Existing users, 
EagleFiler
Organize, search, archive mail, web pages, files, miscellaneous scraps of info.
Version: 1.4.11
Would be a preferred application except for ...
Feedback Type: Commentary
Contributed by: loehman Tuesday, July 22 2008 @ 10:34 AM PDT
Product Platform: MacOSX
Used Product For: Less than a month
Recommend Product: NO
I am looking for a small application to keep track of miscellaneous files and notes (I am a teacher). I tried them all: Soho Notes, DevonThink, Together, MacJournal, Journier, SideNoteX, Notetaker, etc. They all cost about the same ($40). I really like both Soho Notes and EagleFiler EXCEPT that they both import files instead of creating aliases. I don't need another copy of a pdf file that is already on my hard drive; I just want to remember where it is and make notes about it. If I edit an original Word document, I want my filing application to load the new one, not a copy of the original. A couple of the other applications give you option of importing or not. Maybe EagleFiler could do the same.
Comments
Would be a preferred application except for ... - loehman
While I appreciate your effort in responding to my concerns, it doesn't change my position. I spent a ton of time entering information and notes into Idea Keeper, a classic application. It was just what I needed. But I can no longer access that information. EagleFiler DOES keep the documents accessible, but it still does not change the fact that I have hundreds of files all over my hard drive that I have intentionally filed in certain places. It would be a waste of disk space to have the same file in more than one place. EagleFiler might be the right application for many users, but not for me at this time. Good luck and thanks so much for the hands-on support.Wednesday, July 23 2008 @ 09:43 AM PDT
Yep ! - robbyx--2008
I was just going to suggest the same thing! Yep is phenomenal!!! Hands down my favorite third party OS X app. Nothing touches it for PDF management. Not even close. And if you need more than PDF support, check out Yep's (arguably more complicated) sibling, Leap.www.ironicsoftware.com
Thursday, July 24 2008 @ 10:09 AM PDT
To copy or not to copy? - bylr
DEVONthink databases can include linked folders, files, etc – leaving your original files intact but providing the full database functionality of the app. Nothing against EagleFiler's paradigm, but I'd suggest taking another look at DEVONthink it if this is the behavior you need.Friday, July 25 2008 @ 06:49 AM PDT
To copy or not to copy? - loehman
Thanks for all your suggestions, I tried YEP, but all it handles are pdfs. I tried DEVONthink again, but I cannot figure out how NOT to import files. I think what most matches my needs is Together of Journier. Neither of them is very flashy, but they both seem to get the job done.Friday, July 25 2008 @ 10:55 AM PDT
Would be a preferred application except for ... - dkovac
I understand that you've developed a system over the years. So have I. I have found, however, that with just a little bit of set-up in duplicating that system WITHIN EagleFiler, I can now import files into EagleFiler and delete the originals. Searching is much faster and via tagging, labeling, and categorizing (not as much work as it sounds) I'm able to keep the relationships between documents that I was looking for. That, and I can do it via multiple computers. It does require that one "dive-in," but I say go for it.Tuesday, October 28 2008 @ 12:11 PM PDT
Would be a preferred application except for ... - rturnbull
If you want to manage PDFs without creating copies of them, you should take a look at Yep. It only does PDFs but the same developer has another application that manages all documents, Leap. Both applications are designed to help you get organized by tagging your documents, they are not full information managers or note applications. http://www.yepthat.com/Saturday, November 22 2008 @ 06:20 AM PST
I recommend not keeping copies - michaeltsai
EagleFiler is designed around Apple's "library" model, where the library contains the actual files, not references to them. This has the advantage of simplicity: the library folder is self-contained, so you can move it around, and you won't accidentally modify or delete its contents when you thought you were manipulating an unrelated file.I agree that copies are usually not desired. The general assumption is that you would create a file within EagleFiler or else you would import a file and delete the original. So you would end up with one file in the library, not one copy inside and one copy outside.
I realize that there are some situations where it would be nice to be able to import a reference to a file that's stored somewhere else. That's a possibility for a future version of EagleFiler. However, I continue to recommend the "store in the library" approach. My experience from using other applications has been that cataloging files by reference is fragile. Aliases are better than the alternatives, but they're not perfect. Inevitably, moving the files, restoring from backup, or updating to a different drive or a different Mac breaks the links, and it's a huge amount of work to fix them all.
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Tuesday, July 22 2008 @ 11:22 AM PDT