A problem has been found and fixed relating to some international date formats. 

The tests in particular were looking at the Bulgarian date format which has a training date character, a bit like a currency character with numbers.  This format was causing some problems with some calculations.  This has been fixed.

For people with multiple computers, picture files can be a problem because pictures are stored in different locations on different computers. 

For example one person may include a picture on computer 1 which has a filename of c:\picture.jpg, however on computer 2 the computer is trying to find the file c:\picture.jpg on computer 2 which does not exist.  This does require some setting up.

One option is to do all your picture handling from one computer, and understand that the other computers wont be able to see them.

Another option is to use something called mapped drives.  Mapped drives is how multiple computers can share the same database.  If 2 computers map the same drive letter to the same location, then a file called x:\picture.jpg will exist on both computers.

In version 8.8 of RentMaster, we try to help solve this problem a bit further, although you still need to use mapped drives.  However it wont matter if the 2 computers have mapped different drive letters, because the system will automatically convert the filename to a UNC name which is a special filename notation which does not rely on drive letters.  e.g. filename x:\picture.jpg could be converted to something like \\Computer1\pictures\picture.jpg.  Using this notation, both computer 1 and computer 2 will be able to see that file (assuming there is no security software blocking access).

A recommendation is to save all picture files in the same folder (or subfolder) as the main database file, because this folder is already share between the 2 computers.

A new Refer-A-Friend reseller scheme has been created.

More details online at http://www.rentmaster.co.nz/reseller.aspx?no=1#1

This scheme is only available to people who have already purchased RentMaster.  With this scheme you automatically get a 10% commission from sales to your friends.  Better still, your friend also gets a 10% discount as well.  This really is a win-win situation.

Everyone who has purchased RentMaster previously, and is on the newsletter mailing list, has been sent an email over the last few days containing their own personal reseller code.  Also everyone who purchases RentMaster from now on will also be sent their own code on their purchase email along side their license key.  If you have previously purchased RentMaster, and did not get this email, then contact us and we will get your reseller code to you.

This one is a good sensible idea from a customer.

If an automatic income entry is created for a tenant for their rent income, then when the rent changes, that automatic income entry also has to be changed to reflect the new rent value. 

But computers are designed to save time, so save time it does.  When the rent changes, the system now automatically looks for automatic income entries for the same tenant, with the same frequency as the rent frequency, and with the same value as the previous rent amount, and changes the amount to the new rent value.

This applies to both manually changing the rent amount on the tenant details screen, as well as preloaded rent changed.  With preloaded rent changes, the automatic income entry is changed at the same time the rent amount changes.

Version 8.8 of the RentMaster Mail facility will have a spell checker added.

If you are as bad a spella as I am, then this should help you.  A mizpelt letter is never a good look.

The spell checker facility will require you to have Microsoft Word and the Microsoft Word Dictionary installed.

As well as being able to add pictures to the property and tenant details screens, you can now also add pictures to the inspection results screen.

This means you can take your digital camera with you to the inspection, take photos, and upload those back into RentMaster for safe keeping and later referral.

One more thing while I was at it, the way we enter pictures is to select the browse button to find the picture image first, and then go back and enter a description.  So now after you select a picture with the browse button, the cursor is immediately put into the description box ready to type a description without having to use the tab key or click the mouse.  It is only a small thing, bit it might save a few seconds.