I do read a lot on my iPhone and on my MBP. I’ve got an external 27" 4K that connects to my MBP.
I actually found my iPad (Pro 12.9), was way too heavy for extended reading. I may get an iPad mini for this purpose, but am undecided.
Once I decided the iPad wasn’t a MBP replacement, it changed my workflow. With the development of physically small ssd’s I’ve transitioned off all cloud services and basically work off the external disk. It’s as fast as the internal one and means an off the shelf MBP is all I need.
Doesn’t Drafts sync via iCloud Drive, not CloudKit? Although iCloud Drive is run on CloudKit (I don’t think Apple are terribly clear about what’s going on “under the hood” with iCloud Drive but that is how they say it’s meant to work), the mechanics for apps using this aren’t the same.
For apps that use iCloud Drive the process as I understand it is:
App on device 1 > iCloud Drive > [secret Apple iCloud sync via CloudKit across devices] > App on device 2
Can someone confirm if that’s the case with Drafts?
CloudKit’s third party sync is:
App on device 1 > [mysterious third party CloudKit sync that Apple has bodged] > App on device 2
In a perfect world both those mechanisms are seamless and you don’t notice.
Interestingly, since we’re now talking about it, I’ve not had any sync issues that I’ve noticed with iCloud Drive. Maybe it gets preferential treatment in Apple’s ecosystem to ensure reliable sync?
Man I wish there the tech ecosystem was a little more evidence-driven.
“A double-blind study comparing the sync systems of all major operating systems and some leading cloud vendors” would basically be the most read whitepaper in the last decade, and yet no one’s going to write it ;p
(Oh, and no - I don’t know how it could be double-blind, I just threw that in there cause it sounded good ;p)
Nice idea but it wouldn’t work.There are too many variables to control properly. The other apps, background processes, network set up, internet access on that particular day, what’s connected to my computer, what data I am storing, how well maintained my system is etc. etc. are never going to be the same as anyone else’s or the test set up. At best, in-depth tests over a reasonable period of time across a range of clients and locations can give statistical clues about overall reliability and speed.
Sure, it’s not an easy thing to model, but it’s possible.
Anyway, if we did this more there would probably be a better ecosystems of tooling and best practices to mitigate that.
Before I started using Devonthink I did not quite understand how it worked and whether it would be suitable for my needs. I bought David Sparks’ Field Guide to get a better understanding, and soon afterwards bought and started using Devonthink.
I have not been disappointed! It is an excellent repository for my information, and I can find information quickly. I make a lot of use of smart groups and smart rules. I add new notes copied from the internet or created by me direct to Devonthink and index pre-existing files stored in folders in Dropbox.
Based on the Field Guide, I initially used CloudKit for synchronisation. This worked well for over a year, before starting to give problems. I started getting long delays, errors and incomplete synchronisations. I subsequently switched from CloudKit to Dropbox, and synchronisation is working reliably again between iMac, MacBook and iPad.
However, this is at the price of the creation of a huge Devonthink sync file in Dropbox that has consumed all the remaining hard drive space on my MacBook Pro.
I consider myself a Devonthink amateur with particularly weak knowledge of synchronisation. As it initially worked well and met all my needs, I did not need to dig into the details…until now.
I do not know why my Devonthink Sync file in Dropbox is so big (105Gb). Has it duplicated all the indexed files from other folders in Dropbox? Any suggestions?
My best suggestion is to repost this on the DEVONthink forum for the best advice available.
That being said, sync locations are the size they are based on what needs to be synced. If you are syncing too much, then consider your syncing strategy. Also consider using Bonjour to sync which won’t rely on a server-based sync location. Faster and more reliable, anyway. For example use Bonjour for all your databases, and only sync via Dropbox those databases that you need while “out and about”. You don’t have to have only one sync method. I don’t rely on sync while “out and about” as everything syncs up upon return. But if you do need EVERYTHING, then you need everything.
I’m not sure what “selective sync” is with Dropbox and DEVONthink, but DEVONthink with a properly setup Dropbox sync puts the sync files in a “private” location on the Dropbox server that does not sync to the local drive. No need to be selective about anything but in DEVONthink check “on” those databases that are to be synced to Dropbox. All that is fully documented by DEVONtechnologies.
DEVONthink does use the Dropbox API and my understanding is that it is more sophisticated than Apple’s and is probably the reason Dropbox, for many people but not all, is more reliable than Apple’s for DEVONthink synching. You can read the DEVONthink documentation if still curious.
Since my last visit to the Forum I have resolved my DEVONThink sync issues and it is now working perfectly with Bonjour and no enormous sync file in Devonthink. Thanks to all those who offered advice.
Good to hear. Bonjour usually quickest and it is very reliable.
You don’t need to give up on Dropbox. While keeping Bonjour, you can also add in Dropbox as a second sync service. Nothing stops using multiple. Will support you when you are “out and about” away from local network and Bonjour.
Your frustration was about the “huge” sync file:
See page 67 of the “DEVONthink Manual” (3.9.1 version) where it explains how to not have this happen:
If you are using a Dropbox sync and also the Dropbox application, it is advisable to exclude theDEVONthink Packet Syncfolderinside the Apps folder from being synchronized with your Mac. This keeps the Dropbox app from wasting valuable disk space and bandwidth by re-downloading all changes you’ve made to your databases, and from spamming you with notifications.
Step 1: Click the Dropbox icon in the menubar at the top of your screen, then click the account icon and choose Preferences.
Step 2: Select the Sync tab and click the Choose folders to sync button.
Step 3: Select the Apps folder, and uncheck theDEVONthink Packet Syncfolder.
Step 4: Click the Update button and okay the removal of the local data.
There needs to be no sync file on your local machine. It’s kinda of a myth that this “huge” sync file is a requirement with DEVONthink/Dropbox sync. Apologies for not having pointed that out to you before.