LEV  After using the DevonThink public beta for six weeks or so, I'd have to say it's a great improvement. It's not so much a breakthrough upgrade, but rather lots of incremental improvements which add up to a far better user experience. It's definitely faster; it seems far more nimble; the (not yet fully implemented) "Sorter" makes Getting Stuff In quicker and easier, and the bookmarklets for interfacing between DevonThink and the web work, for me, more satisfactorily than most apps which position themselves as competition.

One of the most asked-for enhancements is now working: full Boolean and proximity searches of the database. Before, you had to rely on DT's "artifical intelligence" -- some sort of word-based semantic algorithm -- if you wanted to do more than a simple word- or phrase-search. The AI usually delivered the goods but it's nice to be able to order up a search by hand if needed.

You can now have multiple databases open at once. Great. Drag-and-drop between databases hasn't yet been switched on in the beta, but is in place for the release version.

The developers have also implemented tagging, but we won't know what that's like until that, too, goes live. Personally I hope it is compatible with tagging-based apps like Punakea or the superb Leap; we will have to see. Given that it uses the Finder to organise its database, rather than copying everything into a proprietary format, there's no reason why it shouldn't be.

There are still some things on the wish-list. Of course they are. It would be even more powerful if, for example, it would let the user set up his own list of "synonyms". The Windows app Nota Bene does this, to great effect. You can, for example, tell it that when you ask for things to do with religion, it should look for words from a user-configured list: "Hindu, Muslim, Roman catholic, priest, nun, monk, curch, chapel, synagogue, Rabbi..." etc. Sweet.

But, for whatever reason, after trying just about every "bucket" app going, I find with DevonThink 2 beta, I'm sticking with it. It's open all the time. The UI is still a mile away from the (much less powerful) Yojimbo, but DT is engineering-led and I suspect they'd rather have a slightly complex UI than compromise functionality.

Definitely a runner. After a long time lagging behind a bit, DT is back in the game, and all the better for it. The 120 non-continuous hours' free trial is generous and enough to explore this very powerful app. Give it a whirl.  
(Version 2.0pb3)

STEVEN GOODHEART  First, let me say that DevonThink Pro is *the* indispensable program on my Mac. It's my "vacuum cleaner," which absorbs and classifies all the research and information I need to store in an incredibly useful way. I own Notetaker, MacJournal, Eagle Filer, and they have their uses, but nothing comes close to the horsepower and intelligence of this program.

Anyway, this 1.5.4 update is nice....the first thing I noticed is that the program now loads 4 or 5 times as fast as it did before - sweet! And yes, the wiki links really zoom now. And the improved Webkit integration shows too, and web pages and web archives open much faster. Haven't checked out all the improvements listed, but at first look, I'm really pleased with this update, mainly because of overall speed increases.

This program takes some time to learn, but it's not formidable, or anything, and there are really great tutorials at the DevonThink website. If you haven't tried this program out, give it a chance. The "artificial intelligence" is truly remarkable. Also, be sure to check out the horsepower of DTP's Service Menu and scripts...they gives you incredible power in terms of data import. And if you use DevonAgent in combo with DTP, you have unparalleled power for searching and classifying and sorting information.  
(Version 1.5.4)

STEVEN GOODHEART  This b6 beta has some nice new features...especially the new Reveal/Show and Markup toolbar additions, the new way to hoist, and the new way to expand and collapse the outline. The other improvements/refinement are welcome, but the "big dog" that's still missing for me is the tagging front-end. I really want to get into tagging my info, instead of using the old "Comments" method, and I'm eager to see who DevonThink implemented this. I think the awesome browser bookmarklets (which really allow me to fully use DTPro 2 in the Service-less Firefox as well as Safari and OmniWeb) gives a hint of what the "front end" might finally look like, and I'm eager to give it a go.

Otherwise, I'm pleased with the steady progress, even though I'm jonesing for the final product. By the way, this is one of the most bug-free, non-crashing Mac betas I've ever used, and I don't think there's any worry concern about "losing data" with such a great company, anymore than one would worry about investing data in betas of great programs like EagleFiler, MacJournal, or The Hit List, which I've done.  
(Version 2.0b6)

LEV  The main drawback of DevonThink for me (I've used it since it first appeared) has been its refusal to play with Spotlight. This -- because I'm a data slut, never quite sure where anything is -- has meant ≥2 searches for whatever-it-is: one in Spotlight, then one for each DevonThink database whatever-it-is might be in.

This was on the point of driving me away from DevonThink... particularly with Leopard's much-improved Spotlight implementation.

Fortunately, with v1.5, it now plays very nicely with Spotlight. Still no QuickLook, but at least it means that just one Spotlight search can pull up everything.

So once again DevonThink is at the head of the pack. Thank you, Devon Technologies.

I'd give it 5 'features' stars now, if only it offered (a) multiple databases open simultaneously, and (b) tagging, instead of enforcing a folder hierarchy and "replicants". Oh, and Boolean searching -- though the AI "see also" function is magnificent.

Interface looks a bit outdated now, but works. It's much snappier than before. And the learning curve is steep. (Actually, I think I mean "shallow" -- you spend a lot of time getting up to speed. A "steep" learning curve would be e.g. Yojimbo, where you go from Novice to Expert user almost instantly.)

Nor can it import files from some of my most-used applications. Tinderbox and Scrivener I can understand; they are both complex organizational systems -- one XML, the other a package of indexed RTF/D files -- and it would be hard to see how the hell DevonThink would handle their data. But DT's inability to read Mellel or Pages 3 files is a big shame. Not DevonTech's fault, I believe, but outside developers not providing plug-ins.

But all in all, with this update DevonThink is IMO still the leader for heavy-lifting of text-based data.  
(Version 1.5)

LEO SPILL  .

This is purely a GUI/interface comment :

I like the new Devon ball company logo and think that the developers would be wise to use it as DevonThink/Pro etc... application icon ( Just color it differently for each type of release ) and loose the shell design.

Secondly:

Please use an interface designer to revamp the application - It is so Home made that it puts a lots of potential users off - Why do so many first time users say it has a steep learning curve ? Because of the ugly interface is confusing and not user friendly. It has zero WOW factor.

Look at barebones Yojimbo - It has hordes of pleasant comments and appeals to nearly everyone on first launch.

On a GUI scale of one to ten - DEVONthink is a very poor three out of ten, which is a pity as the application deserves better.  
(Version 1.3.1)

ORYTEK  This is the stuff for heavyweights. It is in another class compared to other document collector/aggregators.

DEVONthink 2.0 has now been in public beta for several months, with each new beta offering several new features. This new beta 8 brings even more enhancements.

There is a bit of a learning curve because of all the features packed in but even if you don't take advantage of it all, it is easy to use for basic storage of files, notes, and web pages.

If you haven't tried it in awhile and have settled on one of the other pdf/note storage apps, do yourself a favor and run it through it's course again because this software is still evolving and making the competitors look like they are standing still.  
(Version 2.0pb8)

APPLEHC  This is by far the most useful application I use everyday!

You will need some time to get used to it. But then it is great. Storing 4000 docs and web archives (2.6 GB) so far..

To the developer:

(1) Please try to put all documents of one kind in only one subfolder. Would be helpful if looking for the document via Spotlight etc.

(2) Please try to develop an iPhone app. I would pay as much as $20 only for a nice and quick iPhone UI to my default Devonthink database.   
(Version 2.0pb8)

DTRUETT1  This upgrade went way beyond my wildest hopes. I alternated between using DT 1 and SOHO Notes for various collections of PDF files, images, things pulled from Email, etc. Two things made me pull the trigger on the upgrade before I even checked out all of the features:

1. I keep my databases (3) in a folder on Dropbox, so they are available to me from any of my Macs anytime. Having the Sorter and being able to drag something to either the global inbox or a folder I put there is fast, efficient, and reliable.

2. Bookmarklets. Putting a single DT Clip bookmarklet in the bookmarks bar of Safari and OmniWeb is HUGE. Just choose note, bookmark, PDF, PDF paginated, or HTML, add a comment if you like, and choose the folder to put it in for ANY of your databases. Opens DT quickly, so you can confirm it is there and works 100% of the time.

This is one fabulous upgrade from a great company.   
(Version 2.0pb7)

COOKIE08  if you care to right click on the devonthink data base in your home documents folder open it and all the individual files are held inside the data base which is great as you can move this between computers and use the same set of files. Nothing is lost when you delete the original program sound like you have never used one of the best programs for the mac.

Saving web files straight to devonthink keeps there html links so you can go back original site from inside devonthink  
(Version 2.0pb6)

ZO219  I am astonished to see Together mentioned on the same page as any DEVONthink app, Pro or Personal.

They simply are not in the same league, and neither offer nor provide the same capabilities. AI, anyone?

See for yourself. Choose what works for you, but for heaven's sake, discern!

BTW, a "steep" learning curve is like a steep hill, a difficult climb.   
(Version 1.5.3)