My latest full review of BibleWorks (BW) was based on version 8. I had quite a few good things to say about it, but also expressed some reservations about two main issues: tool integration and search syntax. After two main updates I am a bit disappointed to see that most of the cons I mentioned some years ago have not been addressed. Evidently, each company follows their own roadmap. I just happen to think they would do much better if they would focus on some of what I consider to be weaknesses of the program.

1. Tool integration. First off, BW is not a digital library. In fact, they advice customers to be cautios about building large digital libraries. On the other hand, it is difficult to swim against the tide, so BW provides two ways to incorporate ebooks into the program. They have partnered with WORDsearch in order to make some of their titles available to BW users and, as of version 10, an epub reader is included as part of the package. Maybe having resources in .CHM format (Compiled HTML file) was a safe bet five or ten years ago, but I do not think that is the case anymore. The inclusion of an epub reader seems to be a way to explore other standards. The problem is that all these e-texts are a bit of an afterthought, and result in a very poor integration with the rest of the program. Not only that. Each new format comes with a different search syntax, which adds to the complexity of a program that already has a pretty steep learning curve.

2. Search syntax. BW is very powerful, but search syntax is inconsistent across the program. There are at least five different ways to search (CHM files, ebooks, Command Line, Graphical Search Engine and Word List Manager). CHM and epub files have a similar search syntax, though not exactly the same. GSE uses Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT…), but the CL uses a different approach altogether, while the WLM is similar to the CL but not quite the same.

The new UI in BW 10 is not really that new, but this is always debatable. However, I really feel that BW should rethink the whole matter of tool integration and search syntax. This may mean going back to the drawing board in some areas, but at the end of the day it may be worthwhile. As it is now, I find BW quite cluttered and confusing. I would hate to see such a good program lag behind some of the other big players in the field.

The acclaimed Accordance Bible Software has just been released as a native Windows application. This extract from the latest press release lists some of the capabilities of the program:

As I mentioned before, BibleWorks 9 can now run on a Mac. Here’s proof!

I hope to upload another video showing BW in action. So far, the program behaves quite well on a Mac running version 10.8.3 (Mountain Lion).

I reviewed an older version of SwordSearcher some years ago, and although many things have been improved since then, the basic philosophy of the program has remained the same (and I say this as a compliment). It seems to me that its developer, Brandon Staggs, has decided to stick to his original plan. SwordSearcher continues to offer a good deal of classic public domain resources and Bibles, centered around the King James Version (see full contents list here). The user interface is now more sophisticated, but still clean and simple to use. One of the new features of version 7 is a smart search box that displays hints as you type. This allows users to type Bible references, topics and searches very easily, all in a single centralized text box. I am pretty sure that many (most?) users will very seldom need to dig deeper to kick-start their Bible study, although the current search capabilities of the program are now very advanced and include Boolean, Proximity, String and Regular Expression searches.

Special texts tagged with Strong’s numbers (like KJV and Spanish Reina-Valera 1909) can be used for original language searches. These are somewhat limited, but let us keep in mind that SwordSearcher is not designed for heavy-duty Hebrew and Greek work. It is, however, a very powerful tool to perform English-based research around the biblical text. This is a direct result of the combination of a thorough indexing and cross-referencing work, robust search engine and flexible StudyClick feature, a clever customizable shortcut that lets the user choose their preferred study workflow out of a good number of options (available via the File – Preferences and Settings… menu).

SwordSearcher 7 adds a few new titles to the Library of available works, like McClintock & Strong Cyclopedia, Spurgeon’s Park Street and Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Richard Watson’s Biblical and Theological Dictionary, and John Trapp’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments. But “more” can only mean “better” when all the Books, Commentaries and Dictionaries are heavily linked to the Bible text and can be readily found when they are relevant to the passage or topic in question. This is what the Verse Guide does.

All in all, I think Brandon knows very well what SwordSearcher users expect from the program. Every new release is another step in the right direction. Had this not been the case, it wouldn’t be around after all this time. SwordSearcher is proof that in the middle of some fierce competition, there is still room for reasonably-priced shareware Bible programs that do not go out of their way to become a one-fits-all solution, but rather cater to the needs of those who simply want to be efficient in their Bible study and make extensive use of the English King James Version. If that’s what you need, that’s what you get with SwordSearcher.

Rick Meyers, author of e-Sword, has kindly agreed to answer a few questions in the wake of the release of e-Sword HD for iPad. He’s extremely busy at the moment, so I doubly appreciate his willingness to make himself available to us. What follows is an unedited version of our “conversation.”

Bible Software Review: What led you to create an iOS version of e-Sword and why is it only available for iPads?

Rick Meyers:

Mobile/Tablet                          O/S Share
Market Share of iOS                  63.5%
Market Share of Android         21.0%
Market Share of Java ME            9.3%
Market Share of BlackBerry       1.8%

BSR: I can hear the voice of many Android users asking themselves, We’ll we ever see an Android version of e-Sword?

RM: MySword is pretty good and has access to all of the many user group modules.

BSR: I know quite a few people who get confused with names like e-Sword, MySword and The Sword Project. Is there any relationship between e-Sword and the other two?

RM: You forgot SwordSearcher 🙂 Only our relationship we share in Christ!

BSR: e-Sword has a very large and active user base. In fact, one of its great strengths is the impressive amount of user modules available in every conceivable language. How is all this going to fit with the current “official-modules-only” approach of e-Sword HD?

RM: Version 1.0 cannot have everything!  I am currently working with Josh Bond and others to integrate the massive user group module library.

BSR: Given the fact that e-Sword has traditionally been considered freeware, how did you come to the conclusion that you were going to charge $4.99 for the iPad app? Is this a change in your philosophy as a Bible software developer?

RM: e-Sword is still free, so no change there.  Everyone who begged me to create an iPad app said they would pay for it.  So I made the large investment in development costs to create the app, thus I am holding them to their word 🙂

BSR: Since Bible Software Review has a certain academic edge to it, could we expect to see any Greek and Hebrew resources soon? What about the ability to search Greek and Hebrew?

RM: I already have Greek texts working quite nicely, but there is even more that I wanted to do with the texts so I chose to hold off until the next update.

Thank you very much!

I’ve been holding off writing this post. Others have already announced earlier today the availability of a Public Preview Mac Installer that allows BibleWorks version 9 to run on Macs. Bootcamp and virtualization software were already viable alternatives to run the program until now. Today, however, there is a third possibility: using Wine’s compatibility libraries.

I know from experience that BW 8 (I don’t have version 9) works very well under Parallels or VirtualBox. If you own a reasonably powerful Intel Mac and are running Lion or Mountain Lion, that’s your best bet. It remains to be seen how well version 9 will perform under Wine.

The reason I wanted to wait before letting the cat out of the bag is that I needed to be sure how “Mac native” this option was. I can’t deal with the technical side of things here (I leave that to programmers and others more knowledgeable than me), but I do have to agree here with Kevin Purcell’s assessment that using Wine (like WORDsearch or Bible Explorer) is not exactly taking the Mac native route.

I have enquired about this and BW’s staff have been kind enough to explain some of the specific details. The good thing is that most of BW’s excellent features will work, at no additional cost, on a Mac. However, from a user experience point of view, this is certainly not a native Mac app, as can be surmised by watching this video. So, if you own an Intel Mac and use BibleWorks 9, you can now test the public preview and tell us all about it. BW is committed to fixing any compatibility issues that might appear and improve the overall performance of the program in due course.

EDIT (October 4, 2012): The web page http://www.bibleworks.com/content/mac.html has been edited slightly in order to reflect the exact nature of the Mac native version, which now reads “Native (a Mac port running on custom WINE libraries)”. Further down, under Details, the following explanation is given: “The native Mac version of BibleWorks runs on OS X using customized compatibility libraries (WINE) by CodeWeavers. It runs directly on OS X without a virtual machine or machine instruction emulation. The underlying technology uses WINE and xQuartz libraries”.

As usual, BW has been very responsive to user feedback and quick to clear up any misunderstandings. Now everybody should be able to know what to expect.