DEVONthink 3 looks great and has definitely caught my attention again…veering off-topic but…
The thing is I’ve actually been thinking about DEVONthink for a while to solve a couple of minor ongoing issues with my current application but every time I’ve checked it’s always looked few years behind in terms of UX; reviews, like this, praise the power but also highlight “long update cycles”; and that sentiment is echoed by quite a few user posts and reviews.
I’m sure some users are going to have a very particular set of requirements and only DEVONthink will do but, like I said, it gets mentioned.
I’d imagine there are a lot of potential new users out there, like myself, that are just looking to resolve some fairly minor issues with apps that are otherwise pretty good. But, if it’s not love at first sight, I’ll ignore any minor issues because my existing tool generally serves my needs and still feels good enough to use. There are probably loads of DEVONthink features I don’t even know I want but the likelihood is most people won’t invest any more time unless something immediately grabs their attention, or they’re already sufficiently motivated to do so: first impressions, etc.
An interface is not indicative of the power or capability of an application.
This is 100% true but the power of perception, not just first impressions but also general presentation, and the feeling from using a particular tool, even though it’s just a tool, cannot be underestimated: this has been at the very core of Apple’s philosophy since the beginning and a major factor in their success.
These days, it’s fairly typical to have tools that look great and feel good to use; and we should, especially if “it’s easy”.
Anyway, I’m closer than ever to switching but I still have some concerns:
- Will DEVONthink continue to be kept current and provide a frictionless experience?
- DEVONagent looks amazing but, again, I wondered why the interface hasn’t been updated
- What about DEVONthink To Go?
- How much parity with desktop?
- Is the interface consistent, including dark mode?
As I’m actively thinking about switching, I might raise all of these as separate threads in due course. Just thought it was worth mentioning on this slight detour.
Also, worth mentioning, I wouldn’t have spent so much of my time giving my honest feedback unless I care about these projects, want the best for their creators, and the community. I know DEVON’s been around a long time and done some great work over the years.