In July of 2015, I wrote about my new Motion R12 (R12) tablet and how I had agonized between that purchase or waiting for the yet to be released Surface Pro 4 (Pro 4). In my view, these two are the best options for appraisers looking for one computer to be used in both the field and office with no need to sync between applications or to purchase, learn, or maintain multiple devices. For those who like to use an Apple or Android in the field, do what works for you. I am just happy to see any appraiser who is mobile.
Fast forwarding to the present, the Pro 4 has been on the market for about six months and I purchased one for a new employee to use. After a couple weeks of testing, I now have a better idea of the pros and cons between the R12 and the Pro 4. Here is some background on the models that I tested. The R12 purchased has a Core i7 1.7/2.9 gigahertz processor, 256 GB hard drive, and 8 GB of RAM. The Pro 4 purchased has a Core i5 2.4/3.0 gigahertz processor, 256 GB hard drive, and 8 GB of RAM. After field testing, I note the following key differences.
After testing both computers, I am sad to say that the Pro 4 clearly beats my R12 for use by real estate appraisers. If I was purchasing today, I would buy a Pro 4 but I would miss the R12 docking options, ruggedness, pen storage, and swappable battery. With the Pro 4, I would gain a faster, lighter, and more responsive computer with a price low enough to replace twice as often.
The following is a silly drug commercial parody video that we released this week to promote our home measurement services, but it also shows clips of me using my R12 in the field. Did I leave anything out or do you want to join in the conversation? Let me know in the comments below.
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This topic is not just for Portland appraisers, but for anyone who operates computers and multiple electrical devices in a car. For years, I’ve been a devotee of going mobile by setting up an office in the car with a computer docking station, extra tablet battery charging, GPS navigation, cell phone charging, Bluetooth charging, and so on. However, I have learned through experience that powering so many devices tends to be too much for the typical twelve-volt cigarette lighter or power outlet plug found in most cars.
In the past, my solution to power everything was to plug a three-way splitter into the car’s twelve-volt power outlet and then connect automotive twelve-volt plugs to power all the devices. My computer ran using a twelve-volt DC adapter but there are two problems with these multiple outlet twelve-volt cigarette lighter type plugs. The first is that the plugs tend to be low quality and, as a result of small wires and cheap materials, I’ve melted two of them. The other problem is that the twelve-volt sockets tend to become loose with time and then disconnect when jiggled or when not positioned just right.
To solve these problems, I first tried a Cyber Power Inverter that plugs into the cigarette lighter and has an outlet for AC power and a twelve-volt outlet. This is a well-made device rated for 140 watts. (Higher wattage inverters usually cannot be plugged into car power outlets.) On paper, this inverter has plenty of power to run my computer and other devices, but eventually under heavy load and after continuous running of its noisy fan, it would get hot and shut off. Although some people have no problems with small inverters running laptops, I’ve read about similar problems with many other small inverters and I’ve concluded that this is not a Cyber Power Inverter problem, but a problem with too many things plugged in, too much current being drawn, and too much time spent in the car. Also, the Cyber Power Inverter still has the problem that it is plugged into a car outlet socket and can easily become loose over time. I felt that there had to be a better solution.
My final resolution was to purchase a 750 Watt Continuous/1500 Watt Peak CEN-TECH Power Inverter from Harbor Freight. This inverter must be hardwired directly to the car battery with a dedicated and fused power wire. A local stereo installer ran the power wire for about $50 and I easily hooked up the other connections and grounded it to a seat bolt.
Once installed, the hardwired inverter has two outlets, a USB charger, and far more than enough power to run as many devices as needed including any future electronics that I might add. I’m thinking that a 400 watt chest freezer could be added if I ever want to convert my appraisal mobile office into an ice cream car on the weekend. After several weeks of use, the new inverter has been trouble free. The very quiet cooling fan hardly ever needs to run. With this inverter, the car lighter outlet remains free for my GPS plug.
Have you had any similar problems with twelve-volt car outlets? Did I leave anything out or do you want to join in the conversation? Let me know in the comments below.
This week my Portland real estate appraiser blog is posted on another website. I was invited (not paid) to write a guest blog post for the a la mode, inc. Appraisal Team Blog called “How I Work.” I use a la mode Total software in my appraisal business. The article describes my work flow as it relates to my hardware, software, and marketing. (Hopefully I did not give away too many secretes). Please check it out.
Here is a link to How I Work: Gary Kristensen, A Quality Appraisal, LLC
Did I leave anything out or do you want to join in the conversation? Let me know in the comments below.
Gary F. Kristensen
About one month ago, I purchased a new Leica DISTO D810 Touch. I am a big fan of going mobile and of laser measurement for real estate appraisers. When it comes to laser measurement, the bright lasers, handy features, and rugged design of the DISTO brand put it above its competitors. It is hard to imagine appraising without a DISTO. Consequently, I never work in the field without a backup DISTO waiting in the car. Prior to this purchase, the older D5 and a D2 models were our tools of choice. If you have not found your favorite DISTO yet, maybe these thoughts and experiences will be surprising and helpful.
The D810 Touch offers some exciting features (some exclusive and some available on other models). Here are my thoughts on some of the aspects that are most relevant to real estate appraisers:
After using the D810 for the past month, I’ve decided that it should stay in the car as a backup (or in my back pocket for use on difficult properties) while I use my older D5. Here are my reasons:
DIST, MINUS, DIST, EQUAL
On the D810, this requires six keystrokes.
DIST, +/-, +/- DIST, DIST, EQUAL
The +/- key must be hit twice because a single key is used to toggle between plus and minus each time. The DIST key must be hit twice because the laser does not automatically come on when the +/- key is pressed, as it does with the D5 and other DISTO models. I’ve found that all of these extra keystrokes waste a significant amount of time in the field.
Based on these experiences, if I was buying another DISTO today, I would select the E7500i. This model only lacks the measure in a picture feature and the lithium-ion battery of the D810, but it is smaller, it is $250 less expensive than the D810 (which is 30% less than retail), it has both plus and minus keys, it has a digital viewfinder, and it features smart horizontal measuring. If you do not care about the digital viewfinder (some appraisers might not care), you can save a lot of money by purchasing the model D2. The D2 has separate plus and minus keys and costs $670 less than the D810 (which is 79% less than retail).
If you want a great deal on a DISTO, try www.distagage.com . Leica requires that this company list the same price on their website as everyone else. However, if you contact them and ask for a discount, their prices are unbeatable. My 810 Touch was 20% off retail.
Many who know me or have read my blog in the past know that I am a fan of using desktop replacement tablet computers. Such tablets are powerful enough to replace a desktop computer but also portable enough to be used in the field. I just purchased a new Motion R12 tablet after using a bulky Motion J3500 for five years while trying to decide if I should wait for the release of the Microsoft Surface Pro 4. Here are videos describing the Motion R12 Windows tablet.
The reasons why I decided to spend almost exactly twice the money for a Motion R12, rather than buy a Surface Pro, are listed below.
The Surface Pro 4 is not yet available, but my old workhorse J3500 tablet needed replacement now.
The Surface Pro 3 docking station does not work with any rugged field case. This means that if you use a field case, you cannot use the convenient docking station without first removing the case (there goes the convenience). The Motion R12 has a built-in case.
The Surface Pro does not have a docking station designed for a vehicle. It is awkward to hook up wires for charging or holding your computer when working on it in the car between jobs. Aftermarket mounting systems for the Surface Pro are not as sleek as the Motion docks. With one click, a Motion docking station turns any car into a mobile office. Real work can be done anywhere you decide to pull off the road, grab your wireless keyboard, and take care of business with a full Windows desktop experience.
The Motion R12 can get wet and it often rains In Portland, Oregon. I am much more comfortable standing in the rain with a computer that I know is designed for this type of use.
The Motion R12 features a monitor designed to be more easily viewed in bright sunlight; something we do not get as often in Portland, Oregon, but can still be troublesome.
The Motion R12 has a tether and slot (“barn”) to store the digitizer pen when not in use. This is a small issue, but very handy. The Surface Pro has only a magnet to hold the pen and few good options when cases are installed.
The Motion R12 features a larger battery that can be swapped in the field or replaced when the battery starts to lose its resiliency. Computer batteries typically become weak after about two years and I plan to keep my computer longer than the life of the original battery. Also, even with long battery life, it gives piece of mind to have a backup battery in case your charger gets inadvertently unplugged or other surprises occur.