Can any of you who already use PT4 or HM2 tell me if it was hard to learn how to use them, and if they took any courses?
Pretty much all of them are worth spending time in the forums and on youtube to understand how to set them up and how to use the information.
I'd say out of the box the simplest is Jivaro, and it gives you decent info, but has some limitations if you want to customize it though not a bad place to start.
Next I found Drivehud to be pretty excellent. Any issues you can go to the thread within CC or contact support and they are very responsive. It's also the cheapest and only charges you by the stake level you play at so for under $15 a year you can test it out with microstakes and manipulation of the hud is relatively easy if you read the instructions or watch the short video in their tutorial. I am pretty sure this is the easiest one to customize but basing this on what others have told me after they got their huds set up on PT4 and HM4.
PT4 is much more popular as is Holdem manager but to be honest I have no real experience with either of them so can't give any input.
I would try the trial versions of all of them all of us have different tastes, budgets and requirements, so one that works for you will not necessarily be the best for me for example.
Having said all that I would also start out very simplistic us a scaled down hud with just some basic information like VPIP, AGG, PFR, 3-bet %, fold to C-bet, BBs and total
hands for example. Also go to the forums of these sites and learn how the various stats help you to get a read on players.
Anyway that is my two cents. I thought I was doing well with mine until I joined a study group and realized how quickly others were able to pin point leaks in other players from the info. So the studying part of this can be as arduous or as simplistic as you want it to be depending on what you want to get from your hud.