Please note the date on this post. Read our more recent posts on the iPhone for more up-to-date information.
We’ve been watching the announcement of the iPhone with some interest here. While we like new shiny things we’re less than thrilled about the proliferation of smart phone operating systems. On the one hand the iPhone looks cool; on the other it’s just one more OS to support (or not support, depending on how many people buy the things).
We’re interested in your feedback… Do you think the iPhone looks like your next phone? If so, why? If not, why not?
All I can say is that we’re reading all this — your comments, Apple’s announcements — and watching their TV ads. As you know we won’t commit to what we may or may not be working on but we continue to be interested in your comments, especially as the devices hit the street in a couple weeks.
Craig
Craig,
I’ll be buying an iPhone, hopefully, on the 29th. I currently own and use MyBible, Pocket Bible, and the WinCE 2000 version. So, guess what? If you bring out a version for the iPhone, I’ll have that one too. Hoping you’ll consider it!
Best,
Bill – A really loyal user.
Craig,
As a follow-up, Apple has traditionally provided more functionality in the released device than advertised. Thus, maybe there will be more there than in the ads. I currently carry a Treo 680 for use in downloading email, PIM functions, and oh yeah, a phone. I also carry my old reliable Tungsten T3 for Bible reading and study. Daily reader has been my daily companion for years and I don’t leave home without them both.
Since iPhone covers all the functions for which I currently use my Treo plus a few, and I’m a Mac user; the transition to an iPhone is a no-brainer. While I currently use the Treo on occasion, I find the screen too small for long term use. The promise of a larger reading area on the iPhone is a definite draw.
Until iBible comes out, I’ll continue to carry my iPhone (soon) and my T3 or my HP hx4700. Daily Reader continues to get my day started and wound down. Thanks for your hard work and exceptional products. You are a blessing!
Best regards,
Bill
Bill’s sentiments represent me and , I suspect, a whole host of other Pocket Bible users. I strongly believe the rewards will be handsome if you guys can extend your ministy in this way–and I mean more than simply monitary. Knowing that your passion is to push thr Word of God into all the world, I’m confident that If it can be done you will find a way. John–a daly, blessed user of PB.
I LOVE MyBible on my Treo 650. I’ll be the first in line on June 29 to buy 2 iPhones for my wife and I and I really want MyBible to work on it. Since Apple has announced that iPhone will support third-party applications created using Web 2.0 standards will you develop MyBible for it? I hope so, I’ll be the first to upgrade!
At first I thought delivering applications to the iPhone via Web 2.0 Apps was a bad idea. Then I realized that even desktop systems are moving towards internet applications and limiting installed software. You minimize the problems of distribution and deployment and platform independence is a definite benefit. Not to mention data instensive applications such as Bible software benefit from a server generated approach. The only problem with the iPhone platform is Internet bandwidth. That will be solved in the very near future and you can tolerate the current bandwidth for downloading a Bible reading at a time. I love my Pocket Bible and I am planning on buying an iPhone. For now I guess I will keep my pocket pc just for the Bible until I can have your software on the iPhone. Thank you! When you do develop the iPhone version please conform to their UI, it’s their strongest selling point.
We’ve been talking about running server-based applications via the Web browser since 1995. Sure, there are a small number of notable successes, but there are still some real issues, including:
If you only look at this from a latency standpoint you can simply wait until access speeds increase. But there’s the very real COST issue. Why do you want to pay your carrier to download page after page of the KJV text, which hasn’t changed for almost 400 years?
The fact that Apple has drug its feet on third-party apps in the interest of security leads me to believe they’re not going to be gung-ho about letting us store your notes, bookmarks, and highlights on the device. Those will all have to be stored at the server. Again, we add latency and cost issues but now we add privacy issues.
These issues haven’t changed in 15 years. I don’t know if or how Apple is going to change them. It looks to me like they’re just saying “we have a nice web browser so if you have fancy web sites we can display them”. There’s a reason why people don’t use http://www.biblegateway.comas their primary Bible study software, and what Apple is proposing is nothing more than that.
I just finished watching the 17minute video on the iphone (due out tomorrow June 29th). Beside the phone I am looking for two applications that are must haves to justify the cost. One is Pocket Quicken the other is MyBible/Daily Reader.
Unless those two are one the iphone I will not buy it. I carry a phone and I carry a Tungsten T5. I want to combine the two. I currently pay close $30+/mnth for my current phone line and could only justify the cost of the phone and the $59+/mnth (basically double!)
I want to go to iPhone… it is indeed impressive but I want to get rid of my two devices and just use one. If I can get MyBible and PocketQuicken then I will make the plunge.
What about using Google Gears (http://code.google.com/apis/gears/) to store the bible and notes locally? There would be an initial download of the data but thats really no different then it is now. Granted, Ive not looked at gears more than just a glance but on the surface it seems like it might work. Of course, we are talking about a whole new development cycle and not just a port of the existing MyBible software.
…Ah, never mind. I see gears requires installation of client side software to work. My bad.
Hola Laridian;
I am glad that you all are taking a look at the possiblity of doing an iPhone app. When I looked in on this conversation a few months back, it sparked me to write (at MMM) about the possiblities for hybrid applications. While this is something that cannot be done on the iPhone, I do think that it is very possible to have a web app if the GUI were ‘newspaper-simple’ and there were some profile component to keep the info ‘alive.’
I have more ideas on this and would rather not air them aloud, but would be willing to chat with you all and provoke the MMM and other audiences as to what can happen when a Bible reader is forced to change the normal paradigm of doing things
I purchased the iPhone the day it came out! As a frequent traveler, I have been looking for something to replace my pda (x51v) and ipod video. For me, the iPhone fit the bill as I no longer lug around multiple devices, chargers and accessories. YEA! I know the iPhone does not have all the capabilities of a standalone pda or ipod video however, it has enough capabilities as a phone, camera, video player and music player that it works for my use. The Safari browsers is a huge plus as I can access any web site w/ little effort when on the run. As for a Bible on the iPhone, that will come in time so in the mean time, I have been using my old and trusty paper travel Bible. I must admit, there is something to holding the physical Bible in your hand that makes reading that much more pleasurable.
I’m planning on buying an iPhone this fall and would like very much to have myBible available for it. Hopefully this can happen.
I know that my friends and I (who all bought iphones on Friday night) are interested in some way to use scriptures effectively on it. We have started using eBible as an online source. It’s not a bad solution but we would love to have something tailored more for the iphone. I know Apple is not making this easy for you but I just wanted to let you know that there is a market out here. Thanks!
I currently carry an iPod, Palm m500, and a cell phone. I use the Pam for a calender, adress book, text memos, and as a Bible. I would love to just carry an iPhone if it could do it all, but until third party applications are available I will have to stick with my three separates.
Please develop a verison of myBible for the iPhone as soon as Apple’s iPhone SDK becomes available. Then I will be able to put away my Palm, iPod, and cell phone for one simple device that does it all.
You can do it already on the iPhone. In fact, all the Bibles and books you already own are just waiting for you to sign up for iPocketBible and you’ll have access to them. I’ve switched to using iPocketBible for all my mobile Bible reading needs and it’s working great.
Jim – The iPhone also has some basic PIM features (calendar, contacts, notes). See my article in the November issue of Christian Computing Magazine for more about that.
I just got an ipod touch which is the same thing as the iphone but without the phone. I own your bible “my bible” for my palm and it is the best bible app I have ever used. Palm is fading away and I no longer use mine nor will I ever upgrade again. Please made a version of the bible for iphones and touchs like the palm one.
You should try our iPocketBible program at http://www.ipocketbible.com. Since you already own MyBible, you already own Bibles and reference books that will be available to you in the iPhone version. You can sign up for a monthly subscription and there’s no billing for 30 days so you can try it. If you don’t like it just send an email to support@laridian.com and they’ll cancel your subscription.