Windows Tablets For Fieldwork

[LarryJewell]

I have not followed this thread for a while, so excuse my question if it has already been asked. Is it possible to do a sketch like the one attached here, while at the subject property for the appraisal inspection. I'm still using pencil and graph paper, then re-drawing with Apex 7 back at the office. I'm not interested in just doing a perimeter only sketch using Total Mobile for the final appraisal. I've been doing it this way for over thirty years and do not want to change. If this type of sketch can be done, what type of computer is needed and can it be done with Apex software?

 

[Summer]

I have been getting a little excited about the new Windows 8 tables (Pro, not RT) and being able to use ACI with Apex Nexus as a mobile solution in the field. So when a tech at Apex told me today that Nexus 3 does not work on Windows 8 Pro I was a bit disappointed. I thought all Win 7 programs worked on Win 8, but I guess not. Is anyone aware of a mobile sketch program that would work on Win 8 where the sketch files could be imported into ACI? If anyone has looked into using a Window 8 table for appraisal fieldwork I would be interested in hearing their thoughts.

So I use ACI and I wonder why everyday. There is no sketch program compatible. They are really behind the times and tech support takes for ever these days.

 

[Mike Ault]

If this type of sketch can be done, what type of computer is needed and can it be done with Apex software?

You can absolutely do sketches exactly like that in the field with Apex V7 on a Microsoft Surface Go 2 tablet – Introducing the Surface Go 2 – Perfectly Portable – Microsoft Surface. That particular combination works extremely well and the tablet has enough horsepower for anything else you're liable to throw at it in the field, researching comparables, checking deeds, pulling up online aerial views & plats, etc. I did beautiful sketches like yours for 20+ years however when all my major clients went to rotation lists and I wasn't getting any more orders than the appraisers that weren't drawing interiors so I could no longer justify the additional time spent. Now I only draw them when there is functional deficiencies that have to be addressed. Took me several years to stop feeling like I was turning out substandard appraisals even though not one client has ever mentioned lack of interior partitions & icons. Kudos to you for your extra efforts though, I know you are the type of appraiser that sleeps well at night.

 

[Randall Garrett]

Sorry for being so slow to respond - I was away from my desk for most of the day yesterday and am just now seeing the last few posts.

Mike - Thanks for your input! Your real world input is always appreciated - I think its important to have a fee appraiser like yourself who is actually using the devices they mention during the course of their everyday workload, and who can & will tell the good, the bad, and the ugly. Most of our customers who use the Surface Go (1 & 2) are in larger organizations and/or are "jusisdictional" in nature and don't spend much time on a forum like this so the readers here don't get a chance to interact with them very much.

Larry - Great to hear from you again - it's been a while and I hope you and yours are safe & healthy! As Mike said, you can absolutely do sketches with that sort of detail, and you can do it with the software you already own, so no new money spent there Apex v6 was built from the core of Nexus which was done way back circa 2006-2007 as a sketch-centric field data collection program. When we finally released Av7, the program you now use, we added back in methods more similar to the way Apex had worked all the way back to the DOS days - the most important to many being the ability to "Define First" vs "Draw First." In any case, Av7 retains all of the items which were in Nexus, though some of the more esoteric/special purpose elements are not exposed in the Fee Appraiser version, so what is available to you in your version are the core drawing elements using mouse, keyboard, touch and/or active pen. Hence, the way you use it can be tailored to which "environment" - desktop or field - you are in at the time. If you are interested in getting someone to show you how it works and answer a few questions, I can get our Brian Marino to connect up with you and demonstrate via a "screen share" session. Even though he (like the rest of us) is working from hose these days, he has a few low power tablets at his desk and can use whichever one is most appropriate to show you in real time how it is done. Of course, he can use (say) a Surface Go 2 in "Desktop mode" and switch on the fly so you get a sense of how you might use it yourself, whether you always use your desktop computer in your office and a companion tablet in the field or end up using a beefy tablet as your single, dual-purpose computer. Of course, there is no charge for this so just PM me with your contact info and I will have Brian get back with you to coordinate on a mutually convenient date/time, etc.

Summer - I don't allow "marketing" of Apex software products on this thread, but I believe its OK to say the Apex sketching products have been available through ACI for maybe 20 years (?) Let me know if they are not making it available to you and I can get someone to address that issue for you. FWIW, there is another thread on this forum which touches on ACI and Apex and I believe the last two posts linked here will bring folks up to speed: https://appraisersforum.com/forums/threads/apex-7.225037/page-2 Of course, that thread refers specifically to Av7 and does not touch on our "app" type software, so let me know if you are referring to something which would be obtained through an "app store" for something like an Android Tablet, iPad, etc. and I will respond to that.

Hope this helps!

-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+
/end/

 

[LarryJewell]

Does Apex 6 or 7 integrate with Total for Mobile / Android?

 

[Mike Ault]

No, they used to have an "Apex Mobile Sketch" for android app but I just checked the Google Play Store and didn't see it listed anywhere. Hopefully Randall will be along shortly to explain your options.

 

[jaebert]

Will this work with Apex 7? want to draw in the field, and insert back in office. Would I still want keyboard, pen etc?​

Microsoft Surface Go (Intel Pentium Gold, 4GB RAM, 64GB) (Renewed)​

Brand: Amazon Renewed
4.3 out of 5 stars 676 ratings

New Price:	$399.00
Price:	$349.99
You Save:	$49.01 (12%)

Pay $349.99

 

[Mike Ault]

Will this work with Apex 7? want to draw in the field, and insert back in office. Would I still want keyboard, pen etc?​

Microsoft Surface Go (Intel Pentium Gold, 4GB RAM, 64GB) (Renewed)​

Brand: Amazon Renewed
4.3 out of 5 stars 676 ratings

New Price:	$399.00
Price:	$349.99
You Save:	$49.01 (12%)

Pay $349.99

That computer will run Apex 7 just fine, you'll definitely want a compatible pen but I have never used the OEM keyboard that I purchased in the field, I just use the Windows screen keyboard and I keep a Bluetooth keyboard in the car synced up with it just in case. The biggest productivity accessory you can get for the tablet is a good bumpcase with handle & shoulder strap like this one that's currently on sale https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/u...7968&msclkid=fac54e929c851ecc5e172ed50cfca446.

 

[Randall Garrett]

Sorry to have been AWOL for the past few weeks. I should be able to contribute more now that I'm back at my desk

Mike – Thanks for answering Larry and jaebert while I was away!

I would point out that Av7 is not a particularly demanding on a CPU or RAM, so while I agree with Mike, I still recommend a device with 8GB of RAM as I have observed many times that appraisers will sometimes wish to load up their favorite (?) desktop software from time to time. (I think the ability to use your favorite Windows software if/when needed is a strong motivator for many appraisers.) Those "full software suites" applications are much more demanding and will quickly overwhelm the minimum spec Surface Go if you try to use it for "heavy lifting" type production. As long as you've not consumed more than 75% of the storage space and can deal with a bit of laggardly behavior, you can get by. Due to the nature of the componentry and the way Windows works, once available RAM get low, the OS will turn to storage memory for a workaround and the lower end Surface Go models have a pokey storage system. I'm OK with the CPU in the base Surface Go and Surface Go 2 models, but I strongly recommend models with 8GB of RAM. Of course, the newer model with the Core m3 and true SSD are much, much faster, but they also carry a higher price tag which puts them close to a base line SP6 or even SP7. I still prefer the SG2 over either the base SP6 or SP7 for MY inspection activities due to the size & weight...

I also completely agree with Mike's recommendation to get a case. Not only do the protect the device if (when?) you drop it, but a good one will offer a more convenient way for handling it during the inspection which makes the whole process much more efficient & convenient.

Also, FWIW, if you are finding Av6 or Av7 to be too taxing on your device, I am told that we'll soon be publishing our much lighter weight sketching apps to the "general public." (Lighter weight means they are more mobile friendly and operate with much lower overhead, thus making them more suitable for lower end devices.) One of them is what we call "MS10" which is essentially the Windows version of our old/retired Android app, but just much more robust while the other is what we call "AvX" and is designed to run in a browser in either "connected" or "stand alone" mode, meaning you do not have to be connected to the internet all the time in order to use it. It also means it is not specific to a Windows device (@LarryJewell - that means you could use your Android tablet.) At present they are being deployed for "Enterprise" type customers (Assessment, Insurance and First Responder types), typically as an "embedded app/component) but they are also out in very limited distribution with a very few fee appraisers in "stand alone" fashion, in what we used to call "field trial" status. While these apps are currently not as robust as the "full Apex" products, they currently handle everything (and more?) of what most fee appraisers have asked for and we are tweaking them to add the most requested "outlier" items - i.e. things most folks don't use. I'll get more specifics on those releases before the end of this month and make sure to let you know as soon as I can in a different post.

Finally, While I was away I noticed that MS was releasing a firmware update for the Surface Go & Surface Go 2. I updated my devices via the regular method (All Settings | Update & Security | Check for Updates) but if you missed it, here are the links to the MS Update History page for each device:

• Surface Go 1 - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...-history-c069f02e-5025-54b6-5fc1-2f5567783510
• Surface Go 2 - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...-history-91d9de94-57d0-442f-798d-ee8a5e92a803

Here is a page which outlines what the updates cover: https://www.neowin.net/news/surface-go-and-laptop-go-get-new-firmware-updates/


Hope this helps!

-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+
/end/

 

[Randall Garrett]

Pretty good article comparing the Surface Pro7+ (the business version which has user-serviceable SSD and LTE) vs the ThinkPad X12:

• https://www.windowscentral.com/surface-pro-7-plus-vs-thinkpad-x12-detachable

These two devices are very closely matched, IMHO. FWIW, I would not let the X12's lower resolution be a determining factor. At 12.3" diagonal, the SP7's higher resolution isn't really much of an advantage, while the X12's non-glossy screen IS a benefit when using outside. For those that just skim articles and then look at the price, note that the X12's price includes the keyboard cover & pen, so when you add those to the SP7, the prices are pretty much the same.

Hope this helps!


-Randall Garrett-
+Apex Software+
/end/