In my post on iPhone Resources, I mention that Logos Bible Software (more info) is one of my favorite apps. Someone asked this in the comments:
Have you had a chance to use the Olive Tree Bible app at all? Any thoughts on comparisons with the Logos app?
I replied,
I haven’t used the various Olive Tree apps because my understanding is that Logos can do everything they can and more (esp. if you use Logos 4) for free. I may be wrong on that.
Well, I was wrong on that—at least for now.
Here’s how it describes itself:
Olive Tree Bible Software provides mobile Bible versions and study tools for iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Palm OS, Pocket PC, Smartphone and Symbian cell phones. We currently offer over 500 mobile resources including over 100 translations of the Bible as well as commentaries, dictionaries, devotionals, eBooks, and Strong’s numbering system. The Bible is offered in various languages, including German, French, Spanish, Chinese and many others. Original Hebrew and Greek texts are also available. Additionally, we provide online web and cell phone (WAP) Bible search engines.
2. What does Olive Tree Bible software offer for the iPhone and iPod Touch?
- Bibles. Hebrew, Greek, LXX, ESV, NIV, NASB, NET, NLT, The Message, and more.
- Study Bibles. ESVSB, NET notes, NIVSB, NLTSB, and more. Continue Reading »
Read the announcement at Logos Bible Software’s blog and rejoice.
I’ve been waiting for this for years! Kudos to Logos and Eerdmans for working this out.
Bob Pritchett, founder and president/CEO of Logos Bible Software, just posted this in the newsgroups:
Logos 4.0…
…keeps what you love about Logos Bible Software
…gets rid of what annoys you in Logos Bible Software
…puts things where you’d expect them
…is still in development
…reflects an obsession on ease-of-use
…remembers things
…helps you share the fruit of your study with students and congregations
…has simpler menus
…comes with massive, hand-edited data sets
…favors direct manipulation over large settings panels
…is the iPhone of Bible software
…gives more screen space to content
…searches with the speed and ease of Google
…searches just your quality content (not the morass Google has to wade through)
…works well with multiple monitors
…makes smart guesses about what you are looking for
…looks very cool
…is under tight wrap until “the big moment.”
HT: Phil Gons
It’s amazing how many outstanding resources Logos Bible Software keeps producing.
I already own and benefit greatly from “The Complete Spurgeon Sermon Collection,” which contains Spurgeon’s sermons from the Park Street and Metropolitan Tabernacle pulpits. I just became aware of another Spurgeon collection that is now on pre-pub for $250: “Charles Spurgeon Collection.” It’s currently 78 volumes and 17,361 pages, so that’s about a penny ($0.014) per page in a highly efficient format.
Content:
- The Treasury of David, Spurgeon’s 7-volume commentary on the Psalms
- Spurgeon’s 4-volume Lectures to My Students, which includes his best-selling Commenting and Commentaries
- 228 issues of Spurgeon’s magazine, The Sword and the Trowel published between 1865 and 1884
- Spurgeon’s 4-volume Sermon Notes
- The 2-volume Salt Cellars
- Spurgeon’s 4-volume Autobiography, the first and most detailed account of Spurgeon’s life and ministry
- A collection of Spurgeon’s letters and correspondence
- Dozens of additional volumes on preaching, prayer, evangelism, and much more!
What a treasure trove!
Update: Phil Gons adds this on the Logos blog:
And it gets even better. I said presently above because we’re still in the process of researching another dozen or so titles for possible inclusion in this collection. The best part is that if you pre-order now, you’ll be locked in at the lowest possible price, even if the price goes up to cover the additional cost.
So pre-order this unparalleled collection of the writings of C. H. Spurgeon now (and his sermons, too, if you don’t already have them), and get ready to take advantage of the power of Logos to integrate this wealth of material into your devotions, Bible studies, and sermons with ease.
About four hours ago, I downloaded The Lexham Greek-English Interlinear Septuagint, edited by Randall Tan. A Logos employee emailed, “I believe you are the first person outside of Logos to get it.” Cool. The product is projected to ship on November 24, so the pre-pub special ($109.95) will soon elevate to a sale price ($122.95), so now is the time to lock in on the best price.
You can get a decent overview of this LXX by reading the product page.
Here are some thoughts after playing with my new toy/tool: Continue Reading »
Robert W. Yarbrough insightfully answers this question posed by Collin Hansen in a CT interview published today:
How has computer technology contributed to our understanding of 1-3 John?
One can also do word analyses and various grammatical and syntactical searches of the New Testament or related writings with a speed, ease, and comprehensiveness previously undreamt of. Ease of access to reference works eliminates tedious book hunting and page turning. A downside is that every decade we move farther into computer technology, the greater the danger becomes that younger scholars will lack the hands-on intimacy with the text that pen and paper demanded, and the ingrained, deeply intuitive grasp of the text that a trained memory can arrive at. Voluminous information easily accessible can not only obscure but actually stunt creative and historically responsible scholarship.
Dale Pritchett, Senior Vice President of Logos Bible Software, argues in “Logos in the Classroom” (PDF | MP3) that Bible colleges and seminaries are on the threshold of transitioning from print resources to electronic ones. This parallels other technological advances, e.g., from slide rule to calculator to computer or from records to cassette tapes to CDs to MP3s.
Here are some excerpts:
- “Last year Logos sold more than 5.2 million digital books. We have 9,000 books now available, and our goal is to release 2,000 additional titles every year.”
- “We are, in reality, an extension—in some cases a replacement—for the bricks and mortar Bible college or seminary library. We have become the world’s largest producer of digital Bibles and academic Bible reference works. We have become an affordable alternative for standard, unabridged books representing more than 100 different publishers. We have become the tool of choice for writers and researchers. . . . We’re a useful resource for distance education and remote campuses. We’re a supplement for classroom demonstration. We are a fully linked, interactive seminary library on a notebook computer. We are, in short, the future today. And we’re totally digital right now. And that’s a good thing because the digital revolution is almost 30 years old.”
Cf. my two reviews of Logos products:
- Scholar’s Gold
- PNTC, BECNT, and NIGTC (three NT commentary series)
HT: Phil Gons
Earlier this week in “Review article: PNTC, BECNT, and NIGTC in Libronix,” I referenced a 19-page review article I wrote earlier this year. Page 83 of that review includes a paragraph I’d like to follow up on:
“2. Readability: Electronic commentaries are more readable than print commentaries, especially those printed with tiny fonts (e.g., some footnotes). I frequently adjust the text’s font size depending on how far away I am from the screen and how tired my eyes are. I nearly always display the table of contents on the left side of the screen, which allows me to (1) see the logical flow of a commentary, (2) expand or collapse certain sections of the table of contents by clicking on the plus and minus symbols, and (3) jump directly to other sections. I also strongly prefer reading an electronic commentary on a large, good-quality LCD screen rather than a print commentary. At my home office, I currently connect a 22-inch LCD screen to my 17-inch laptop, which allows me to have multiple programs open on different screens. For example, when I am working through electronic commentaries, I prefer to have Libronix open on my 22-inch screen and other programs (Word, Outlook, Firefox, etc.) open on my 17-inch screen.”
Adding a second screen to a personal computer (laptop or desktop) is very easy to set up. For those using Microsoft Windows XP, plug the second screen’s cable into your computer, right-click on the desktop, and select Properties | Settings | monitor 2 | Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor. (For those using Vista, right-click on the desktop, and select Personalize | Display Settings | Monitor | Extend the desktop onto this monitor.) Then adjust the screen resolution to the right setting, which may involve a bit of trial and error. When the screen resolution for monitor 2 is right, click Apply | OK. (Cf. Microsoft’s directions.) I highly recommend this!
In August 2007 I reviewed three New Testament commentary series (28 volumes) in a single, 8,300-word article: “PNTC, BECNT, and NIGTC: Three New Testament Commentary Series Available Electronically in Libronix,” Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal 12 (2007): 81–99. This review is now available in two formats:
- The PDF appears exactly as the review is printed in the fall 2007 DBSJ.
- The plain text adds some hyperlinks.
Content:
- Part 1 (about 1,750 words) make a case for using electronic commentaries in Libronix.
- Part 2 (about 600 words) compares the three commentary series in general.
- Part 3 (about 5,500 words) comments briefly on each of the 28 volumes (and mentions the authors for the forthcoming volumes).
Outline:
- Advantages of Using Electronic Commentaries in Libronix
- 1.1. Searchability
- 1.2. Versatility
- 1.3. Cost
- General Comparison of PNTC, BECNT, and NIGTC
- Brief Comments on Individual Commentaries in PNTC, BECNT, and NIGTC
- 3.1. PNTC (8 vols.)
- 3.2. BECNT (8 vols.)
- 3.3. NIGTC (12 vols.)
- Conclusion
Related:
- my review of Scholar’s Gold
- “Adding a Second Screen to a Personal Computer“
Phil Gons reflects on advantages of Logos books over print books after moving his his library from South Carolina across the country to Washington. I heartily agree with him!
Cf. “Are E-Books Riskier Than Print Books?” and “How Is an E-Library Superior to a Print Library?” in my review of Scholar’s Library: Gold (Logos Bible Software).
David Instone-Brewer just posted his review of the Stuttgart Electronic Study Bible for Logos‘ Libronix Digital Library System.
“Overall conclusion: give away your paper BHS + NA27 and buy this. An extraordinary conclusion for someone who doesn’t like Libronix, but this is an extraordinary product which is more usable than the paper versions.”
Update: Cf. Phil Gons’s review and assessment of the SESB.
Phil Gons, one of my closest friends, just contributed an insightful post to a blog forum comparing Logos and BibleWorks. I’m in complete agreement with Phil on this (cf. here).
Last summer I 