02-22-2009, 04:08 PM

I work as a reporter and often research large, sprawling investigative projects. I'm looking for the best information manager software out there, and am wondering what would work best. Here are the features I'm looking for:

-Allow me to me to easily attach a reference to a file (as opposed attaching a whole file, which would eat up a ton of space), AND allows me link to a particular section w/in a file (for PDFs, Word / RTF docs, web pages, etc.). Some sort of drag and drop feature would be great...

-It would be great if it would also allow me to attach a similar reference to sound files as well, such as WAV or MP3s -- for interviews.

-Interfacing w/ Spotlight and, if possible, Mailsmith, NetNewsWire, and FileMaker Pro (tricky, I know).

-Powerful searching capabilities, and searching options that will allow me to refine searches

-Indexes everything, builds cross-references, and allows extremely flexible input

-Encryption or some level of added security

I've heard people reference Devonthink Pro, Circus Ponies' Notebook, Yojimbo, and TopXNotes. Any suggestions?

02-22-2009, 11:52 PM

Are you looking for something like Daylite perhaps?

You can check it out here: http://www.marketcircle.com/daylite/index.html

The price tag is pretty steep though. Here in the UK, it costs £129 to get a copy for a single user. :(

02-23-2009, 04:05 PM

No, I'm looking for app's that are more like Devonthink Pro, Circus Ponies' Notebook, Yojimbo, and TopXNotes... Thanks, though. Any other ideas?

02-24-2009, 10:50 AM

mekentosj.com | Introducing Papers... Your personal library of science

Designed for scientists but perhaps might somewhat fit your needs. Otherwise Notebook seems like a good choice. I personally use Things, and just organize my folder structure within the Finder well.

02-25-2009, 07:20 PM

DevonThink Pro seems to be the best bet for you. A good complement in terms of actual writing (prior to final output to word processor) is Scrivener

02-25-2009, 08:55 PM

Thanks! Some people think Circus Ponies Notebook is great because it indexes everything, builds cross-references, and allows extremely flexible input. Still trying to see if there's an easy way to use Notebook to link to a particular section w/in a file but so far no dice...

Anyway, I've heard that DEVONthink Pro is the way to go, and have been experimenting w/ it. I'm still working out the kinks, and trying to see how best to set it up -- namely if/how to organize the database so it actually affects documents and folders that I've imported (or indexed). Even more pressing, I'm trying to find a way that FileMaker Pro & DEVONthink can communicate w/ each other (i.e., interface) so that I can access the data / info contained in my FileMaker Pro database -- just like the way DEVONthink is able to access / import / index data from other formats (e.g., from email clients).

I just heard back from the DEVONthink forum, and got the following response: "DEVONthink doesn't use or support ODBC. Therefore the only solutions are either AppleScript or ex- & importing CSV/TSV files."

Since I've never used AppleScript before, does anyone have any suggestions on how best to use it or if there's a kind of script anyone would suggest I produce that would enable this kind of interfacing? Thanks for your help!

05-03-2009, 07:55 AM

Note: This is in reply specifically to clint1986:

Clint, I appreciated this referral. I am searching for personal productivity software, and I searched under DevonThink, because I just bought it. I was impressed with Daylite's testimonials, and I am downloading it now. I also plan to get TasksPro, but I am still in the scanning mode.

Thanks so much. I wouldn't have found it if not for you. I am looking for ease of use and like the way you can connect people and projects. I also want a hierarchial task manager to help me sequence my activities without having to laboriously plan the optimal sequencing myself.

05-03-2009, 08:49 AM

I use Things, VoodooPad and their iPhone counterparts to organize my data.

VoodooPad is pretty extendable, but may not do everything you're looking for out of the box. The ability to link to Files and embed images is pretty useful though and its wiki-like structure is ideal for university notes and references:
Review: VoodooPad lite

05-03-2009, 09:40 AM

I use Scrivener for writing projects that allow documents to be imported. But I have investigated Tinderbox, which seems more powerful and more in line with what you requested.

12-14-2009, 09:47 PM

Anyone know of any free alternatives? I came to the conclusion that I'm completely unorganized and it's affecting me greatly lol. I don't want to use apple mail or calendar or anything.