Tablet PC's ?
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Tablet PC's ? - 7/13/2005 10:39:31 PM
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Gale
Posts: 736
Joined: 4/19/2004
Home base: Murray, KY
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Has anyone successful used a Tablet PC for property adjusting on a daily bases?
If so then what were some of the pros and cons?
The HP tc1100 Tablet PC is highly rated today with a 10.4 screen. Dell is to have out their tablet 4th quarter with a 12.1 screen. The price point is approaching notebook pricing but the specs are typically much lower. Thanks for any input on brand(s) of Tablet/adjusting software used.
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RE: Tablet PC's ? - 7/13/2005 11:20:48 PM
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broberts
Posts: 9
Joined: 12/19/2004
Home base: Tyler, TX
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Gale- I have been researching Tablet PC for adjusting purposes came across this site that has adjusters in the field using software and Tablet PC http://www.symbilitysolutions.com/ looks very interesting.
Bobby Roberts
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RE: Tablet PC's ? - 7/14/2005 10:38:08 AM
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Bill_Nevill
Posts: 2
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Home base: San Antonio, TX
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Bobby,
I have been testing the Symbility software for some time. I am awaiting the full roll out prior to making a commitment to it. I have the Toshiba R15 tablet and like it alot. I just wish it had built in Bluetooth for my Disto-Meter.
_____________________________
William (Bill) Nevill
President / COO
AmeriCat, LLC
San Antonio, TX
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RE: Tablet PC's ? - 7/14/2005 12:03:27 PM
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broberts
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Home base: Tyler, TX
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If you are looking for a comparison of the spec on different Tablet PC the following link will help out http://thetabletpc.net/comparison.htm I have not used one with the bluetooth capabilty interfaced with Disto plus but if it is everything that they promise it could be a very good thing for us adjusters.
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Bobby Roberts
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RE: Tablet PC's ? - 7/14/2005 1:04:55 PM
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Gale
Posts: 736
Joined: 4/19/2004
Home base: Murray, KY
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Bobby, thanks for the comparison link. I did not realize there were so many options. Bill I am sure Symbility Solutions was the new software company from Canada that was at the PLRB show this year that was kind of close to the Simsol booth. At this point how do you like the mobility and the adjusting features.
Specifically what I should have asked was some feedback from adjusters that are running one of the main four brands of adjusting software on the market using a Tablet PC?
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RE: Tablet PC's ? - 7/14/2005 2:42:34 PM
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ChuckDeaton
Posts: 181
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Gale, over the years I have owned and used several pen tablets. First I had an IBM and ran DOS Simsol. Excellent.
I left a message here for John Postavia re using Bluetooth with a Leica Disto. Will Power Claim accept input from Bluetooth via a USB port? I need a system to use for doing appraisals.
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RE: Tablet PC's ? - 7/14/2005 2:43:35 PM
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ChuckDeaton
Posts: 181
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John Postava has employeed doing demos on a Fujitsu pen tablet fitted with Simsol.
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RE: Tablet PC's ? - 7/14/2005 8:42:46 PM
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Gale
Posts: 736
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Home base: Murray, KY
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Chuck, your question about Bluetooth threw me at first but after thinking about it I think I now have an answer. Names like Bluetooth and FireWire are actually brand names of different types of wireless networks. These two are typically short range solutions for like going from a cell phone to a wireless headset, from you PDA to your computer or from your Disto to your notebook. These are hardware solutions and not software so software including adjusting software does not actually accept input from any type of wireless network. Data files move over these wireless networks after being exported by one software package and imported into the receiving software package installed on the computer receiving the data file over the wireless network. In a functional sense wired and wireless networks are identical in that they move data from one computer device to another.
For example your Disto converts your measurements to a file it can be imported into Excel. That file in your case travels over a wireless network (Bluetooth in your case but it could have been by any wireless hardware technology they selected to use) to your notebook where the Disto PlusXL software will permit the measurement files to be received and imported into Excel.
While PowerClaim XML or any software package does not actually accept input directly from Bluetooth or any wired/wireless network I do understand your question. When I jumped on the Disto site it clearly is not rocket science to add such a feature to any adjusting software package. Disto provides free “PlusXL” software for your notebook that will capture your measurements from the Disto in the Excel format. Once you get your measurements room by room in an Excel spreadsheet format the sky is the limit (actually time and money is the limit) of how you can use that data.
PowerClaim XML is set up to receive data as an XML file so it would be doable to create the ability to pull in an Excel file as well. I bet in time the Disto will export in an XML format as well since Microsoft is moving to that format option for MS Office. When Excel (next release perhaps ?) offers the XML file format exporting feature moving Disto data into any XML based adjusting software (where all software is headed) could be seamless.
Just when a developer thinks he is getting up to speed there is new technology that comes on the market that returns one to the starting gate over and over again. Well that is what we call progress/success. The WiFi and other (wireless) types of technology will continue to permit new solutions to come on the market at a fast clip and some will be very useful to the adjusting industry. Thanks for your question. It is food for thought here at HRI and we did discuss it in Development as a future project but we are three years behind now but that will never get better. :) Actually this is more like a two week project then months of testing if one could determine projected income from such a project as compared to other features and technology solutions the industry is screaming for today.
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RE: Tablet PC's ? - 7/15/2005 1:55:24 PM
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johnpostava
Posts: 170
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Home base: Orlando, FL
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Greetings from the Florida Panhandle, damages no where near Ivan levels but some claims to be found. Tablets, we actually ran our DOS version on a tablet back in Andrew days and it worked great. The windows version runs even better. Tablets are great if you know the software you are running (no stumbling in the field in front of policyholders) and you regularly do 4 sets of 12 bicep curls every day for about 12 weeks prior to being deployed. Just kidding here but the 3 pound variety does get heavy after an hour or so of straight scoping. The newer tabs are lighter and more suited for property adjusters who have to walk around with the thing (rather than auto guys who can sit or kneel around a damaged vehicle). Check out my post about Panasonic - they are SIMSOL's choice and they will run any of the major estimating softwares.
_____________________________
John A. Postava, R.P.A.
President
SIMSOL Software, Inc.
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RE: Tablet PC's ? - 7/15/2005 2:31:46 PM
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broberts
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Home base: Tyler, TX
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John- I read your other post about panasonic MDWD this is just an extension to your other computer correct? Do you only utilize it for scoping or do you work up the whole file on-site to show the insured?
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Bobby Roberts
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RE: Tablet PC's ? - 7/15/2005 10:40:27 PM
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cdlynes
Posts: 41
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Home base: North Atlanta Suburbs, GA
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I might answer this one. With a tablet, you run the same estimating software, the only difference is you have as your display the touch screen tablet and a stylus that acts as the keyboard and mouse running in conjunction with the computer in the car.
It is great if you have all the insured's information already loaded in the machine, and some macros for rooms, then enter the dimensions and scope of loss as you walk around the loss.
I don't have a tablet, but I already take my laptop in the car, its locked down with a cable, I have my scanner that runs off the usb, and a small printer. I have a medium sized power inverter for recharging the batteries as I drive. When necessary, I make a printout of the estimate to give the insured at the site, but don't really do that now, because when I have tons of claims, I make quick notes and drawings on a white pad, photos in order, then work the estimate up in the evening. A tablet would make me work a bit ahead, but I can see how it could be useful. A few more flood claims from SIS and I'll be in the market!
Be safe, you guys out there, those lucky enough to have gotten an early start at this season.
David
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RE: Tablet PC's ? - 7/16/2005 9:04:37 PM
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Gale
Posts: 736
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Home base: Murray, KY
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Bobby, if I understood John’s earlier post where he referred to the $1500.00 “Pansonic mobile data unit” you are correct in that he was not talking about a tablet computer, which is in the same price range tablets start today. It in fact does sound like a wireless remote tablet style input device. That is how they only weigh in at one pound. I do see some advantage to this type of set up because you could have the horsepower of a full computer plugged into your car. A lost or broken device would still not prevent you from working the old way of using the keyboard.
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RE: Tablet PC's ? - 3/3/2006 12:29:09 AM
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Gale
Posts: 736
Joined: 4/19/2004
Home base: Murray, KY
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Just today our first Tablet PC arrived. It is a decked out IBM X-41 Tablet PC. We installed PowerClaim XML Release 16a and it worked great and looked great. Drawing the diagram with the pen was so cool and natural. The hand writing recognition is like magic when printing or writing. There was no training or making the letters a certain shape required. The 12.1 inch screen is large enough so the print is still very readable and it is very responsive to the pen input. Any Windows software that will work well at the 800 x 600 resolution should fit to the screen on a tablet like the IBM X-41
Actually PowerClaim has been running on the Tablet PC platform for about five years but we just kept it a secret for some reason. :) Well the hardware (Tablet PC) platform which was expensive, PC Tablet for Windows was still trying to get it right, slow processors, short battery life, relative heavy, poor quality, screens that were hard to read was the main issue but that has changed.
We went this one for going to the tradeshows but there is a company that sells a "Slate" call Motion and it is resold by Dell, Gateway and others that should be better for adjusting due to the fact the screens claim to be readable even outside. The "Slates" are very much like a tablet but they have no attached keyboards and are more costly.
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RE: Tablet PC's ? - 3/3/2006 7:40:12 PM
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MDC
Posts: 50
Joined: 12/7/2005
Home base: Downingtown, PA
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I used to use a Fujitsu Poquet Pad Plus that used the software FastEst to write damage estimates right in front of the policy holder. This was the greatest pen based estimating system developed. However, with everything, the hardware is no longer made and the software was DOS based. If the hardware was updated to today technologies and the software updated to todays paperless printing, I would continue to use it.
I have tried to use Simsol in the field with a Fujitsu Stylistic Slate, but it was cumbersome. I am in the process of testing Simsol on a HP Ipaq but have no opinion for this as of yet. I have also tested XactScope on a Compaq Ipaq, however the input was poor and the font size was so small which it hurt your eyes.
There is a new computer/PDA/phone out called "Dualcor" at Dualcor.com. This sounds pretty interesting. I have asked for additional info regarding this system but yet to recieve it.This may be an all-in-one solution.
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RE: Tablet PC's ? - 3/3/2006 11:44:20 PM
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Gale
Posts: 736
Joined: 4/19/2004
Home base: Murray, KY
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Mike, I understand the FastEst was a great system. Along with what you stated, below is the main reason we decided to side stepped the PDA option several years ago and waited for the Tablet PC to develop into a usable and affordable option.
HP: Pen-based PDA market on death bed
http://www.cnet.com.au/mobilecomputing/pdas/0,39028789,40060760,00.htm
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RE: Tablet PC's ? - 3/3/2006 11:54:27 PM
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katadj
Posts: 684
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Home base: New Hope, PA
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In 2002, Installed Simsol, Powerclaim and MSB on a Viewsonic Tablet PC.
Each seemed to work fine. Unfortunately the PC was stolen while working in New Orleans and I have not replaced it, nor has the need to implement the use of same been necessary.
In the very near future, this may become the tool of preference.
Purchased an IBM T-41 like gale and a T-43P this year. Have to see which is going to make the job faster, easier, or whatever.
_____________________________
"Excellence often first appears as error. It is only in retrospect that wisdom emerges from ignorance and success from failure." Abraham Lincoln
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