DEVONthink and DEVONnote 2.0

DEVONtechnologies has released the final, non-public-beta version 2.0 of all editions of its information manager DEVONthink as well as of the smart note-keeper DEVONnote. Version 2.0 of DEVONthink and DEVONnote brings an immense number of improvements over version 1.x and many enhancements over version 2.0 public beta. This release is the first of six major releases scheduled for 2010.

Highlights In Version 2.0 (Final, Since Public Beta 8)
* Final polishing of the user interface including new Welcome Assistant
* Support for templates, external linking, and some plugins in DEVONnote
* Functional tag view and improved smart tagging
* Automatic installation of Global Inbox in Finder works again
* AI-based Summarize works again
* Improved PDF annotations
* Powered by DEVONsphere(R) technology
* Cross-grade from DEVONnote to DEVONthink now available

For a full list of changes since version 1.x please see further below.


The Changes In 2.0 (Final) In Detail
For the final 2.0 release the user interface has been further polished: new icons distinguish regular groups and groups used for tagging, the application icon has been rendered in 512 x 512 pixels, and a new Welcome Assistant helps new users getting started with DEVONthink and DEVONnote.

"The new Welcome Assistant not only greets the user but also offers direct access to the embedded documentation as well as many functions of our online support area. Users can quickly have their license code re-sent, ask for a 30 day trial license, change their email address, or download the documentation in printer-friendly PDF format. In most cases this saves the user a trip to our web site," adds Eric Bohnisch-Volkmann, President of DEVONtechnologies.

Version 2.0 final completes the tag view which was still preliminary in public beta 8. Smart tagging is now part of nearly every aspect of the user interface and is fully supported by smart groups (also known as 'saved searches'). In addition, DEVONthink Pro's global inbox can (again) be added to the Finder's sidebar as well as all 'save' dialog windows, and the Summarize service is working again; the ability to add the inbox to the Finder had been broken by Mac OS X 10.6 'Snow Leopard'.

A new script lets the user open tabs from DEVONagent to DEVONthink Pro and new smart templates open Google, Bing, or a manually entered web address in a new tab, enhancing DEVONthink Pro's usefulness as a comfortable web browsing environment. DEVONthink Pro Office retains the color depth as well as the rotation and resolution of scanned images if desired, news feeds also support enclosures, and the Sorter tab can be made nearly invisible. The 'Annotation' smart template links to the current page of a PDF document and the 'EndNote' template takes over more data. DEVONthink and DEVONnote support Mac OS X 10.6's text substitutions and data detectors, now, too.


Finally, DEVONnote 2.0 inherits a large number of features from its bigger brothers: templates, external linking to documents with a URL, the panel for quickly taking notes, and some plugins, namely the ability to send items by email, export to iPods (Classic) or as a website, and bookmark import. DEVONthink Personal comes with new smart templates, too.

"The addition of many functions formerly exclusive to DEVONthink turns the simple note-taking tool DEVONagent into a fully AI-based environment for working with textual information with an unmatched price/performance ratio. DEVONnote now perfectly complements the more feature-rich DEVONthink product line with an offer for those who don't need the full power of DEVONthink," comments Eric Bohnisch-Volkmann, President of DEVONtechnologies.

Internally DEVONthink 2.0 final brings many further improvements including changes for the upcoming iPhone/iPad client as well as MobileMe, WebDAV, and LAN/WLAN based synchronization. While the iPhone/iPad client will enable users to transfer selected parts of databases to their device, view and search them on-the-go, and add new documents, the synchronization module will make it possible to reliably synchronize databases between local Macs or, using MobileMe or any other WebDAV server, between any Mac with an Internet connection. The synchronization module is currently in the works, the iPhone client in alpha testing and expected to be released in Q2/2010.


More About Devonthink 2.0 and Devonnote 2.0
New features of version 2.0 include but are not limited to: the ability to open multiple databases simultaneously (DEVONthink Pro), all advanced Boolean and proximity operators (as known from DEVONagent), wildcards and unlimited complex search terms, smart groups, unlimited undo/redo, an inbox, a trash can, and the support for almost all common file formats. The new Finder-like sidebar facilitates working with multiple databases. Smart tagging brings the two filing approaches, hierarchical group and tags, together and makes groups and tags transparently interchangeable.

DEVONthink 2.0 imports and displays Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), OpenOffice and iWork (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) files as well as Skim PDF packages and all other files that support or are supported by Mac OS X 10.5's Quick Look. Using Spotlight importers and plugins for indexing DEVONthink can also search files that it cannot display due to the lack of Quick Look support (Spotlight does not need to be active). Metadata, e.g. from PDF files, email messages, or Office documents is imported, indexed, displayed, and can be selectively searched, e.g. using smart groups. DEVONthink Pro Office uses a new text recognition based on the ABBYY FineReader OCR engine which is faster and more accurate than the previously used engine.

DEVONthink and DEVONnote 2.0 allow to create documents from templates and the Pro Office edition shares databases with other users on the local network or over the Internet via an interactive web interface based on the latest web technologies. Smart templates bring 'canned documents' to life, interactively fill them with data, or choose the right copy for the user's language. RSS, RDF and Atom news feeds can be added as self-updating groups to any DEVONthink Pro database and so integrate live content with local documents.

The independent 'Sorter' panel lets the user add data to your databases even when DEVONthink Pro is not open and the 'Clip to DEVONthink' bookmarklet makes clipping data from the web to DEVONthink comfortable. For Mac OS X 10.5 'Leopard' DEVONthink provides a contextual menu plugin; on Mac OS X 10.6 'Snow Leopard' the Services menu commands integrate it tightly with the Finder. Tabbed browsing and editing as well as Cover Flow and a redesigned column view providing an iTunes-like navigation for documents simplify working with large numbers of documents. A PDF sidebar allows rearranging and deleting pages, standard PDF annotation tools as well as a Annotation smart templates let the user annotate PDFs or other document types, and an image editing panel allow simple image corrections directly within the database.

"Version 2.0 with its truckload of new features, user interface enhancements, and the improved database core powered by DEVONsphere technology propels DEVONthink and DEVONnote even further ahead of its competition. It makes the Mac to the best platform for smart personal information management," comments Eric Bohnisch-Volkmann, President of DEVONtechnologies.

The new database engine incorporated into DEVONthink and DEVONnote 2.0 not only speeds up working with large databases but also stores all files in their original file format, e.g. Microsoft Word files and email messages. Files are no longer converted when imported and can be edited using external applications. In addition, all documents can be accessed from outside DEVONthink and DEVONnote using a standard URL. This highly improves workflow integration with third-party solutions such as iCal, OmniFocus Daylite, Bookends, Endnote, and many other applications.

DEVONthink Personal 2.0 and DEVONnote 2.0 inherit the three pane view formerly exclusive to the Pro editions as well as separate document windows, the full screen mode, smart templates, the ability to linking to documents using a URL, and a number of plugins. In addition DEVONthink Personal is no longer limited to 10,000 images.

Pricing and Availability:
DEVONthink Pro and Pro Office 2.0, DEVONthink Personal 2.0, and DEVONnote 2.0 require Mac OS X 10.5 or later and can be downloaded as free trial versions. DEVONthink and DEVONnote can be test-driven for free for 150 hours of non-continuous runtime until they need to be properly licensed.


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