After years of trying almost every major home automation software offering, and even serving as a SmartHome beta tester for a year in an attempt to help create a useful and capable home automation software offering, I was ready to give up until I ran across PowerHome, one day by accident, in a web search. That was my lucky day, as this is the best software offering of its kind I have ever seen.
I had been working with X10 devices for over a decade, but was slowly replacing them with Insteon products (currently 50+ devices and counting) and using the SmartHome SmartLinc automation software, which supported the Insteon protocol. While SmartLinc was OK, I didn't really feel I had much of a choice if I wanted to use Insteon dimmers and switches (which I had discovered were orders of magnitude more reliable than X10). My biggest issues with SmartLinc and all other software offerings were the lack of good macros and automated control, as I wanted to do something more than just turn lights on and off at certain times. I really wanted to begin to truly automate my home, and that requires more than just a computerized time clock replacement.
When I ordered PowerHome and installed it, I was immediately amazed (make that "blown away") at the simultaneous depth of control it offered, while still remaining easy to use for the beginning home automator!
After many months of use, I can now say without reservation that this SW far surpasses anything I have ever looked at, or tried. The built in wizard makes it easy to get a complex installation up and running in a very short time, but the real fun only begins there. PowerHome contains a serious built-in macro language, which I have found to be virtually unlimited in capability, BUT in addition one can also incorporate Visual Basic or WindowsScript language routines to further enhance capabilities!!!
The SW also handles Windows Message Calls from other programs, allowing one to integrate multiple functions.
Using this I have created a hybrid home security and control system that monitors several video cameras and feeds them to the (integrated) PowerHome web server so I can check out the house in real-time on my iPhone. That web page also incorporates whole house lighting control, furnace control (so I can monitor and set heat/cool points while away from the house), temperature monitoring of our freezers and refrigerator to prevent food spoilage while we are traveling. All of these items are monitored by PowerHome for out-of-range values, and if any are detected an SMS message is sent to my iPhone and an email notice with details on the fault situation is sent to me, for computer or internet cafe pickup.
All of this is done from within PowerHome itself.
In short, despite all the challenges I have throw at this program, it has handled them all with ease. I can't ever see outgrowing its capabilities.
I've designed three computers, written compilers, designed early internet communications equipment, and used a lot of software in my almost 5 decades of involvement in the computer industry, but I can't recall ever using a program as all-around capable as PowerHome, nor any before that I could and would honestly rate at 5 out of 5 stars for excellence.
This is the one!
Below is my current Home page demonstrating some of the customizable features of PowerHome:
