As we work through the materials in this course, we're going to be building up the database slowly and working with each piece as we add elements to the database. So I thought, before we get started, it would make sense to look at a fully grown database together. 

Here's an example of DEVONthink in working circumstances. And this is the DEVONthink databases that I keep. I've got this Apple Research database here that we're going to be working with throughout the course. It gives us a nice source of documents we can share together and work on without giving you a bunch of, you know, confidential information from my clients, because I can't do that. 

But you can see I've got other databases available to me, as well, for Field Guides and client work. Records is one I can probably show you. This is where I keep just records that I store as I worked through my personal life. So if something comes in for insurance, it gets stored into this group right here. And within these, I've created nested folders as well. So I can, you know, get to what I need easily. 

But as you can see a fully grown DEVONthink database looks a lot like the Finder, except as we get through the course, you'll find out that DEVONthink has a lot more power tools than the Finder does. It has the ability to encrypt and sync your data. It has the ability to add really clever smart rules. And it has the ability to link your documents anywhere else on your Mac. It is these power tools that make DEVONthink so attractive to nerds like me who want to get more out of their file system or even bring that artificial intelligence to bear. 

Either way, we're about to start the course. We're going to use it with a much more pared down version of a database, so it's easier to digest for you as you learn the course. But my hope is that when you get to the end of the course, you'll be able to build out your own databases, like I've got here and use DEVONthink to its full potential.