As a longtime Devonthink user who is impatiently awaiting release of 2.0, I was pleased and surprised to see how much Eaglefiler has progressed in version 1.4. I don’t have time to go into the details, but it has (very) Smart Folders, Tag Clouds, and perhaps most interesting for Scrivener users, several easy ways to link stored documents to Scrivener docs. Finally, an easy way to capture, store and link large numbers of sources and notes outside of Scrivener.
Check It out. http://c-command.com/blog/2008/10/14/eaglefiler-14/
I recently read a very nice review on this 1.4 update; I think it was on the blog Tagamac. I tend to agree that the (long, long) delay on v.2 of DEVONthink is making me less prone to use it, specially on a day to day basis. DT is still a great app but it looks outdated and the workflow isn’t happening anymore.
Therefore I decided to try Eaglefiler 1.4 (30 day trial, which is quite good). My conclusion (a personal one) is that it seems a steady and fast archive app, also allowing the integration of various types of files. Still, I prefer Together, another app that I own. Why? Well, I prefer the looks of Together and the sidescreen shelf (instead of the little drop pad used by EagleFiler). As an extra Together decodifies OmniOutliner files, something that EagleFiler doesn’t do (a must for me). Also – in Pages and Keynote – we can see more than the front page of the file, whereas in EagleFiler we are restricted to this one.
Of course, and like I mentioned above, this is a very personal choice based essentially on my workflow. Other people can prefer EagleFiler or DEVONthink. For me, I’m now using Together on a daily base to collect all the data I need to organize (small notes, web archives, pdfs, news, images, audio, etc); later, for final archive, I use DEVONthink.
Although DevonThink 2.0 might change this, I think right now the two most compelling apps in this space for everyday users are Together and EagleFiler (particularly now that EagleFiler has smart folders).
The specific differences that stand out to me are ease of use (Together wins here; EagleFiler is super easy to use, but Together just feels slicker) and support for file formats (for me EagleFiler wins because it supports email; as valente.mac shows above others may have different needs). EagleFiler’s tagging is also better than Together’s, in my opinion, although both of them are pretty powerful.
Personally, I mainly use EagleFiler as an archive (similar to how valente.mac is using DevonThink), particularly for email. The integration with MailTags in particular is what encouraged this use. I’ve been thinking about switching to Together for day-to-day notes and so forth, but currently the notebook on my desk is working well for this.
Thanks for the headsup on Together. The last time I checked it was too slow but seems quite zippy now. I agree the interface is slicker and more complete; dig the star ratings and shelf.
That said, EagleFiler’s multiple libraries can be stored anywhere (incl. memory stick & Idisk) and linking files is easier: just drag one or several documents to anywhere --Scrivener Docs, Notes or Document references–and aliases/links are created in a flash.
If you’re missing DT, since Eaglefiler stores its entries separately as normal files, you can Link to any EF library with Devonthink and benefit from Devon’s AI features and replicants. I suppose you could do the same with Together’s single library.
Will keep digging around while waiting for DT 2.0, not to mention Scrivener 1.5’s promised smartfolderage.
Cheers
J
p.s. (later) I’ ve now discovered that Together also allows multiple libraries, though like DT and unlike EF, only one library can be open at a time. EF lets you drag docs between open libraries (or even from DT) and keep metadata and tags.