TheBrain company has posted a first look preview of the next release -- version 9. The preview is available for active subscribers -- explained here:

http://www.thebrain.com/products/thebrain/thebrain9

Initial impressions

Java is gone. The UI on OS X is Cocoa-like but it does not seem to be using Apple's design kits. Interface is crisp and modern.

The preview is lacking some features (search is limited, no reports, no templates) but the basics are all there enough to get a feeling for what the product might become.

Built-in web-browser is a nice addition. Thoughts with web links open the link in the sidebar (or bottom bar, depending on your preference) and it's easy to drag out new notes from the web content.

A new "mind map" view seems to be similar to the normal view but elongated. Maybe the developers have something in mind for the future?

Thanks for pointing this out, Paul.

I am so looking forward to this new version. For the website it looks like they've improved many of the areas where I had issues with TheBrain. Being able to open more than one Brain at the same time is huge. Better notes is also huge for me. And just better all-around performance will make me more confident using TheBrain.

I'm not sure I want to even try out the preview, because it might just make using the current version feel like a drudge.

Thanks, again!

Steve Z.

I erroneously wrote that "Report" was not yet in the preview -- it is.

Steve -- I've used the preview for a couple of days and find it to be generally stable on OS X. There are many options not present from earlier versions of TheBrain, but they have the big stuff. Of course, it's an alpha and things crash.

Thanks for this.

I'm especially pleased that Java has been written out.

I notice that on the video one has to sign in to open a brain. Does this mean that the brains are now being stored in the cloud only? If so, what if their site is down? Can this be circumvented? No chances to store locally only and not sign in?

Looks dodgy to me ...

Graham

I believe the sign in is because the alpha preview is limited to "active services subscriptions" according to their site. Sync can be turned off for individual brains, and the data are stored locally. It's not clear if they are heading toward a "cloud only" model, though.

This is just a guess on my part, but I doubt they would make TheBrain cloud only in the future. Doing so would undermine some of the beauty of the software, which can have virtual thoughts to files and folders not located within TheBrain, but elsewhere on you computer. They make a big deal out of this feature in most of their webinars. They also have big, corporate clients, who probably wouldn't want a cloud-only model.

Steve Z.

Any further indication as to hoe thebrain9 beta is working out?

Even basic mac OS things like the 'quicklook' that worked problematically, I hope some of this stuff is worked out!
google apps integration?

Could I ask Paul Korm if the combo services subscription shows enough value to justify the cost? The upgrade process between version in the past has been painful.

Does that famous script between the Devonthink and Thebrain still function? I've loved it! breaking down ideas and concepts within devonthink isn't its forte for sure, but in combination with thebrain? Brilliant!

The preview process seems to be going well. There is a very active group of customer participants, and staff (Matt, Harlan, etc.) are there along with the customers -- the give and take is very interesting. We've found TheBrain staff very open to suggestions, most of which are implemented.

I think it's a very robust product, and the preview has been very stable. There's no indication when or if there will be a public beta.

QuickLook -- TheBrain 9 does not yet support this, but it's supposedly on the radar to support QuickLook within the Notes panel. (In v9 the Notes panel has a tab for each attachment.)

TheBrain 9 can have URL attachments and supports an internal browser.

I don't know if my script for exporting document info from DEVONthink and importing it as thoughts to TheBrain works -- xml import has not been implemented in the preview yet. I assume that I'll need revise the script due to DTD changes that v9 will introduce in TheBrain, and potential changes on the DEVONthink side. I'll figure that out when the time comes.

Thanks Paul,

I'm gettign a bit excited to have a look at thebrain 9!
Recently since the view options expanded a bit more than the immediately myopic plex, the brain is one of the few that is actually, decently cross platform. I dont even mind the iOS app, given the current devonthink to go offering.

tabbed attachments sounds pretty handy over the old pane view!

There's going to be a new iOS version of TheBrain, too. But that's not yet available to the testing community.

The new version of DEVONthink to Go (v2) is getting closer to release -- a few more beta iterations to go.

Hey Paul, I was wondering that since TheBrain9 is now in beta and XML import seems to have been implemented, if you were considering updating that script anytime soon?