I tested my first shop yesterday, purposely about 2 miles from home. I could not open the app. The procedure i used was;1. load Presto, 2. tap the triple bar at the top, 3. tap "my incomplete shops", 4. tap "continue". "Loading Survey" flashed for about 5 minutes. I moved my car across the street and the same thing happened. I emailed the scheduler and went back home. She suggested I delete the Presto app and re-install it. In the meantime I opened the app at home on my computer and was advised that I was close enough to the station to submit the shop. I returned to the station, took the pictures with my digital camera returned home and uploaded them to my computer, as I have done in the past. The shop went through and I m waiting to see if it is accepted or rejected. I deleted and re-installed the app on my phone as suggested by the scheduler but I won't know if it works until I try it on another close by shop, which I won't attempt until my first shop is accepted.
I much prefer to use my digital camera rather than my phone to take the pictures. The camera is about the size of a pack of cigarettes and can easily be operated with one hand. The photo remains for a few seconds giving me time to check its clarity and accuracy without pressing buttons to review it. Unlike my phone, one click produces one picture. The camera has a short wrist strap that has saved it from falling to the ground on ore than one occasion. Also, I can just let the camera hang loose while I make notes on my worksheet. There is a panoramic feature that I have occasionally used.
While the picture quality of the phone is as good as the camera, and probably better on newer I-phone models, there are negatives.The button on the phone is super sensitive and quite often results in multiple pictures instead of one. Either that or I have a heavy finger. In order to properly secure the phone and keep it steady I find that I need both hands. Taking pictures one-handed is awkward and if I drop the phone it will cost me hundreds of dollars.Holding a clipboard and the phone and taking notes is also awkward.
The good news is that the scheduler told me that using a digital camera and uploading to my computer when I get home is acceptable, as long as I check in with the app on site first. Although, in the latest webinar they did say that the client wants the shops submitted "at once" and it was urged to complete the process on site using the app. I have no problem doing 5 or 6 shops during the day, getting home usually by 3 pm and submitting them well within the 12 hour time limit. It is curious that if the client wants the shops submitted at once my first one has been "under review" for over 24 hours now. I don't see a sense of urgency. There were many complaints concerning the Presto app on the webinar and I think it is still a work in progress.