DevonThink To Go 2.0 Has Arrived

Posted by Captain CowPie
Aug 27, 2016 at 10:13 PM

bigspud wrote:
I’m no rocket scientist, I got my work to sync ok. Yes I paid the
>premium, I already shelled out good money for good product with DTPO.
> >I suppose I’m still trying to figure out what the hell that app is
>supposed to do well. Aside from all the sync complexity, I’m still
>baffled.
>

I think that DTTG2 is similar to the Evernote iOS app, and I am guessing that is where part of their aim was.

I have written here before that I tend to like all-in-one type apps that can hold multiple document types for reference, and allow me to work in them for most of the day. When I was using Windows years ago, I used InfoSelect for just about everything including email.

With the advent of the iPhone and iPad, there is a new need for companion apps for mobility. Not everyone needs one for their reference material, but I like having access to certain files at all times. So I will lay out how I use DTTG now, realizing that it probably will not be a fit for everyone’s needs.

Most of my work is performed on my Mac, with a lot of it being done in DTPO. A lot of it is time management, brainstorming, compiling stories to write about, writing them, referencing, and so on.

I should note that I just moved back to DTPO because of worries about where Evernote might be heading, and the fact that DTTG2 was coming out soon. DTTG2 was the main impetus. I was using Evernote and TaskPaper/Editorial for my data prior to that. Evernote for reference, voice notes on the road, website collection, etc. TaskPaper held most of the data I added to on a regular basis. I think the main reason I moved away from DTPO was their iOS app, DTTG1.

So what do I use DTTG2 for? By far the most-used feature is the website capture, where I find interesting articles to write about for my websites. I bookmark them and sometimes categorize them, or sometimes I categorize on the desktop. At present, DTTG2 doesn’t allow you to capture into a particular folder like the Mac does.

Probably the next-used feature is time management. DTTG2 is not as robust as OmniFocus that I had used, but it works for my simple time management system. Most people would probably want a dedicated app. Most planning is done on the Mac, but when I am away I write down anything that comes to mind, and sometimes plan out my day/week, complete items, etc. What I like about DevonThink is that I can have projects in my time management system, and I can put almost all of the needed data in that group/folder. A lot of times I just replicate items into the project group/folder, which is a very nice feature. DTTG2 also allows me to replicate, something I don’t remember seeing on other iOS apps.

Taking voice notes was something I was especially wishing for in DTTG2. I used that extensively in Evernote. I like the implementation in DTTG2 although it would be nice to eliminate a step or two to save.

The next phase that I haven’t had a chance to try much is writing while away from home. I had tried this while on vacation recently, where I made sure all of my information was downloaded on Evernote, and used Ulysses (very nice app) to write. It actually worked pretty well on the iPad. A keyboard would have helped though. I need to prepare for quasi-retirement somehow ;)

Another area that I recently used the app for was a new logo I was designing. I used the iPad to look for ideas and fonts, captured the web pages, and then did the actual work on the Mac. When it was completed I stored the logo, fonts, licenses etc. in DTPO. This will be nice for future use as I was updating a logo I did over 10 years ago and couldn’t remember the font I used, as the program I used to design it no longer exists.

Other ways I use DTTG2 are similar to how I used Editorial - keeping a journal, meal ideas, movies to watch, reference files, itineraries, packing lists, gift ideas, business ideas, etc. Where I could only store text in Editorial and other data in Evernote, now everything is in one place.

Are DTTG2 and DTPO for everyone. Definitely not. Most people would be better served by the ease and simplicity (somewhat) of Evernote. But if you like the ability to outline, replicate, sync multiple ways etc. then they might be worth looking at. I personally view Devon Technologies like Omnigroup. They are slow to release new versions of their software, but they continually update their existing versions and offer excellent customer support. If you take the cost of DevonThink Pro Office (DTPO), which I think was released in 2010, over the past six years the price is $25/year, or $13/year for just DevonThink Pro. No on-going fees. DevonThink To Go 2 was a free upgrade, with $5 for the pro features. Given the years of development, I think the $5 upgrade was a smart choice to offset some of those costs. I like to make sure the software I use will be around for awhile.

I have eagerly awaited the arrival of DTTG2 and am using it all of the time. It doesn’t do everything as well as dedicated apps (like Ulysses for Markdown, OmniFocus for time management, etc.), but it puts most everything in one place. It is not for everyone, just like DTPO. But it is extremely powerful in it’s scope and does things no other app does that I am aware of, like replicating and offering so many sync options.

Who knows, I may be crimping again in a few years!