This afternoon I uploaded PocketBible for iPhone version 1.0.0 to the App Store.
Now we wait.
Apple says it will take about two weeks. We’ll see. I know that uploading took me only 15 minutes, but that was after spending hours trying to find the right combination of options NOT to choose and titles I was NOT allowed to use for the program. So I’m not going to be surprised if approval takes longer than two weeks.
In the meantime we have a lot of work to do on the Web site to get it ready for the release. We’re going to try to make some changes to the way our e-commerce works at the same time. Hopefully we won’t break anything important.
I previously posted several videos of PocketBible in action. So if you’re curious, take a look at those.
One of the last things to come together was the program icon. We went through three major themes before finding a last-minute idea with promise. Our first idea was to lift the Bible icon from our Windows Mobile app. But when we looked at the 60 or more Bible apps on the iPhone, it seems over half of them had the same idea. So we were afraid we’d get lost.
So then we went with a version of our company logo. That had some fans, but suffered from being not very scalable as we release new programs (i.e. we only have one company logo but we expect to have more than one iPhone app). Plus it was boring.
While this was going on we had an artist work on a “Bible in a pocket” icon. The beta testers weren’t crazy about that one.
One of our testers is a fellow developer. He turned us on to his icon designer, who had the idea to used stained glass as a theme. We weren’t crazy about this at first but then I found a stained glass artist in Minnesota who had done some very contemporary looking work for a Lutheran church that seemed like it might work. We contacted the artist (Nicholas Markell) and he was willing to work with us. There were some interesting copyright issues, but Nick was a very reasonable guy and was pretty knowledgeable on the topic and we were able to work through those very painlessly.
So the program icon and splash screen (shown here) are based on a stained glass window entitled “Baptism of Jesus”. While the baptism of Jesus has little to do with our program, a little creative reinterpretation makes it work well. The Holy Spirit, represented here as a dove, illuminates the Scriptures for the believer. The water represents the “living water” (John 4) of the Word of God that gives eternal life through the cross, which is in the background of the image. Across the surface of the water runs the “scarlet thread of redemption” that ties the Bible together from the first verse of Genesis to the last verse of Revelation.
In addition to the obvious symbolic significance of this particular work of art, there’s the bigger symbolism of stained glass in a Christian context. Beyond its obvious beauty, stained glass windows served a valuable purpose in churches: They taught the stories of the Bible to a largely illiterate population. For many people in medieval times, church windows were their Bibles.
We like the meta symbolism of the medium of stained glass representing the Bible, and the specific symbolism of this piece as it relates to studying the Bible with our program. And besides, it looks really nice on the iPhone.
It’s unlikely we’ll hear any good news until the program is approved. We’ll pass along any bad news we receive just to keep you informed. Until then we have plenty to do to get ready. We appreciate all your kind words and prayers.
This is awesome news! The pain of waiting…..
Thank you very much Craig. The video clips show a program full of promise and utility. It sounds like you had your own iconoclastic controversy going internally. The LOGO is nice and last reason given is the most compelling to me. Thanks for a huge task nearly completed.
This is GREAT news! And the logo is a work of art. Congrats to the whole team.
Grats guys on all the hard work! Looking forward to it’s appearance in the app store.
Having made some stained glass art, I am impressed. The design is artistic but current. I sure like it.
I can’t wait. Like a watched pot not boiling time seems to be creeping by. I used this app so often on my Palm.
As a long-time user of the Palm OS product who just switched to an iPhone, this is awesome news! Thanks!
Craig – thank you for your efforts to expand the availability of the Word to the iPhone in an application that is better than anything currently available.
Thank you for the description of the logo. Knowing the background of something always helps you appreciate it all the more. I didn’t know that background of the significance of stained glass art re: the largely illiterate population back in the middle ages. This is pretty obvious when you describe it and many here probably already know that, but I didn’t realize that. Thanks for that bit of a history lesson!
Craig,
As another ex post facto rationale for the stained glass look, you should listen to a great song written many years ago by Keith Green: Stained Glass. You can find the lyrics here: http://www.poemhunter.com/song/stained-glass/
Awesome Craig! I really like the program splash screen (aka the stained-glass). Can’t wait until PB is approved!
Looks like the program WILL be like its icon — a work of art! I am excited for you and grateful for all your hard work on this important project.
Awesome news!! I just made the transition from Palm to iPhone about 3 months ago. I was so bummed that I was going to lose my favorite bible program and all my books! What a blessing to see that the program got a huge upgrade, and I get to keep using my library of great books from Laridian!
Thank you Craig, and everyone on the team, for all the hard work! You’ve truly outdone yourselves! God bless you!
I can’t wait to get it! I have the Windows Mobile version, but I just upgraded to an iPhone and the first thing I looked for was PocketBible. Great timing!
I have a lonely little empty spot on my first page of Apps just waiting for this download. I’m assuming we’ll get an email if we’re on the list, but I’ll be checking every day on iTunes for sure!
We’ll DEFINITELY let EVERYONE know when the iPhone app goes live. You’ll get an email, we’ll post a blog article, we’ll light up the old iPhone lists, etc. We’re not going to be keeping it a secret.
Congrats Craig & team. Looking forward to it.
I’m ecstatic! I have several hundred dollars worth of Laridian titles just waiting to be downloaded on to my iPod Touch. It’s been a long wait but it’s going to be SO worth it! Thanks Craig and team.
I’m so excited about this news! Thank you for your diligent work on this project. Once the app is available I’m be sure to share it with all my friends. I have several other Bibles loaded on my IPhone, but none of them are as user-friendly and complete as my old reliable Laridian Bible on my Palm Pilot. This project has been in my prayers and will continue to be at the top of the list until Apple approves the app. God bless you! The logo is perfect!
I have been a fan of Laridian’s for several years and have used your products on other platforms with tremendous satisfaction. Have been checking this blog for several months charting the development of this program for the iphone.
Congratulations to Craig and team for a major accomplishment.
Looking forward to downloading to my iphone 3GS soon!