I don’t live up to the expectations Jeff laid out since I’ve never owned HG, but I did trial run multiple programs for months before finally selecting HIP.
Personally it was the flexibility of the finished report format, the ease of use and Dom’s tech support which sold me, in that order.
HG and the other programs out there simply don’t have flexibility in producing a narrative style report. I loath those checkboxes and I dislike even more having to use initials to describe the condition of an item. HG only offered one truely narrative format and I didn’t care for the look of it. Also the photos(this is just based on current online samples) aren’t as high a quality from what I can tell. As far at the ease of use, it just take more clicks to build a comment in HG than in HIP. Sure, comments can be tweaked in both to reduce the number of lists you have to select from to customize a comment, but in a comment by comment comparison HIP is always 2-3 clicks fewer. Clicks matter. And the HIP tech support, OHHH the tech support. I can’t tell you the number of times (in 2011 alone) I saw people request a modification, discuss a new feature or inquire about a glich and Dom had the change or fix made that afternoon. That’s on the level of the linux community for crying out loud.
Extra features like invoices, scheduling sync or html reports… mehhh… report producing software is supposed to produce reports. Those reports are suppose to represent and advertise me whether they are on the computer or printed out. It’s all about the finished report.
Hey Bob,
its funny how you pick a cover page to compare software. You are all talk. Read my post. Pick 20-40 features and lets see them in action? I will do the same features in HG and let everyone see which is easier, more flexible. To request whatever pops up in your mind is just lazy.
Cameron it’s apparent that you haven’t looked hard at HG because you are mistaken in your review of our product.
I challenge any hip user to list out 20- 40 items and record the demo. I will do the same and many will see for them selves who has done their research and who hasn’t. I will stop now on this thread and go back to work, but as soon as you guys are ready please let me know
Russell - I am totally an unbiased 3rd party 3D user…just because Carl Fowler is my mentor and a personal friend.
I will say this from the posts I have read, it is not 100% what your program can do better, most people are buying DOM and his untiring effort to make the profession better. I am NOT saying you don’t he just gives people a complete package…software, websites, help almost 24/7 and, well, he seems to have a desires for inspectors to succeed and people get that feeling from him and his services.
I truly think you can have 50 more options than HIP, but your missing the one key element you cannot buy…DOM.
This is just from my perspective. I have personally bought items just out of feel. I just FEEL better with DOM, is what most probably think.
If your looking to market here, then this message board is a great way to start. I have seen DOM give away his software for parties, Christmas, Yom Kippur and other events…once again your not competing with HIP, your competing with DOM…and good luck with that…
Just my 2 cents…could be right or wrong, just the way I see it…
Russ ,now I am busy for the next few days as business is clicking but we could have done this and you simply dropped the ball.
Response from my part will take time this week.(just me and no 9 guys)
You want to compare only on your terms because you wish to make it about bloatware.
As mentioned by others when you try to be good at everything you become good at nothing.
The only thing that matters is Reports …Period.
How easy is the report to work with,customize,and does final product look great with easy navigation for the client are the debatable subject areas.
You fail to even have technical capability to post a JPEG of a sample cover page and instead argue about it?..Ha ha.
Whats up with that and why all the lip flap?..just shut up and put up.
I purchase HIP in November…so I think I’m one of the new users!
I have used 3D since 2004. I went to upgrade 3D, but was so impressed with HIP. No offense towards Carl Fowler…but in 7 years he never gave me assistance. And as great as Dominic’s support is…if I couldn’t do EVERYTHING I did in 3D…I wouldn’t have switched. I chose what I felt was best for my business. Here are two cover pages. HIPs I simplified the heading, and added the border.
Here you go… have at it Bob. Very simplistic but inspectors can change it however they want since it is an actual .rtf file that they can open up in ANY word processor and change how they see fit.
OK thanks Jeff ,just finished a report so not up to fancy graphics but since you were so fast my whole point with Russ (who chickened out) was showing side by side any other report next to the HIP report points out where it is superior.
Hate to use yours as you concentrate on fast -onsite style so apples and oranges but the main thing one will notice if you look back at my previous JPEG is that the left side contains continuous bookmark view so that a client can instantly jump to any section no matter what page they are on in the report.
Russ must have known I was going to do side by side comparison and was not up to it.
I’m a little confused. Which part of my opinion is mistaken? That HG has only one narrative format without checkboxes and I didn’t like it? Well I guess someone better tell me what I like.
Or was it my experience with Dom’s tech support. I dont think I imagined that… OH! Maybe the last year was just a dream, and Bobby Ewing will be stepping out of the shower at my next inspection.
If not those then it must be the higher quality photos. I do wear glasses but my eyesight isnt THAT bad. If your online samples aren’t the best example you can put out there, well that’s just bad marketing, not just bad photo quality.
So the only other thing is the number of clicks per custom comment and I’m purty shure me can cownt. I got sum skoolin. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 11, 8… See!?
Well, let’s hope somebody comes along and tells me what my opinion is.
I like both HIP and HG. Been using HIP for a long time now and if anyone can attest I can when it comes to the use of the software. Its simple to use and it produces great reports plain and simple and in this business no one could really cares less about your report other than getting the facts they paid for in a manner to which it is easy for them to read it. Keep it simple and use F.O.G. and you’ll do quite well. I have many in my area who uses 3D and HG and I’ve been hired over very seasoned inspectors because I keep my website professional, easy to read as well as my reports. As for 3D I wouldn’t pay $5 for it.
