get new insight from the articles i read from Evernote, and transfer it to DT as a knowledge gem.
Also, my DT’s note title is only one or two words. This is how focused it is. there’s a benefit to this, my notes are often wikilinked a lot to each other as i create new notes, without me purposely trying to. Forming new connections different from what the AI generates.