Thread: New HIP software - tablet recommendations?

I just drank the kool-aid and bought new Home Inspector Pro software from Dominic Maricic. I am starting it on the desk top and have a lap top which both run MS windows XP but I will be shopping for a tablet type machine for doing on-site reports sometime in the future.
Does anyone hear have recommendations (pro or con) on hardware they have used with onsite entry?
I like the idea of not having to transfer from one device to another to finish and plan to use a windows based machine but other opinions from those than have used this software are welcome.
Thanks, Jim

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Jim, I use an iPad with a Bluetooth keyboard that I setup in the kitchen. By the time I leave the house I have about 80% of the report done. I then upload to my PC and add photos, clean up verbiage as needed and then upload it to the HIP cloud for the client to pick it up.

Originally Posted by Scott Patterson

Jim, I use an iPad with a Bluetooth keyboard that I setup in the kitchen. By the time I leave the house I have about 80% of the report done. I then upload to my PC and add photos, clean up verbiage as needed and then upload it to the HIP cloud for the client to pick it up.

What kind of time frame do you attribute to the report writing process? I'm simply looking for something better than my nightly routine of late nights with reports and early inspections. I just attended a presentation by Dominic Maricic and liked what I saw but I'm guessing he could make rocket science look easy. Any issues with communication on the cloud?

Originally Posted by Jim Luttrall

What kind of time frame do you attribute to the report writing process? I'm simply looking for something better than my nightly routine of late nights with reports and early inspections. I just attended a presentation by Dominic Maricic and liked what I saw but I'm guessing he could make rocket science look easy. Any issues with communication on the cloud?

I found that my time coralates to the learning curve I had with the software. At first I found the inspection took an extra 30 min on site, now it is marginal. Once I get home and upload, add photos, etc, I would say that I can have a report to the client in an hour or less which is just about the same as when I used 3D.

Originally Posted by Scott Patterson

I would say that I can have a report to the client in an hour or less which is just about the same as when I used 3D.

Scott, are you saying your current report time has stayed the same as previously now that you're past the learning curve? Net time savings=zero?

Originally Posted by Scott Patterson

I found that my time coralates to the learning curve I had with the software. At first I found the inspection took an extra 30 min on site, now it is marginal. Once I get home and upload, add photos, etc, I would say that I can have a report to the client in an hour or less which is just about the same as when I used 3D.

Do you see an advantage in using the ipad system vs the windows for data entry? I'm thinking of getting a Slate or other windows type system to avoid the extra time, trouble, and expense of the cloud experience but if there are benefits, the expense part is no big deal.
At this point only an hour to produce a quality report would seem like a vacation!

Originally Posted by Dom D'Agostino

Scott, are you saying your current report time has stayed the same as previously now that you're past the learning curve? Net time savings=zero?

It is about the same as when I used 3D. I can recall that at one time with 3D it would take me 3 hours per report, that was also when it was in DOS.

Speed for me is not really an issue once I get back to my office. I guess I could speed the process up if I turned the news and TV off, stopped watching the birds at the feeder, etc...

- - - Updated - - -

Originally Posted by Jim Luttrall

Do you see an advantage in using the ipad system vs the windows for data entry? I'm thinking of getting a Slate or other windows type system to avoid the extra time, trouble, and expense of the cloud experience but if there are benefits, the expense part is no big deal.
At this point only an hour to produce a quality report would seem like a vacation!

I just like the iPad. I had one prior to even having HIP software. It does have a great battery life and from what I understand it does not slow down like some of the android machines. I would talk to Dominic about what he likes best, I know he is a PC guy and tolerates Apples..

As for the Cloud, it cost I think around $20 a month but you get 90 days free to try it out. The main reason I went to the HIP Cloud is that I started seeing and increase of my emails with the PDF report never getting to my client. They were being filtered by their SPAM software or in some cases by their servers. I do a good number of inspections for Vanderbilt University employees and they do not allow attachments over I think 500kb so I had many that never made it to my clients and I did not know until they called looking for their reports.

Another reason is that I can sync reports with ease. Before I had to use Dropbox, which was just another step I was able to do away with when I went to the HIP Cloud.

Do you use his website hosting or something else to do the report hosting/email notification. I really liked the sound of this but I'm still a bit fuzzy on the nuts and bolts of how everything works.
I like the idea of driving folks to my web site to retrieve the report instead of emailing a pdf.

Originally Posted by Jim Luttrall

Do you use his website hosting or something else to do the report hosting/email notification. I really liked the sound of this but I'm still a bit fuzzy on the nuts and bolts of how everything works.
I like the idea of driving folks to my web site to retrieve the report instead of emailing a pdf.

I use the HIP Cloud(Domincs) service, my clients receive an email notification that the report is ready. They follow the link to the page to open the report. Their agent can also be sent their own link for the report. I receive an email notice everytime the report is accessed. The reports stay on the site for 5 years, I also have the report on my computer. My own website is hosted by another company, the cloud service as nothing to do with my site.

Thanks!

Does anyone else have likes or dislikes on tablets or ipads. This is new territory for me so recommendations are welcome.

Well, I bought the ipad mini and am now looking for cases and straps for it. Any suggestions are welcome!

Originally Posted by Jim Luttrall

Does anyone else have likes or dislikes on tablets or ipads. This is new territory for me so recommendations are welcome.

I've bought every gadget I can think of, in the end, I always seem to go back to a lightweight convertible tablet (I currently have a couple HP 2730P's). My narratives are pretty good and I can "check off" comments as needed, but I feel like I'm trying to build a skyscraper with melting ice cream when I need to type a narrative with the gadgets and tablets. I use the laptop in tablet mode most of the time (looks like a slate and you enter or check off with stylus).. when I run into a stinker of a problem... I swing swing open the laptop and type out a new narrative or customize a comment etc. I mean.. it doesn't matter how good your narratives are, you gotta tweak 'em as needed, and again, the gadgets don't seem to cut it for me for typing.
For instance... try typing out a defect on your phone/tablet etc along with a recommendation etc and see how long it takes you. Then type in your keyboard.
I like the HP tablets as I can't click (or mis-click) incorrect comments with my fingers. The HP tablets are *stylus only*. If you don't type it or click it... it stays out of your report. Battery life with SSD seems to be about 5-7 hours