MyBible 4 for Palm OS Handhelds and Smartphones

Posted By: Ryan Wednesday, January 5, 2005 8:58:33 AM

Laridian has announced the release of a new version of its best-selling MyBible software for handheld devices or smartphones running Palm OS 5.0 or later. MyBible gives users fast and easy access to the entire Bible with features that let them search, take notes, highlight, and bookmark the Bible text. Version 4 adds the ability to read and search Bible reference books, such as commentaries and dictionaries. A new split-screen option lets users open as many as three different biblical translations and reference books at once to help users engaged in an intensive Bible study.

“MyBible 4 gives users an even greater ability to conduct in-depth Bible study on-the-go,” said Craig Rairdin, President of Laridian. “As people read the Bible on their Palm™ handheld, they can now get immediate answers to their questions and gain insight through the commentaries, dictionaries and other reference books.”

Bible for the Palm OS Laridian is offering a wide variety of Bible reference books (each sold separately) in conjunction with the release of MyBible 4, including Life Application Study Bible Notes, Tyndale Bible Dictionary, Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary, Matthew Henry’s Concise Bible Commentary, Nave’s Topical Bible, Easton’s Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. More reference books are planned for release in the near future.

“Our users tell us they love MyBible because it is so fast and easy to use,” commented Rairdin. “Version 4 retains the ease and simplicity of previous versions while adding the advanced study capability our customers have requested.”

New and improved features of MyBible 4 include:

Reference book capability, enabling users to consult commentaries, dictionaries, and other reference materials as they read the Bible;

Split-screen viewing, opening as many as three panels at once to view Bibles and books side-by-side;

Automatic Synchronization, resulting in Bibles and books organized by verse to stay synchronized as users navigate through the Bible (optional);

Pop-up menus that provide customized menus for each open Bible or book to simplify navigation;

Dictionary lookup, enabling users to highlight a word in a Bible and choose “Lookup” to view a definition in an installed Bible dictionary;

Verse history, providing quick look-up of the fifteen most recently viewed verses.

A growing list of Bible translations, including the best-selling New International Version, are also available for use with the MyBible program. Each of these Bible translations and supporting reference works can be installed on storage cards. After purchasing the MyBible program, users can build a personalized library with any number of Bibles and reference books.

The MyBible 4 program is priced at $10. Current MyBible users can upgrade for $5. Bibles and reference books range in price from $4.99 to $29.99 with several Bible translations available for free download.

Permalink |

Article Comments

(22 comments)

The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PalmInfocenter is not responsible for them in any way.
Please Login or register here to add your comments.

Response from a long-time user

Caspian @ 1/5/2005 1:15:27 PM #

Thanks for posting this update. I have been using MyBible for several years. While I still have the Bible in multiple paper versions, this program has become the Bible that I carry and read. The addition of the New International Version with the Study Bible notes late last year was a welcome addition to their product line and demonstrates Laridian's commitment to develop and improve the software. The supplemental programs, like the Daily Reader, have kept me reading the Bible yearly for several years now and the reference books will allow a Bible student to have a small research library in the palm of his or her hand.

This is one of my must have programs and I readily recommend it. (No, I don't work for Laridian.)

RE: Response from a long-time user

Wollombi @ 1/5/2005 3:28:53 PM #

I agree. I use MB almost exclusively now.

_________________
Sean

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

RE: Response from a long-time user

mrborgs @ 1/5/2005 5:10:14 PM #

I agree too. This is a solid program and for a great price. You buy what you need. Their devotional program is great too with many daily reading options. I use mine all the time as I prepare for Bible Studies and Preaching.

Great program.

Pastor Mike

RE: Response from a long-time user

vr8ce @ 1/5/2005 6:52:47 PM #

It is absolutely a great program. It still has the fastest and most flexible searches of any Bible program available on the Palm, emphasis on FAST. I still use it when I need to do extensive searching, or any searching of multiple words.

However, I shifted my "main" Bible use to PalmBible+ well over a year ago, because (in order of importance) it allows the use of small fonts on a OS5+ device, it has original language Bibles available for it, and it's free.

MB has missed the boat on the small font issue, and I see no indication on the web site that anything has changed for MB4. Ironically, it's a much bigger issue (no pun intended) when multiple translations are being viewed at once, or a translation and commentary.

If the PB+ programmer's could figure out how in the world David programmed that blazingly fast search, we would have the best of both worlds.

RE: Response from a long-time user

beboscott @ 1/5/2005 8:33:57 PM #

Count me in! My Bible is a great program - been using it for 2 years and rarely open my paper Bibles anymore. I've written many sermons using My Bible and Docs to Go on my TT with Ultrathin Keyboard. So I'm glad to see Laridian inovating further and being diligent to upgrade their products. I wouldn't think of switching to another Palm OS Bible program.

I only have one major request - Strong's Concordance with the numbers and Greek & Hebrew definitions. This has been my major lament with MB as it would be soooo valuable to be able to do word studies in the original languages - especially now with MB4 and the split screen!

I just purchased Daily Reader and Prayer Partner look forward to begin using them for the new year. But Prayer Partner needs an update for OS 5. It still looks like it would on my old IIIxe. I guess its kind of nostalgic but if I was into nostalgia I'd be using the 1611 KJV instead of My Bible.

IIIxe & 3:16

Concerning Fonts...

jbarr @ 1/5/2005 11:36:01 PM #

Concerning the font, on my Tungsten C, opening the "Options" menu and tapping "Font" displays a Font selector of seven fonts ranging from squintingly small to annoyingly large. You are bound to find an acceptible size somewhere in between. No, they don't provide for addon fonts, but the default selection seems pretty decent.

RE: Response from a long-time user

vr8ce @ 1/6/2005 8:57:56 AM #

No such Font option on MB3, and no mention of this (extremely important, IMO) change on the MB4 page, at least that I could find. But that's great news, I'm glad to hear they finally offerred it.

RE: Response from a long-time user

Wollombi @ 1/6/2005 12:19:15 PM #

I upgraded to MB4 last night and there are 8 font options now, doubling the available font over MB3. Some of them are indeed quite small, and if you use FontSubst, you can even specify custom fonts for individual apps. Either of these should fit your needs nicely.

BTW, MB4 is worth the $5.00 upgrade fee, IMHO.

_________________
Sean

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

RE: Response from a long-time user

sford @ 1/6/2005 12:53:53 PM #

Heh, count me in. MB has been my only Bible for several years now (although I have to admit it actually felt kinda weird not reading out of a paper Bible from the podium this past Sunday lol!), and the upgrades just keep getting better!

Pilot Pro -> III -> IIIe -> Nino (yeah...oops!) -> IIIc -> VIIx -> m505 -> NR70V -> NX60 -> T3

RE: Response from a long-time user

LiveFaith @ 1/6/2005 2:08:37 PM #

Wow. You guys are pumped about this thing. I've tried many, but have settled on OliveTree Bible Reader 3.52, because it loads quick when "switching" between Docs2Go for notes, is free except for copyrighted works, has powerful search, T3 support and hard button function mapping.

I too have almost exclusively switched to daily devotional studies on the Palm. The T3 with landscape in my favorite reading chair with a Mountain Dew in hand, does a soul good! Actually, using the button mapping, d-pad, bookmarks & Docs2Go has allowed me to start going digital for public ministry. If I can ever use the WiFi card with a projector for visuals, then it'll be step-back-Billy-Graham. :-D

I'll try MB4 out today if they have a demo tho.

Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com

RE: Response from a long-time user

LiveFaith @ 1/6/2005 2:26:59 PM #

Cannot find a demo for v4? Anyone know how?

Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com

RE: Response from a long-time user

beboscott @ 1/6/2005 9:07:49 PM #

See, this is why I love PIC. I totally missed the fact that we now have 8 font options in MB4. Thanks for the tip guys. This is HUGE (er, I mean really small) for use with the split screen. Now on 320x320 you can get maybe 10-12 verses on the screen instead of 3 or 4. But I wouldn't try preaching from the pulpit with it set on the smaller fonts!

Pat, I don't think they have a demo. Just pay the 5 bucks and I think you'll find it to your liking.

IIIxe & 3:16

RE: Response from a long-time user

twrock @ 1/9/2005 8:46:50 AM #

I've enjoyed both MyBible and the Daily Reader. However, is is just me, or do others find the graffiti shortcut chapter/verse lookup more complicated in version 4? For some reason I can't get it to go to any chapter in this new version, even after reading the help and following the directions. (No problem with version 3, so I think I may go back to that one unless I can find a simple solution.)

RE: Response from a long-time user

twrock @ 1/9/2005 1:15:35 PM #

Since I can't delete my previous post, please ignore it. Seems they've addressed this problem with v. 4.001 which I just installed.

More of the same

speak2u @ 1/5/2005 11:08:39 PM #

I agree and no slam at the freedie's but I would use this if it cost twice as much and everything else is free. You get what you pay for - sometimes. This is a case you do and the amount we pay for it helps bring out great new updates like this one. I also use it as my regular Bible, have ten translations onboard and some of the readers. It is not just a must have but a have to have for me. When I have gotten new units, this is one of the first programs I make sure is up and running - right after the date book and contact list.

Hey Laridian - keep up the great work!

Dr. Steve Lansing

Another "Me too" comment...

jbarr @ 1/5/2005 11:29:21 PM #

I have to agree with the above comments. Laridian does it again, and for an incredibly low upgrade price!

I also purchased the NIV Study Notes, and they are proving to be most useful. When I split the screen with the Study Notes on the bottom, the Study Notes, sync with whatever Bible version I have open on the top. I grew up with the NIV, but our current church preaches out of the KJV, so this synchronization of notes to the currently displayed verse is very handy regardless of Bible version opened.

I'm running MyBible on a Tungsten C, and the keyboard access is very handy. I can do almost all navigation without having to use the stylus.

Great program, great implementation, and great support!

Still no NRSV ....

Edward Green @ 1/6/2005 5:31:26 AM #

Which is the Standard for any sort of Accademic study this side of the Pond.

Still with Olivetree then.

Edward Green
--
http://www.khite.co.uk

RE: Still no NRSV ....

4s @ 1/6/2005 3:12:54 PM #

You may already be aware, but you can also get the NRSV from Palm Digital Media: http://www.palmdigitalmedia.com/product/detail/5359

<><

RE: Still no NRSV ....

Edward Green @ 1/6/2005 3:30:57 PM #

Does it have the Apocrypha ?

I wonder.

Still the Olivetree implimentation works very well.

Edward Green
--
http://www.khite.co.uk

MyBible Discussion Group

Caspian @ 1/7/2005 6:39:13 AM #

The interaction here has been helpful to me. I did a quick search and did not find a discussion group that is sharing information about MyBible and related topics. Does anyone know if such a group? If not, would you all be interested in participating if I started one on Yahoo or someplace else that you would recommend?

David
Palm III> Palm IIIx> Palm IIIc> Sony T615> Sony T665> Sony TH55