chuckhopkins76 Posted October 20, 2009 Report Posted October 20, 2009 I just wanted to say thanks to all who recomended Inspect Express. It is real easy to use. It only took me about 5 minutes to get started.
Brad Manor Posted October 20, 2009 Report Posted October 20, 2009 You'll like it even more after a couple months of using it. It's great! -B
Chad Fabry Posted October 20, 2009 Report Posted October 20, 2009 I just wanted to say thanks to all who recomended Inspect Express. It is real easy to use. It only took me about 5 minutes to get started. I really like the program but it would be awesome if there was a way to open the entire boiler library so that it's displayed like a shopping list. Ideally, one would be able to start at the the top, open and then edit or delete a comment and then move on to the next.
AHI in AR Posted October 20, 2009 Report Posted October 20, 2009 Not that anyone asked, exactly, but... I have used IE for about 3 years and I like the program also. Customer service has been very quick, attentive, and personal. It produces an attractive, user-friendly report. My main problem with it? The sections are too small on screen. There's a good 60% of the monitor size unused. That's a lot of wasted screen real estate and it makes for a lot of time-wasting scrolling when it comes to selecting and inserting both comments and photos. Especially photos. Even with low-res photos, on those homes where I've got a lot of them I waste a lot of time scrolling since only 6 display at a time. I could generate a report a lot faster if the sections were larger and less time was spent scrolling and more time simply clicking. A fairly distant second best would be if individual thumbnail photos were removed off the screen after insertion. At least that way the photo scrolling would get progressively faster. I think creating larger sections with more comments and thumbnails displayed could easily shave 15 minutes off a simple report and twice that time off a larger one. Who wouldn't like that time savings? A few other things on my wish list: (I could add more) 1. The ability to create a database of client names/addresses/email addresses that I could use to easily send emails at regular intervals. 2.The ability to create a database of new home jobs to send follow up emails as their warranty nears expiration. 3. The ability to more easily move comments from one section to another (not just within a section) to create more customized reports -- this may be partly what Chad's getting at also. 4. The ability to choose a custom default folder to save reports in outside of IE. It takes a lot of time telling it what folder to send a file to every time since I don't use the default folder in IE.
Jim Katen Posted October 20, 2009 Report Posted October 20, 2009 . . . Even with low-res photos, on those homes where I've got a lot of them I waste a lot of time scrolling since only 6 display at a time. . . . I don't know if this is helpful or not, but if you use the Word Wrap File Image dialogue box, you can resize it to any size you want and it stays that way till you change it. I presently have mine set up to display 42 thumbnails. - Jim in Oregon
Brad Manor Posted October 20, 2009 Author Report Posted October 20, 2009 I might be mistaken, but I think there is a way to get at all the boiler at once in the program (I'm sure Mike will correct me if I'm wrong). A while back I was away from inspecting for a few weeks (ok months) and remember doing some boilerplate house cleaning. -B
Chad Fabry Posted October 20, 2009 Report Posted October 20, 2009 1. The ability to create a database of client names/addresses/email addresses that I could use to easily send emails at regular intervals. I use Quickbooks Pro for that 2.The ability to create a database of new home jobs to send follow up emails as their warranty nears expiration. again, quick books 3. The ability to more easily move comments from one section to another (not just within a section) to create more customized reports -- this may be partly what Chad's getting at also. That's part of what I'm getting at 4. The ability to choose a custom default folder to save reports in outside of IE. It takes a lot of time telling it what folder to send a file to every time since I don't use the default folder in IE. I use the default folder to store the original word docs. I store the "official" pdf's in a folder that's easier to access
chuckhopkins76 Posted October 20, 2009 Report Posted October 20, 2009 I just uploaded HomeGauge free trial and I think I like it better
Chad Fabry Posted October 20, 2009 Report Posted October 20, 2009 I just uploaded HomeGauge free trial and I think I like it better One is your first two wheeler; the other is a Harley.
Inspectorjoe Posted October 20, 2009 Report Posted October 20, 2009 One is your first two wheeler; the other is a Harley. Aw, come on. You've got to elaborate on that. The suspense is (almost) killing me.
Erby Posted October 21, 2009 Report Posted October 21, 2009 I really like the program but it would be awesome if there was a way to open the entire boiler library so that it's displayed like a shopping list. Ideally, one would be able to start at the the top, open and then edit or delete a comment and then move on to the next. Don't know how IE does that, but HomeGauge does it like this. Perhaps it's clearer in the uploaded picture! Click to Enlarge 64.1 KB -
Michael Brown Posted October 21, 2009 Report Posted October 21, 2009 I really like the program but it would be awesome if there was a way to open the entire boiler library so that it's displayed like a shopping list. Ideally, one would be able to start at the the top, open and then edit or delete a comment and then move on to the next. Chad if you right click one of the observations and then click the Manage button on the form that opens up you will see this form below and you can easily edit all comments on the form by clicking down the list on the right. You can also use what I call the data dump under the settings menu... View Edit Database Comments. From that form you can dump the entire observation library to the page... edit as much as you want and then use the same form to suck it back into the database. Michael Brown DevWave Software Inc.
hausdok Posted October 21, 2009 Report Posted October 21, 2009 Jeez, IE's looking kind of slick. Maybe I should upgrade my 2003 version. [^] OT - OF!!! M.
Michael Brown Posted October 21, 2009 Report Posted October 21, 2009 Not that anyone asked, exactly, but... I have used IE for about 3 years and I like the program also. Customer service has been very quick, attentive, and personal. It produces an attractive, user-friendly report. My main problem with it? The sections are too small on screen. There's a good 60% of the monitor size unused. That's a lot of wasted screen real estate and it makes for a lot of time-wasting scrolling when it comes to selecting and inserting both comments and photos. Especially photos. Even with low-res photos, on those homes where I've got a lot of them I waste a lot of time scrolling since only 6 display at a time. I could generate a report a lot faster if the sections were larger and less time was spent scrolling and more time simply clicking. A fairly distant second best would be if individual thumbnail photos were removed off the screen after insertion. At least that way the photo scrolling would get progressively faster. I think creating larger sections with more comments and thumbnails displayed could easily shave 15 minutes off a simple report and twice that time off a larger one. Who wouldn't like that time savings? Thanks for the feedback Kevin! How about a sneak peak of the next version??? I don't like my competitors knowing what I'm up to so i'm not going to go into to many details yet. First we have a new PictureDrop version almost ready to go and of course this will also be integrated with InspectExpess: Click to Enlarge 56.51 KB A few other things on my wish list: (I could add more) 1. The ability to create a database of client names/addresses/email addresses that I could use to easily send emails at regular intervals. 2.The ability to create a database of new home jobs to send follow up emails as their warranty nears expiration. We use MS Outlook for contacts, appointments etc. you can do all of that from there. We do a mail merge in our estimating software that might help though. 3. The ability to more easily move comments from one section to another (not just within a section) to create more customized reports -- this may be partly what Chad's getting at also. The new version is easy to edit, drag and drop, copy a system, sub system, add a textbox, dropdown etc..... Click to Enlarge 97.61 KB 4. The ability to choose a custom default folder to save reports in outside of IE. It takes a lot of time telling it what folder to send a file to every time since I don't use the default folder in IE. That sounds like a bug... it should remember the last directory and always open up there if it still exists until you change it again. I will have a look at it. Here is a shot of the new version... the icons and graphics will change a bit. This should be the the fastest and absolute easiest inspection software. Click to Enlarge 50.3 KB One problem guys... the new stuff only runs in Word 2007 or newer... time to upgrade? Michael Brown DevWave Software Inc.
Erby Posted October 21, 2009 Report Posted October 21, 2009 This should be the the fastest and absolute easiest inspection software. Boy, there's one thatll have everybody arguing until the cows come home. Do you HAVE to have Microsoft Word to make Inspect Express run? Kevin: Can you dump your customer data to a *.csv file or an Excel worksheet. I do that with mine and then use the Excel worksheet to mail merge with Word for letters and/or E-mail. Creates personalized letters or e-mails very easily. 400 or 500 e-mails ready to go in just a minute or two (NOT including drafting the original). Same with letters but then you gotta actually print them out and stuff them in envelopes. Ugh! Research Microsoft Word's Mail Merge function.
NJinspector Posted October 21, 2009 Report Posted October 21, 2009 How long till the new version is ready Mike?
Nolan Kienitz Posted October 21, 2009 Report Posted October 21, 2009 Mike, I'm sure you don't want to go down the path of creating a specific template ... AKA: Texas TREC Form 7A-2 ??? Or do you?? Download Attachment: REI-7-2-PropertyInspectonReport.pdf 35.87 KB
hausdok Posted October 21, 2009 Report Posted October 21, 2009 Mike, I'm sure you don't want to go down the path of creating a specific template ... AKA: Texas TREC Form 7A-2 ??? Or do you?? Download Attachment: REI-7-2-PropertyInspectonReport.pdf 35.87 KB I don't think it would be that difficult for him to do; he's already got a checklist setup that looks just about like what that mandatory Texas form looks like. OT - OF!!! M.
Tim H Posted October 21, 2009 Report Posted October 21, 2009 Jeez, IE's looking kind of slick. Maybe I should upgrade my 2003 version. [^] OT - OF!!! M. I was thinking the same thing. I love my edition, no complaints...but that looks pretty cool. Tim
Michael Brown Posted October 22, 2009 Report Posted October 22, 2009 This should be the the fastest and absolute easiest inspection software. Boy, there's one thatll have everybody arguing until the cows come home. There isn't going to be any question about that this time. As you can see from the screen shots there will be a whole layer removed from both editing the document and managing the stored data. Do you HAVE to have Microsoft Word to make Inspect Express run? Yes... and you can easily edit the document in a real word processor when your done [:-tong2] and you know where the pictures end up if someone prints it [:-tong2] and... and... etc... etc... Michael Brown DevWave Software Inc.
Michael Brown Posted October 22, 2009 Report Posted October 22, 2009 How long till the new version is ready Mike? The new PictureDrop will probably be ready in the next week or two. I will need a couple of victims to help test the deployment[:-wiltel]. The new home inspection software will probably be ready in early January. It won't have as many of the features as the old version to start with but is very cool the way it works. If you are using Word 2007 already you know what I mean by dynamic. Michael Brown DevWave Software Inc.
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