The innovative product iLumina Gold, already reviewed by David Lang, is now available in an enlarged Parents & Teachers edition, in DVD format. You can see a comparison of the three different incarnations here. This new edition, compatible with Mac and Windows, includes a new My Lessons module, which makes it particularly suitable for homeschooling, among other possible uses. Current users of iLumina Gold can upgrade for a modest fee.

A new version of Pocket e-Sword is out. Among the various enhancements, the program now supports VGA and landscape modes for devices running Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition. Also, verse notes can include Scripture and Strong’s numbers pop-up tips.

It is exciting to see that Bible software for PDAs is really thriving. There are already a significant number of products available, and they keep improving all the time, as handhelds are also able to offer better performance. I’m currently working on more reviews in this area, and am also gathering information for a forthcoming comparison review of the search capabilities of the main software packages currently available for PDAs.

The Companies and User Groups sections of Bible Software Review have been updated. If you have any links that you think should be added, please send them along. The main menu has also been streamlined. There should be less asterisks in the next few weeks

A comment by Reinout van Rees on my previous entry (thank you, Reinout!) got me thinking about all the different things one can do in church, Bible study, or Hebrew Prophecy class with a
handheld device. Suggestions are welcome!

Reinout says he takes notes during the sermon – presumably he is not the preacher . I don’t know how extensive his notes are, but I find it difficult to imagine myself doing it, particularly with the virtual keyboard…

Then, there’s the obvious use for Bible reading and occasional searches, as well as for checking some cross references or resources (dictionaries, lexicons, encyclopedias, maps, and the like).

Another interesting thing to do is use the PDA as a recorder. It is even possible to tape the sermon or lecture directly in mp3 format (with third-party software), which is quite cool. The downside is that you can’t take notes or look up references at the same time…

If you can help make this short, but significant, list grow, feel free to add your comments. Please let’s stick to things relevant to church and class

Update (a few hours later): Check out Reinout’s interesting comments on his blog. Now, if I could only read those Dutch sermon notes…

I’m pleased to announce that another review has been posted today. Bible With You and Bible Concordance With You are two of the great applications for Palm and Pocket PC put out by GMPSoft.

I hope you’ll enjoy reading the review as much as I have enjoyed using the programs on my PDA. There’s only a problem. I still feel somewhat embarassed when I think about taking my handheld to church. I guess I’ll overcome it… It’s such a blessing!