[whpalmer4]

Lots of people are complaining about how Omni didn't ship their favorite required feature, that it isn't a proper app if it doesn't have full Dropbox support, or PDF export, or whatever. Some of us see it differently, and are happy to have OmniOutliner available on the iPad without those things, NOW, rather than waiting for them, or getting an app that has them, but is missing some of the features that set OmniOutliner apart from the crowd of apps that already do have more ways to get files in and out, but don't satisfy our desires for actual content creation.

If you're buying a tool, not a toy, presumably you're buying it to do some work. If there's work to be done today, is it not better to get started with the tool available today, rather than waiting for something better? You get the use of the tool during the time between now and such time as the tool gets your desired improvements (which are most likely delivered at no extra cost to you). If that has no value to you, why are you interested in buying the tool at all?

[HappyCatMachine]

Why so defensive? Is there harm in thinking critically about the tools that we use? It's not just about one feature or another, it's about trying to incorporate a tool into our workflow. Either it works or it does not. How exactly am I supposed to move an outline from OmniOutliner into a word processor? It isn't going to happen easily and without the aid of a computer is it? Or is it? I'm still working on that one :)

As a self contained app it is fine and yeah, I'm pleased to finally have it on the iPad. I've been using the Mac version for as long as I can remember. I CAN see where OmniOutliner will fit into a few things that I can do and you bet, I'm going to use it that way. I'll even talk about it (iThoughts and OmniOutliner work beautifully together) but I'm also going to push OO as hard as I push the other tools that I use.

It seems to me that what you are saying is that people should shut up rather than discuss what we see as OO's weaknesses. I don't think that is productive or healthy for the product or its users in the long run. It's good to know that when one experiences frustration that one is not alone.

I liken this to giving a first draft to someone to read through. If they hand it back to me and say "it's fine" then that does me absolutely no good. If they are critical of it, if they ask questions and point to flaws then that is productive.

[Cypher]

I'm happy to have it in my hands on it and be using it, but without the missing features it will quickly become a waste of 12 quid (uk) Its an awfully expensive app if all it turns out to be is a notetaker. I have plenty of free apps that can do that which I've managed with so far and most have worked perfectly well.

I'm posting how I use my system below so it at least gives the guys an idea of what I'm trying to achieve.

My current workflow is using a combination of PlainText (iPad) and Evernote. Both give me features I hope to be able to one day use in OmniOutliner. In fact I only need integration to dropbox to do it. My current workflow gives me access to the files via my PC at work as well as my Mac at home and iPad.

On my way to my office every morning I attend a morning meeting and type my actions etc into Evernote on the iPad, as I walk across to my office the list is transferred to my computer (Windows PC) via 3G. I then use the list on the PC during the day rather than reaching for the iPad.

I also use Omnifocus Mac and iPad and have scripts on the desktop version which creates within dropbox a Project folder containing an OmniOutliner document, both are named using the project name in OF. I also put all of my project related files in here and keep status notes of the project in the OO file. OF is great but it really needs a method to store project status, notes etc within the project. Once you sign off on a task in OF the task disappears along with any notes, so I use the OO document to log my progress on the project, keep copies of any task notes, add the scope of the project, add notes of phone calls and correspondence relating to the project, minutes of meeting, contact details of people involved etc. It would be really good if Omni could look at providing a more fluid link between OF and OO to do this.

I also frequently write plain text files in notepad on my work PC and save them into the dropbox project folders to be later integrated into the OO file at home. I've also started using the app PlainText on the iPad which also allows me to do the same directly to and from dropbox.

All of these files are stored in Dropbox and so are synced to work and home. The OO documents I can only edit/view at home on my Mac, so I have to use the other files in the folder as a means of keeping track of the project during the day when I'm on the PC and I have to remember to merge them into the OO document later. I also keep a pdf copy of the OO document in the folder so I can see it's contents when I'm on the PC. I constantly forget to recreate this. Each of these means extra work and I have to keep remembering to update the files.

I do this over multiple projects and it's starting to create too much additional work, mostly all of which is duplicated work. Because of this I was looking to change the scripts to use plain text notes rather than OmniOutliner. I could then view or edit them directly on the PC and not have to keep remembering to update the files. I've held off doing anything as I've been waiting to see what OO Ipad would offered me. I know I won't have access via the PC, but I will have my iPad with me so I can still view and edit the files. I'd much prefer to use OmniOutliner over plain text but if it won't work then it will have to be the plain text approach.

I really want to be able to keep all my notes together so having OO iPad working with dropbox is essential to my workflow. I'm not too worried about the syncing issue which Ken Case mentioned, I just want to be able to grab a file from dropbox into OO iPad, work on it and then manually save it back to dropbox.

I signed up for an Omni Sync Server account but this is also a work around and I don't think it suites my workflow. I really want my project files kept together and I don't want to leave my main project notes separated from the rest of the project files (text notes, pdf's, autocad dwg, jpgs, emails etc) these are all currently stored in the Dropbox/Project hierarchy.

I'm in the process of trying DropDav but its already completely messed up some of my outlines, wiping the contents of at least one file. It sort of works but it's all extra work and seems like it could be trouble. I'll stick with it and see if it grows on me though, as it looks like the only feasible option at the moment.