Precisely 
What a friggen awesome program. It’s like a personal www for uploading my brain - not to mention all the bits of info/thoughts I normally stick in random places (and therefore remain unconnected and so relatively inert.) Wow! It’s like a gestalt shift!
All software should be made so deceptively simple and so incredibly reflective of how we actually personally work. 
Thanks so much for the help!
This is essentially my only real skill – and I’m always looking for ways to capture and get on top of all those disparate connexions. I never took VP too seriously, even though DT’s limitations are a constant annoyance. Maybe it’s time to take another look.
You and Katz have given me something new to think about.
Thanks
E.
Honestly nothing beats a big corkboard on the wall, for me. Spools of coloured thread and a thousand index cards flapping in the wind. So in a way, Tinderbox often works best for pulling out strange juxtapositions – but that program is far more than most are willing to pay for, and far more than most are willing to learn, so I rarely recommend it.
I know that contradicts my statement about not needing a map. Both are true.
Connect that. 
Amber V, I partly agree with your critical attitude toward DT (Pro), in particular with regard to the classification feature. I neve use it, in the first place because I want to decide myself where my documents go, and in the second place because it often doesn’t work. I have a rather large DT database, so the classification system inside DT has a clear reference point, but its proposals are often rather absurd. Moreover, the classification system is simply helpless when it comes to categorizing documents which are written in different languages; and mine are. So the whole classification system inside DT, of which the developers seem to be rather proud, for me could be trashed immediately.
I agree too with your critical observations on the interface, which indeed is not exactly one of the Seven World Wonders, and on the general “feel” of the application. And for writing text DT is a disaster. There seem to exist even people who write whole theses in DT. Well, they clearly belong to a different branch of mankind than I do.
And yet I use it every day. Why? Well, in the first place because I don’t like changing my fundamental working tools. Before changing, I would like to be absolutely sure that another application fits me better.
Secondly, DT Pro 2.0 should be more or less around the corner; and this should be a really big update. We’ll see.
Thirdly, DT Pro is very, very stable. I never had any stability problems with it; and this means a lot to me. I am among those who put stability above all.
As another big DTPro user, I’ll agree with AmberV that the interface is like walking into a hotel where everything you need is there, but not presented in a way that would make you want to come back.
However, I use DTPro as my “attic”, here I throw absolutely everything: computer manuals, receipts, scanned images, documents, clippings, notes, walkthroughs for all of the games that I play, etc. I don’t use it to create and manage my own thoughts. I do use it to assemble a massive quantity of stuff and then browse around in it.
Every tool has its niche, and I think DTPro fills its own quite nicely. But since this is a forum for creative tools, I would have to count DTPro out – except insofar as having quick access to tons of information helps my creativity at times. 
I used to use the Finder. DTPro is way better than that.
John
Very nice distinction. My own needs are rather simple, and I am definitely in the former category regarding storage. I just need a place to dump things that can help me put them in some kind of order and where I can find things easily and quickly. I don’t really use the classify function in DTP all that often, but I do find DT a safe and easy place to store things. I’m not looking for DT to help me brainstorm–I do that in other ways and in other places. I’ve never really checked out VP, however, so maybe I’ll take the time to check it out.
I agree with all the assessments on DTPs weaknesses. I don’t really care for its much vaunted ‘AI’ features. And I tried writing in it and found it a most unpleasant experience. Very frustrating and not conducive to wanting to write often. Not good for a writer!
Alexandria
Hi Alex,
I noticed your post in the DT forum re integrating DT and Scrivener. Things have been hectic lately; sorry I haven’t had time to add anything intelligent to the discussion. I’m doing much as you are: trying to adapt scrivener to my writing style while keeping sources in DT.
I’m doing some dramaturgy in an awful rehearsal space at the moment but hoping to have enough time at my desk this week to come up with a good workable integrated solution - and I’ll give VP a whirl while I’m at it. I need to solve this NOW - I’ve been given a go on a new work for next season and I’d like to have my “system” designed by the time my brand new Imac gets back from its first friggin repair.
Is your defense coming up soon? My grilfriend is deep in dissertationland (Double Canadian/French phd in public health) and is freaking out these days- I keep telling her it’s normal to be terrified. Hope I’m right.
Cheers,
E
del
Lucky you. I can barely imagine how that must feel 
Someday maybe.
E
No kidding! But then again, I did used to say that about finding a principle creative writing application.
I never experienced Maria’s feeling of no-more-needing-to-look-for-applications-of-a-certain-kind. Except once. In the past, I was very interested in backup applications: I tried many of them, bought some of them, liked none of them. Until I found Synk, eighteen months ago. Synk was and is perfect for me. Since then I have completely lost interest in other backup applications.
But I doubt this wil ever be the case with wordprocessors and data base applications, which are much more complex, and have to meet many more different needs. Mellel, yes, but why this abstruse style management and why no highlighting? Nisus, yes, but why no good outliner, why no indexing and no TOC? Etcetera etcetera. It’s the story of the quadrangular circle.
Honestly, I thoroughly recommend writing your own software - that way, it does exactly what you want.
No worries re the Scr./Dt integration. You sound as busy as I am these days. Anything you can add would be most helpful, but, as you might predict, I’m working this thing out as I go.
I’m mostly like Maria, in the ‘don’t need to try any other programs’ camp–interestingly, with the same three major players. Though I do want to take VP for a spin (just downloaded it).
Oh, do I feel for your girlfriend. I found writing my dissertation to be one of the most agonizing experiences of my life! Really. It’s so much more a life process than writing a (very!) long paper. Freaking out is not only normal, it would be kind of strange if she weren’t freaking out. It’s a rather terrifying process until you get to the very end. I found when writing my last chapter that I finally felt like I had something and knew what that something was about! Of course, that is true with much of my writing, especially pieces of such length.
So you are right on track in telling her it is quite normal to be scared silly most of the time. I know I was! But I made it and she will too. With some minor revisions, I am soon to be completely DONE with this long and sometimes brutal process–which was worth every agonizing moment, by the way.
As for the defense, there’s another two layers of the process I have to go through (revise the entire project, turn it over to three readers, have them evaluate it and submit reports to the grad school, then apply for my defense–then defend it!). So I am thinking realisitically my defense won’t be until early next year. I was hoping to have it done by December, but that’s not realistic. Hey, I’m just happy to be mostly done at this point! They loved my final chapter, so revisions won’t take long. Very happy about that! 
Thanks for asking! And best wishes to your girlfriend. Tell her there IS life after the dissertation, and life actually gets pretty good. It’s VERY worth it.
Alexandria
@ Keith: That’s indeed what I would do if I were only 25 …
@timtheus, re: synk: it looks like a very interesting application. Now that I’m using VP, I need a way to organize all my disparate docs: most of them are not in formats that Devonthink will accept: montage, Final Draft, ect - and I’ve got a ton of them. Is synk rather a good central organizer in addition to the syncing/backup?
Alex,
L thanks you for the words of support and says she’ll print your message and paste it on her corkboard.
Good to hear it’s going so well,
E
Hey Eiron, in this day and age, or in any time, what could be more valuable that that? Thou art a veritable human hyperlink!
Seriously, do give VP a try - it’s bizzare and wonderful how it begins to mirror thy brain. If I may say so, I imagine you in particular would really love it.
@katzenjammer: that depends on what exactly you mean by “a good central organizer”. But in Synk it is possible to include and exclude anything you want while copying, to archive all preceding versions of documents, etc. etc. I have been working with Synk 5 for eighteen months; a week ago I bought one of the three versions of Synk 6 (the Standard Version), which for me works brilliantly. But try and see!
Hmmm, okay, I’m intrigued. I have many such bits of thinking that get utterly lost in every program I’ve tried. So VP can bring these bits together, eh?
Amber’s comments make sense too, and she builds a compelling case for VP over DTP. There is just enough disatisfaction with DTP to get me to rethink this part of my system flow. And just when I thought I was done. Sigh…
At least I have Scr., in which there is no disatisfaction. It’s more of a conceptual fit, and how a program fits in with a user’s natural, most productive ways of working. That is what Amber described so well. And I have to admit, sighing again, that while Scr. fits totally, other programs don’t nearly so well for me. Mellel and DTP both have enough cumbersome and counter-intuitive aspects that force me to stop dead in my tracks and figure something out about how to do this or that, or find a workaround for something it just won’t do or do well. Very annoying when it happens, and I’m sure you can all relate.
That is what makes me so happy with Scr. When working in Scr., there is no stopping. Just working, writing, researching, all in a natural way, enjoying every minute of it, because there are no interruptions caused by the program itself. Scr. totally supports the way I work.
So…I now want to give VP a serious go around. It sounds much too interesting to not at least check out. Though part of me is utterly reluctant to try out yet another program. (sighing again…)
Alexandria
PS thanks to all of you for posting your thoughts so thoroughly on this. It’s an interesting thread!
Ha! This is exactly what I did with comments from my advisor. I’m happy to have played it forward! My best to you and to “L,”
Alexandria