A review written by Rub�n G�mez, Bible software translator and beta tester. Copyright � 2005-2009 by the author. All rights reserved. Please do not reproduce any part of this document without obtaining permission from the author.
Introduction
This is the first port of the well-known QuickVerse program to Mac OS X. [1] It is a major business decision that has taken Mac users a bit by surprise. Particularly when we take into account that another one of the larger Windows-based Bible software companies has already publicized their plans to release a Mac version of their product.
I must say right from the start that the availability of more commercial electronic Bible study packages for the Mac platform is a welcome development in the scene. On the other hand, any newcomers are bound to be critically examined by users of the uncontested leader in the field, Accordance Bible Software, and, to a much lesser degree, MacSword. And that kind of analysis can be really tough...
There are different ways of doing things, and then there's "the Mac way." We'll get back to this later on. Suffice it to say in these introductory comments that this 1.0 version of QuickVerse offers some interesting features, but is still a long way from being a major paradigm shift. Even though the developers are, in their own words, "experienced Mac programmers" and long-time "members of the Mac community," QuickVerse Mac follows very closely the metaphor and workflow of its older brother, QuickVerse for Windows.
System Requirements and Installation
A G3 500 MHz Macintosh or higher, running Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher, with at least 256 MB RAM and 200 MB of free space, with CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive. The Back Box edition reviewed here includes a 32-page Quick Trip Tutorial.
The hardware requirements are relatively modest, and I had no trouble at all running the software on my 2001 12" iBook. [2] However, some actions, like highlighting text, were noticeably slower than others.
General Features
QuickVerse Mac's main window displays a brushed metal appearance, typical of Apple's i-Applications. From this opening window, the Library - a hierarchical, tree-like presentation of all the works available - the user can pretty much access most of the key program features.
The Library is divided into different categories, arranged in alphabetical order (Figure 1), and the title of each one of these expandable categories (except Bibles) can be easily edited so that it reflects a more descriptive name.
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Fig. 1 The original Library of QuickVerse Mac, where the Bibles category has been expanded.
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New categories can also be added, and resources moved from one place to another. I took advantage of this feature and created some new categories (like Lexicons, or Maps and Images), and moved some books to another category, until I found myself comfortable enough with the new distribution (Figure 2). Information on any of the books can be called by selecting its title and clicking on the Get Info icon.
Fig. 2 Partial view of the new personal arrangement of the Library.
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A Book window opens every time one double-clicks on a book title. The default behavior is to open each resource in a separate window, but this can be changed by simply dragging a new title from the Library and dropping it somewhere on the open Book window, instead of double-clicking it (Figure 3).
Fig. 3 By dragging and dropping books from the Library it is possible to create a custom setup of books. In this particular instance, we had three resources open and decided to add a fourth one (Disciple's Study Bible). The gray area shows where the new window will open when we release the mouse button.
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This allows us to build a custom layout that will be saved when we exit the program and wish to continue were we left off (Figure 4). Saved studies are listed under the View tab.
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Fig. 4 A Study comprising the KJV with Strong's numbers and three original language lexicons: BDB, Strong's dictionaries and Thayer's.
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Apart from that, there are also two dedicated windows specifically designed for close comparison of different passages. The first one is the Parallel Bible View (Figure 5), which can be accessed from the Parallel Verses option in the Book menu. Here we can compare any number of Bibles against the base version we choose, either vertically or horizontally. Unfortunately, only up to eight verses can be displayed at any given time. This limitation to small "chunks" of text can be annoying.
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Fig. 5 NRSV has been selected as our base version, and we have opened the ESV and chosen to display it in parallel at John 1:4.
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The Parallel Gospels View (also accessible from the Book menu) is intended to display parallel passages in the Gospels in any of the Bible versions available in QuickVerse Mac (Figure 6). Unlike the Parallel Bible View, this window does not support the vertical display of the pericopes. Hopefully, this will be implemented in future versions, since Gospel synopses are best viewed in parallel columns/panes.
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Fig. 6The passage of the healing of a leper (recorded by all the Synoptic Gospels) displayed in the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).
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Navigating QuickVerse Mac can be a bit frustrating and tedious at times. Relatively easy tasks, like going to a certain book, chapter, and verse involve far too many steps. The Verse Finder (Figure 7) or the ubiquitous Table of Contents are not quite as convenient as simply typing a Bible reference in a text box.
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Fig. 7 The Verse Finder is self-explanatory, but more suited for PDA devices than desktop applications.
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Finally, another aspect of the program that I found lacking was the fact that for a hyperlink to be opened it had to be clicked. No pop-up windows are displayed when the mouse cursor rests on a hypertexted area.
Searching
Apart from two missing features that had been originally announced (i.e., the QuickVerse verse widget and Spotlight links) [3], and did not make it into the final version, my major disappointment was, by far, the limited options of the search feature (Find tab).
I was really surprised when I discovered that only a few Boolean searches could be built, an only by using natural language pop-up menus.
| Option |
Boolean Operator |
Example |
Results in NRSV |
| Match All Words |
AND |
praise worship |
1 matches/1 hit |
| Match Any Words |
OR |
praise worship |
329 matches/329 hits |
| Match Adjacent Words |
EXACT |
praise the Lord |
1 matches/1 hits |
There are no options for the useful NOT or XOR (exclusive OR) operators. Similarly, proximity searches are currently not possible. I think it is very unfortunate that neither the shortcuts (& for AND, and | for OR) nor the remaining Boolean operators (! - NOT, and X - XOR) that are present in the Windows version have not been included in the Mac version. [4] Typical wildcard characters (* and ?) can be used, but there no provision is made to search for Strong's numbers.
On the other hand, and given the library metaphor used by QuickVerse Mac, the search dialog can be easily set to look for any number of resources. Search results can be previewed in the Preview pane or displayed directly in the Book window.
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Fig. 8 Overview of the search dialog (Find tab) after running an AND search ("adam eve") in all currently open books, with the Preview pane enabled.
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Quick Passage
Copying Bible passages into other applications is quite convenient and a frequently used feature. In QuickVerse Mac this can be achieved with a certain degree of customization by using the Quick Passage dialog box (Figure 9), which works very well.
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Fig. 9 Quick Passage is easy to set up.
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Daily Reading Plans
There are a good number or ready-made Bible reading plans (Daily Reading Plans tab) users can choose from. These plans are fully editable (Figure 10).
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Fig. 10 One of the Reading Plans included in QuickVerse Mac. Users can edit and modify any of the available plans in order to better suit their reading habits, time availability, and so on.
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Images
The program includes an important number of pictures and maps in the library of resources (Figure 11). These can be displayed inside the program and/or used in other programs in a very straightforward kind of way. I found the general quality and usefulness of these images to be consistently good.
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Fig. 11 One of the many photographs found in QuickVerse Mac.
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Bookmarks and Highlights
Traditional user notes cannot be attached to verses, but this has been somewhat replaced by bookmarks that can include notes as part of the information (Figure 12). Personally, I think mixing bookmarks and notes is not very practical, and potentially confusing.
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Fig. 12 All markers can be managed, annotated and assign to any category via the Markers dialog box.
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Conclusion
QuickVerse Mac offers a low-cost Bible study library for those on a tight budget and/or who don't use Greek or Hebrew texts in the course of their study of the Bible. It needs to improve in the area of user customization (e.g., choosing default fonts, or the color of search hits, to name just two) and user interface, but it is an encouraging start.
I mentioned at the beginning that there is a "Mac way" of doing things. While using the program I couldn't help feeling that I was working the "Windows way" on a Mac. I readily admit that my expectations were quite high, and that is probably the main reason why I felt a bit disappointed. I was expecting the best of what QuickVerse can offer (including full compatibility with the large number of STEP books already available), but was left with the impression that a lot of work remains to be done. I sincerely hope they manage to do it.
Pros
Pronunciation feature
Good use of context-sensitive menus (right-click or Control-click)
Good assortment of Bible and general reference works.
Cons
Searching is way too limited
No compatibility with QuickVerse for Windows STEP books
There are no Greek or Hebrew resources available yet
Misleading product information.
