diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index cf212f8..ef36091 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,9 +4,8 @@ This is a basic command line utility to automate the Saleae Logic software.
 This tool can be used to automatically take a series of shorter captures over an extended time period. For example, if a 24 hour capture can't be recorded in a single run due to memory limitations, this utility could be used to automatically take 24 captures of one hour each.
 
 ### Prerequisites
-- Saleae Logic software running with the socket API enabled. [instructions](https://support.saleae.com/hc/en-us/articles/208667266-How-to-enable-the-socket-server-for-the-scripting-API)
-- [python 3](https://www.python.org/downloads/) installed.
-- [ppannuto python-saleae](https://github.com/ppannuto/python-saleae) library installed. 
+- Saleae Logic software running with the socket API enabled. [instructions](https://support.saleae.com/saleae-api-and-sdk/socket-api)
+- [ppannuto python-saleae](https://github.com/ppannuto/python-saleae) library installed.
 
 ### Usage
 
@@ -17,16 +16,17 @@ The utility allows the user to set the number of captures and the duration of ea
 
 ### Examples
 
-**Just take 5 captures, each 0.1 seconds long, without saving anything.**
+**Take 1 second long capture without saving anything.**
 ```
-python saleae_cli.py --capture-count 5 --capture-duration 0.1 
+python saleae_cli.py
 ```
-Note: if python 2 and python 3 are installed, you may need to call python using `python3`
 
+**Just take 5 captures, each 0.1 seconds long, without saving anything.**
+```
+python saleae_cli.py --capture-count 5 --capture-duration 0.1
+```
 **Take 24 captures, each 1 hour long, exporting the analyzers to an 'export' folder on the desktop.**
 
-Note that the destination folder must already exist before running the utility.
-
 (Windows)
 ```
 python saleae_cli.py --capture-count 24 --capture-duration 3600 --export-analyzers \Users\<Your User Name>\Desktop\export
diff --git a/saleae_cli.py b/saleae_cli.py
index 9bca8c6..d43f34e 100644
--- a/saleae_cli.py
+++ b/saleae_cli.py
@@ -1,60 +1,58 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 import os
 import saleae
 import argparse
 
-def validate_path( path, argument_name ):
-    if path != None:
-        if os.path.isdir(path) == False:
-            print('the specified ' + argument_name + ' directory does not exist or is invalid')
-            print('you specified: ' + path)
-            quit()
 
-parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Saleae Command Line Interface Capture Utility')
-parser.add_argument('--capture-count', required=True, type=int, metavar='COUNT', help='number of captures to repeat')
-parser.add_argument('--capture-duration', required=True, type=float, metavar='SECONDS', help='duration of each capture in seconds')
-parser.add_argument('--save-captures', metavar='PATH', help='if specified, saves each capture to the specified directory')
-parser.add_argument('--export-data', metavar='PATH', help='if specified, exports the raw capture to the sepcified directory')
-parser.add_argument('--export-analyzers', metavar='PATH', help='if specified, exports each analyzer to the specified directory')
-parser.add_argument('--ip', metavar='IP', default='localhost', help='optional, IP address to connect to. Default localhost')
-parser.add_argument('--port', metavar='PORT', default=10429, help='optional, Port to connect to. Default 10429')
+parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Saleae Command Line Interface Capture Utility', formatter_class=argparse.ArgumentDefaultsHelpFormatter)
+parser.add_argument('--capture-count', type=int, default=1, metavar='COUNT', help='Number of captures to repeat')
+parser.add_argument('--capture-duration', type=float, default=1.0, metavar='SECONDS', help='Duration of each capture in seconds')
+parser.add_argument('--save-captures', metavar='PATH', help='Saves each capture to the specified directory')
+parser.add_argument('--export-data', metavar='PATH', help='Exports the raw capture to the sepcified directory')
+parser.add_argument('--export-analyzers', metavar='PATH', help='Exports each analyzer to the specified directory')
+parser.add_argument('--ip', metavar='IP', default='localhost', help='IP address to connect to')
+parser.add_argument('--port', metavar='PORT', default=10429, help='Port to connect to')
 
 args = parser.parse_args()
 
-validate_path(args.save_captures, '--save-captures')
-validate_path(args.export_data, '--export-data')
-validate_path(args.export_analyzers, '--export-analyzers')
-
-
 s = saleae.Saleae(args.ip, args.port)
 
 for x in range(args.capture_count):
     #set capture duration
     s.set_capture_seconds(args.capture_duration)
     #start capture. Only save to disk if the --save-captures option was specified.
-    if args.save_captures != None:
+    if args.save_captures is not None:
         file_name = '{0}.logicdata'.format(x)
-        save_path = os.path.join(args.save_captures, file_name)
-        print('starting capture and saving to ' + save_path)
+        save_directory = os.path.abspath(args.save_captures)
+        if not os.path.exists(save_directory):
+            os.makedirs(save_directory)
+        save_path = os.path.join(save_directory, file_name)
+        print('Starting capture and saving to ' + save_path)
         s.capture_to_file(save_path)
     else:
         #currently, the python library doesn't provide a CAPTURE command that blocks until an ACK is received
         s._cmd('CAPTURE')
 
     #raw export
-    if args.export_data != None:
+    if args.export_data is not None:
         file_name = '{0}.csv'.format(x)
-        save_path = os.path.join(args.export_data, file_name)
-        print('exporting data to ' + save_path)
+        save_directory = os.path.abspath(args.export_data)
+        if not os.path.exists(save_directory):
+            os.makedirs(save_directory)
+        save_path = os.path.join(save_directory, file_name)
+        print('Exporting data to ' + save_path)
         s.export_data2(save_path)
 
     #analyzer export
-    if args.export_analyzers != None:
+    if args.export_analyzers is not None:
         analyzers = s.get_analyzers()
         if analyzers.count == 0:
             print('Warning: analyzer export path was specified, but no analyzers are present in the capture')
         for analyzer in analyzers:
             file_name = '{0}_{1}.csv'.format(x, analyzer[0])
-            save_path = os.path.join(args.export_analyzers, file_name)
-            print('exporting analyzer ' + analyzer[0] + ' to ' + save_path)
+            save_directory = os.path.abspath(args.export_analyzers)
+            if not os.path.exists(save_directory):
+                os.makedirs(save_directory)
+            save_path = os.path.join(save_directory, file_name)
+            print('Exporting analyzer ' + analyzer[0] + ' to ' + save_path)
             s.export_analyzer(analyzer[1], save_path)
-