Just curious: the DevonThink 3 spec states that the database format is the same as for DevonThink 2.
Will syncing work between the two applications?
I ask because I use a VM running OSX 10.9 just with DevonThink in it, because that is the last OS version supported by the drivers Fujitsu supplies for my S510M scanner. I scan on that and then sync to the DevonThink running on my Mac.
If I upgrade to version 3, I would not want to have to buy a separate seat just for this VM, so I’m hoping syncing will work.
Thank you!
That is correct. The database format is still a .dtBase2 file.
Technically, yes you can sync between the two but you won’t get things like custom metadata from DEVONthink 3 in 2. (See @cgrunenberg’s comment.)
Also, remember: DEVONthink 3 is in beta testing, meant for testing, finding and reporting bugs. It should not be used in mission-critical or production environments. When beta testing, it’s always wise to use copies of data or test data. I personally also advocate running DEVONthink 3 on a separate macOS User account to keep things isolated. Your data, your choice - but I always err on the side of caution with peoples’ data.
You could potentially scan to a folder accessible by the VM and the boot OS / DEVONthink 3 instead of syncing.
The last version supported on OS X 10.9 is DEVONthink 2.9.17. As this is a very old version, I definitely wouldn’t recommend synchronizing databases with version 3.
Hi, scanning into a network folder of some sort is a workaround, but not really viable as it is - from a workflow perspective - a pain in the rear. Currently, I use the integration of the Fujitsu scanner to scan directly into Devonthink in the VM which then automatically does the OCR. The documents appear “magically”, already OCRd, in my standard Devonthink on my Mac.
As I scan everything I get (and toss the paper), moving to a “scan-to-file, move to Devonthink, initiate OCR” process would be an incredible amount of extra time wasted.
I’m surprised, by the way, that version 3 is still in beta but can already be purchased…
A valid point. Syncing works fine with the current version 2 software, but that doesn’t imply it will work into a version 3. Agreed.
So I will have to stay with version 2, I guess.