The Omni Group

I appreciate the update.  Definitely my most wanted feature in OO!

Thanks for this update.  I’ve been checking the OmniGroup website and browsing the forums fairly often hoping to hear about an update that will allow OmniOutliner for iPad to sync with OmniOutliner for Mac.  Up until I read this blog post, I regretted purchasing OO for iPad, but now that I understand the problem, I’m not at all upset.  I wish this explanation had come out sooner! 

Take your time, and get it right. 

Thanks again for keeping us in the loop!

Sorry, I must have missed the comment of Mark A.

I’d settle for a version that didn’t support file attachments but synced with my world of devices in a heartbeat.

Perhaps I’m in the minority here, because I doubt I’m fully exploiting OmniOutliner’s capabilities. Mostly, I just use it for nested lists that I can sort, check off items, and do basic calculations.

I was under the impression that OmniOutliner used standard OPML files, is that not the case?

I realise that you’re an Apple-focused company, but with the Mac Pros being woefully out of date, and considerably overpriced (I don’t need server-grade hardware, but do need a tower with a modern GPU and several terrabytes of internal storage) my desktop is now a Windows-based machine, and my MacBook Pro has been replaced with an iPad. (the MBP is too big & heavy to be portable, the MBA battery life is too short)

In almost every other category of product that I use, I am able to sync files between my PC & iPad via Dropbox effortlessly, as I try to avoid using products which have their own proprietary file formats or sync solutions. (all my documents are plaintext or RTF, for example) OmniFocus & OmniOutliner have been the two exceptions I made to this, based on their reputation, and the promise of sync coming soon.

With Dropbox syncing, I can go to any machine, PC or Mac, log into the website and pull down a file or two that I need access to.

If I want to go a step further, I can install the app which doesn’t just pull down my documents, it also pulls down many of the apps I use to edit them, along with their preferences, so there’s minimal set-up time to start working on files on a new machine the way I prefer. (I get the “portable” version of apps where possible)

iCloud syncing isn’t much use to me, as that is a Mac-only solution, that keeps sync locked within the same application (i.e. to sync between desktop & iPad, you need to own both copies of the same app) and it requires you to log in on the machine to get access to those files. There’s no way to quickly get a document of mine on someone else’s machine, as I need to set up iCloud on another user account, then log into the Mac App store and download the relevant app it syncs with, even if that App is only working with plaintext files. And I don’t especially want to be syncing everything over onto a machine that isn’t mine, just to access a file or two. (even worse if those files were created in separate apps)

Even without considering sync between the desktop & iPad, Dropbox sync lets me move between different Apps on the iPad itself. I use different apps for getting words down on the page than I use for actually editing documents for example. I like to write without distraction in Byword (I prefer iA Writer, but their sync solution is awkward) and then do the actual editing of content in other apps that are more suited to it. (smaller font size, the ability to reorganise sentences, paragraphs quickly etc.)

And while I don’t think it’s likely to be an issue with OmniOutliner, what happens if a company either goes out of business, or decides not to continue publishing on the App store? I have seen several Apps I have purchased disappear off my account when a company has gone under, been purchased by a larger company, decided not to renew their developer license as they weren’t making enough money from it, or simply released a new version and removed the old one from existence. What happens to my documents then, if they’re locked inside the app, and stuck within iCloud, and the app ceases to exist? With Dropbox sync, your files are totally separate from the App that created them, as they should be.

Hi Ken,

Thanks very much for the explanation.  It really helps me understand the issues involved, the paths forward, and how (characteristically) thoughtfully you’re all approaching this issue.  I encourage you and your staff to post this sort of update more frequently.  It might alleviate some of the frustration many feel from waiting in the dark.

One question: am I correct in understanding from your post that OO4 will have a different “non file-wrapper” document format than OO3, one that allows atomic syncing?

Hi folks,

one of the main reasons I chose OmniFocus was that it had the ability to sync via WebDAV, because I refuse to give my sensitive data to cloud services I don’t trust. I’m perfectly capable of running my own servers and do this for friends and family. So to make a long story short, whatever you do, please make sure that the syncing solution supports WebDAV in addition to commercial sync services.

Ken-

I have desktop, iPhone, and iPad versions of OmniFocus, but only the desktop version of OmniOutliner.  When OO offers easy cross-device device syncing, I’ll buy an iPad version, but not before then.

I would also appreciate a universal app.  As much as I like Omni and am willing to pay the $20 that you charge for iOS apps, I won’t buy two versions of it for iOS.