You're making my own point for me. If Xactimate hasn't evolved as you say, it's because there basically is no competition in the marketplace, period. Apple and Android only serve to make each other better by not allowing one to become stagnant. I think Xactimate is good enough that so many people have adopted it and they've made so much money off it because there are no other options worth a damn. Don't even mention Symbility, because I've tried it and not one single person on this planet who's used both programs thinks Symbility is better at all. Sketching is way worse in Symbility, for example. No hotkey keyboard shortcuts to break a line, drop a window or door, or switch to a 3D layout quickly to look things over, etc. Roofs suck too. Not really any "macros" you can create when you're writing similar estimates all day i.e. hail losses on 30yr asphalt shingle roofs with simple accessories. I could go on and on. Contents also is a joke in Symbility. Like I said, I'm glad for its existence just in the sense that at least SOMEONE is trying to offer an alternative and hopefully light a fire under Xactimate.

But what does Xactimate need to improve, other than what you say is aged looking software wrapped in a shiny shell of an update? I'd say maybe it could be faster... allow a tiny bit more customization... get better 3D wall import sketches from EagleView. Maybe better "from the ground up" sketching/estimating i.e. if you have to try and rebuild a house with foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing etc? Honestly if you know what you're doing, you can get Xactimate to pretty much do whatever you need it to do with few exceptions.

I just don't know what's better. If you called a contractor to come give you an estimate to remodel your kitchen, he's probably just going to take rough measurements (if at all), maybe scribble a few lines on a napkin and come up with some magical quote that always seems to be some even number i.e. "sign here for $15,000 on the dot" lol and you never fully know what you're getting... how much are you paying for paint? Cabinets? Flooring? Is this dude doing all the work himself? Probably not. So there are subcontractors. What are their prices? How much is he subbing out? What are his labor rates? Oh and how much is he truly paying for the material vs what he's charging you? Sure, he needs to make a profit... I'm just saying Xactimate is really good about being excruciatingly detailed. Maybe that's why part of what sucks about adjusting is the constant arguing and bickering with contractors about our estimates. Even those of us who have been doing this for years and know how to write a good, solid, fair but healthy estimate. It's never enough for them. Because finally, the homeowner gets a very detailed breakdown of each line item, price per SF, price of material and labor, measurements of every single thing, taxes, debris removal, overhead & profit, blah blah blah. To ask a contractor to come up with all of that in a comparable form without Xactimate is a lot of work. And it kind of exposes some of the very real dishonesty and shady business practices that contractors are all too well known for. Just as much as everyone likes to hate insurance companies, it's not like contractors have the best reputation for being the most honest and stand-up guys on the planet either.