What lovely news, I didnt expect DT to get AI features. Ill give it a whirl this weekend, but in the meantime, will it be possible to limit AI used on a per database basis?
Yes there is a DTTG 4.0 Testflight
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The AI in DT4 is generative AI with a choice of many LLM models; it is entirely separate from the āSee Also and Classifyā AI that DT has long had.
The new DT4 generative AI is used on an on-demand basis. It works in all databases, but it is only executed when you either manually query a document in the chat or when you execute an automation by script, Smart Rule, or Batch Process.
I posted this earlier today on the DT site but it may also be of interest to some here:
I have trialed DT4 almost since the start. About 4 months ago I decided its performance was solid enough to switch to it full-time for production work; the increment in capability over DT3 was so large it was well worth it. [That said - you may wish to turn off DT4 AIās ability to edit existing production documents until the beta is over - I only use it to create documents, not to alter current documents or metadata.] Its generative AI capabilities in particular have been every bit as transformative to my workflow as the day I first used a word processor or the day I switched to paperless document storage.
Lots of generative AI apps help with writing - thatās not what I am focused on. Rather DT4 has no competitor either in the cloud or on the desktop with regard to its ability to summarize, analyze, chronicle, or critique existing documents or document sets of any size. And it can do so with page links galore to confirm the source of all information. It will quickly become an essential tool in the toolbox for anyone who regularly reviews, analyzes, references, or crtiques documents - including academics, scientists, attorneys, topic experts in legal settings, engineers, and anyone else who does similar detailed document analysis.
Some of this works right out of the box. The best performing document analysis specific to a particular industry works best if you invest additional time scripting your AI queries - but the time spent is well worth it and no doubt you will get lots of help on the Forum in writing such scripts.
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Do you do any actual writing in DT4 and if so, how is it? I could envision a scenario where Iād add my published, draft, and percolating articles in DT4 so that all of my research and articles would be in one app.
My āwritingā consists of authoring medical/legal reports and creating markdown notes. The reports are created in Word and stored in DT4 just as I did with DT3. The markdowon notes are created in DT4; Devontech made significant effort to improve the editor in DT4 based on user input, including customized margins.
The really nice part about DT4 is how well the generative AI works without having to upload the files anywhere. Most notably - I very frequently use the AI after I create my first draft to ask question like āIs this persuasive- give me pros and consā or āWhat did I miss?ā or āHow can I improve this?ā The quality of response you get depends on which LLM you choose; Claude 3.7 is fantastic in its ability to function as an editor.
P.S. I forgot to add - If you use DT4 for writing it now has versioning! So it keeps your old versions as you edit them. In all fairness, this was one of the few areas where there were some issues during the beta - at one point it made an extreme number of backups so I turned off the versioning until the final version is ready. I believe they fixed those issues now - and itās a really nice feature to have.
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I have always used DEVONthink for this purpose. While I keep all drafts of papers in DEVONthink - I do not edit them there. DEVONthink is fine for markdown, OK for RTF, but not for drafting work for professional publication. The drafts are stored in DEVONthink, where the text is fully searchable by DEVONthink, and the AI of DT4 can query the text, but the editing is done in purpose-built editing software. This is not a difficulty - just click the āopen document in the default appā button, edit externally, and save. The edits are in the document in the database.
This is a strength of DEVONthink, as the hub of all my research, while utilizing external apps for the strengths those apps have.
Katie
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I use AI Writer and DT this way on iPad too, itās a massive improvement over the built in editor. I love that I can use any app on the iPad to edit my DT files. I also have a lot of keynote files in DT and that works just as well. I keep all my work in progress in DT no matter what the app/project, centralizing everything makes it much easier.
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My biggest compalint for DT4 at the moment is no font size adjustment for AI chat window. It is tiny and uncomfortable to read. However, the idea is good!
I think Tinderbox was one of the first introduce this āyou donāt lose the updates youāre bought if you donāt pay the annual feeā method ā at least itās been that way since about 2010 when I first starting using it (and I donāt want to think how much that means Iāve spend on it since then at Ā£90-ish a yearā¦).
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Oh, that makes sense. He always did things his own way.
I owned that for awhile but never really found a good use for it. Not because of the software, which was well made.
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TBH, I donāt really have a killer use for TBX ā at the moment I use it mainly for a journal ā but I just find the whole concept so clever and ingenious that somehow I renew the licence every year. Itās perfect tinkererās software ā but itās also uniquely capable for those who really do have a need for it. In fact, DT3 (now 4) and Tinderbox are probably the main reasons why I wonāt switch over to Linux or Windows ā they simply donāt have any equivalents. Scrivener too, though it does have a Windows version (which can work on Linux) is a better experience on the Mac.
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How does one get an invite (
Jim?) I currently have both 3ās using CloudKit sync, but am skittish of Beta installation on Mac.
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I second this. How can I join TestFlight?
I wish I could get excited about DEVONthink, but I canāt get past the complexity and interface. Itās overwhelming. Does anyone know of a good beginner guide to get started? By beginner guide, I mean āDEVONthink ELI5.ā 
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There is no TestFlight version of DEVONthink 4. There is only the beta as announced on our blog and available in our Downloads.
If you can use the Finder, you can use DEVONthink. What do you find specifically overwhelming?
I donāt agree with this comparison at all.
For a start, there are icons everywhere, in every corner of the app. The sidebar has icons on the top and bottom, the middle pane (default split into two sections) has icons in both, the inspector column has icons, and then the toolbar itself has icons.
We both know that Finder canāt do half the things DEVONthink can do, so comparing the two in ease of use isā¦ interesting. I couldnāt add that many icons to Finder if I tried.
This could just be a me problem, but Iām like a deer in headlights when opening the app. I donāt know what to do, or where to go. Databases. Import or index. Recently, I tested an email app Shortwave that had a nice onboarding. Maybe something like this would be ideal to onboard people and reduce the initial overwhelm? For example, a screen that lets people pick the interface they want - minimal with the essentials, the full experience, and something in-between. Then a screen that explains, in plain English, importing or indexing and letting someone choose which theyād prefer. Give people a territory to stand on so they can use the app, not stare blankly at a vast expanse ofā¦ everything.
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Two Iāve spent time with:
If you have a budget, Davidās field guide is great. Iām not a video-oriented learner but because thereās so much going on in the UI, pairing screen recordings with his golden voice works. DEVONthink Field Guide | MacSparky Field Guides
For free, thereās a free Take Control book that I think has a gentle introduction. Take Control of DEVONthink 3 ā Take Control Books (Guessing thisāll be updated for 4 soonā¦)
Both of them deal with the handwringing about creating the first database fairly well. Once you have that first database and are used to going there to look for files, you can pretend itās Finder, haha.
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And we also have information in a variety of places.
- The built-in Help and manual
- Help > Tutorials
- Our blog
- Our forums
- Our support ticket system.
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