ISN software related.
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Very cool. Thank you! My wife’s laptop is way above mine and she uses photoshop to manage lots of pics. She has the same issue using ISN on her computer. Word is a web based software now and I can drag a pic into it from my desktop in a split second. I could buy a new laptop or desktop but I’m not even considering that until I rule out the software. However, your suggestions are not lost on me. It all goes in the hopper..
So, if you were not aware the ISN software is the old revitalized PalmTech software. PalmTech was always behind the times and kind of glitchy. But, when it first came out twenty or so years ago, it was great. When Porch acquired PalmTech and turned it into the ISN software, they put a good amount of resources into improving and updateing it.
I like ISN interface but it seems exactly as you have described. They seem to be trying to catch up with spectora. I need to start trying others again while still banging through reports on ISN. Here’s something out of left field for ya.. I started working with Grok to create an inspection report and I feel like that’s the future. I fed Grok some info like my area, SOP, BPC and some of my preferences. Then I walked around my house simply talking my inspection into my notes app then copy/pasted that text into Grok. It sorted and placed my findings in a report that it created. Unreal!!! The problem is that it only generates “simple text” so it can’t format the report into what we make in our software BUT it is capable of adding “place holders” for me to drop in pics and it prompts me to assign text color based on my comments. I purposely reported in random order giving it ques like saying “electrical” but TBH it doesn’t need it. I can casually speak about a defect or observation and it’s smart enough to place it where it needs to be. I feel like I could teach it what to say or feed it a library of comments so it would know what comment to apply OR we could create a system of code speak that triggers it to apply comments or inputs that I gave it. But I’m telling you, I randomly talk-to-text’d some findings and it generated a good report based on very little input from me. The problem is: How to paste it’s simple text into a program that could format and generate a beautiful and interactive report with a click? I could make a template in word or something but it would take hours to color texts and drop in pics and so forth. Whoever figures that out will put all these software companies to shame. Unfortunately, I didn’t keep up on the convo with Grok and it forgets after a while. If I do it again I’ll ask it to create a template that I can copy and re-paste into it if I time out. It generates really nice comments and asks if it’s too wordy or technical. I correct it and tell it to save that comment when it’s good. I really want to devote more time to that!
Hey Kurtis. Spectora has a lions share of its own issues. So much so that I’ve been considering giving ISN or Palmtech another shot…. But I just feel like in most ways it won’t be an improved situation above Spectora when it comes to running the business and writing reports.
What issues are you having? There are some of us on the forum that might be able to help you get it figured out.
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It’s working fine for me, and I definitely prefer v10 over Legacy. The search capabilities within Spectora for comments are also excellent. But I want an escape plan if the issues plaguing other users make their way into my experience (clients unable to sign agreements, etc.).
There’s always going to be the question of, what else is out there? Aesthetically I think Spectora is the best alongside Scribeware; the one thing I really don’t like is how the defect photos are cropped.
To be honest I think Scribeware would replace Spectora in a day if they had a back end office suite. Plus, they can install your Spectora template spreadsheet in a heartbeat (I had them do that for me to see what it’s like, but I don’t want to use ISN for the business end).
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They are actually not cropped. What they did was make the placeholders a uniform size. They did this so that users can add pictures of varying aspect ratios without making the report look somewhat jumbled. They chose a basically square placeholder, so the more “rectangular” your pictures are, the more the placeholder will be visible. The placeholder disappears when the client clicks on the picture.
To minimize the “placeholder effect,” consider changing your aspect ratio to something more square. I use 4:3 and it looks fine.
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Evening, Scott. Hope to find you well, as always.
I had to report your full reply to Kurtis. Porch. Lol. or Porch Group Porch Utilities, Residential WARRANTY Services… Inspection Support Group.
Lot a fingers in the home inspection industry pie… Money money money.
I tried Palm Tech many many years ago. I did not like the feel or rhythm and flow of the software. And all the fuc-ing canned narratives I wanted to avoid slowing down software. It’s bloatware IMO. Hate canned narratives. Education teaches one how to speak on the subjects you educated on to get into this industry, no? When all else falls, be my guest and use canned narratives… I guess.
I turn to Horizon from Carson Dunlop. Nice blank slate in Observations. Love it!
You don’t know how to think out and write a subject on defects or deficiencies, say Exterior, out of luck ladies and gentlemen. Back to school where you belong.
Investors dumped Money money money into a cottage industry, Home Inspections. INS is weak on investing. Their decision but you reap what you sew.
Thanks Scott.
Always a pleasure.
It probably won’t be. I will say that ISN has improved since I’ve started using it but just read above. I don’t see how ISN could be better than spectora as far as functionality. Spectora is miles ahead. I like how you can move comments and whole sections around and copy them to other templates, etc. It’s nice to write a comment in the app and be able to save it to your template. Can’t do either of those things in ISN currently however, they are working on those features.
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I saw some lag issues on desktop for a while, but it hasn’t happened lately. Also, if you clear your desktop browser cache it makes a big difference. The simple and straightforward UI on EZ is the best I’ve seen.