New Page!! The Word Video Tutorials Steven Long 8/18/13

There's a new page here at Long for Truth. I've been bragging a lot about The Word Bible Software on my Facebook page. I've been using The Word since about March and I have to tell you, I think it is hands-down THE best free Bible software out there. So in order to help you discover the power of this program I've created some tutorial videos. Just look for the tab that says The Word Tutorial Videos and click it. At present there are only two, but I actually have a couple more coming as soon as I can get them uploaded. Hope you guys enjoy, and I hope that The Word will be as much of a blessing to you as it is for me. Thanks for dropping by.

Steven

A Brief Comparison Between Paid & Free Bible Software Steven Long 7/13/13

^{This is part 4 in a TBD series on Bible software. The other parts can be found here:[ part 1,  part 2, part 3]}  

As noted in the previous post it can be a bit murky trying to determine if you need to dump money in to purchasing Bible software or if you can get away with a free version. The guidelines given before were simply to help you determine which need best fits you. But to go a little further and to make things a bit murkier I decided to that a brief comparison between a popular paid and free software might be useful–or even a bit more confusing.

Below is a screen shot of Logos software at the top (the paid version) and the Word software on the bottom (the free version). Just a quick glance will tell you that the layout of the two are quite comparable. As you can see, I have multiple panes open on both programs. This is a common feature with both paid and free programs. This can be quite useful when you are trying to compare texts or view the underlying nuances of a particular word in multiple lexicons. For example, the bottom screen shot, the Word free software, you will notice that I have 2 lexicons open side by side. As we are preaching through the book of Judges I wanted to see how a particular Hebrew word was translated in the LXX. I then wanted to compare that Greek word with different lexicons. This is where the feature of being able to open multiple lexicons at the same time really came in handy. I was able to see the Greek and Hebrew translations in parallel, which assisted greatly while preparing my sermon.

But let's get down to the nitty-gritty of things: what's the real difference between a paid and free version software? I'll have to admit, a paid version just has advantages that you just won't get with a free version. But on the other hand, the free version can do quite a bit of stuff that the paid version can. So let's do a brief comparison: a bold 'P' represents the pro while a bold 'C' represents the con. 'P' and 'C' together can represent both a pro and a con.

Just a quick note: while I'm only comparing two different programs, most of the features presented are quite common in all programs. 

Pros & Cons:
Paid Version

1. ^PThe paid version has a tightly integrated system that pulls all relevant information to one place about any given topic. With the free version you would have to do multiple searches
2. ^PThe paid version has a broader range of search capabilities. This is very useful when you want to search for a particular lemma or inflected form of a word. 
3. ^CThe paid version makes you pay for books you could otherwise get free in the public domain. When I questioned Logos about this the response was that I wasn't paying so much for the book as for the advantage of having convenience of it working well with the program itself. 
4. ^PThe paid version has far more access to "specialized" books; by specialized I mean those hard-to-find, rare, lexicons and other works that are priceless for those of us who teach and preach on a regular basis. 
5. ^PThe paid version excels at the original languages. To go along with number 4, the paid versions shine when it comes to working with the original languages. You can get much more information about a word in this type of a program than you can with a free version. 
6. ^PCThe paid version is not very customizable. You're pretty much stuck with the books in whatever package you buy. This might not be a bad thing but it might give you a lot of materials you may never use or even know you have. Refer to part 3 of this series for more info in this area. 
7. ^PThe paid version offers stunning maps and photographs. This is very useful if you happen to be a visual learner like myself. I love being able to view a place on a map just to get a better context of what I'm reading in the Scriptures at the moment. 
8. ^PC Most paid version now offer a flexible payment plan. Hard economic times means less spending. With payment plan options you can own a paid version software at a relatively low monthly cost. Most of them do not charge interest but do tack on a nominal service fee for each month the payment plan is in effect. 

Pros & Cons:

Free Version

1. ^PThe free version offers a variety of Bibles, texts, lexicons, and other helps. With the paid version you have to buy many of the books that you can download for free in the public domain. 
2. ^PThe free version allows you to sync your Bibles and commentary texts to scroll together. This is a feature that paid version often boast about, but truthfully it is always been a feature of free versions ever since I've been using them. 
3. ^PThe free version offers good note-taking capabilities. While the paid version usually has much better highlighting capabilities I often find their note-taking quite lacking. In my experience, the free version usually outshines the paid version in this area and seems to be a cleaner format when typing and formatting text. 
4. ^CThe free version lacks sorely when it comes to the original languages. Sometimes you just wanna go a bit deeper into a word or the syntax of a particular structure. Unfortunately, you just can't always do that with the free version. The books are mostly limited to what's in the public domain. 
5. ^PCThe free version usually offers paid add-on modules. There are some books you can have in a free version that you normally only get with a paid version. For example, BDAG, TDNT (abridged), and IVP background commentaries. These are premium books that you pay for and unlock a code to download them. Doing this can greatly enhance your free library without spending the kind of money you would spend buying them in a package with the paid version. 
6. ^PCThe free version is much more customizable. In other words, you just download the books you want without getting the stuff you don't! The downside to this is that you must download them all individually, which can eat up a lot of time. You just have to take the time to peruse the library and note the stuff that you want. 
7. ^PNew modules and books are regularly being added. Check back regularly at the free version websites as new content is always being uploaded. With the paid version you have to pay for any new items they publish. 
8. ^CThe free version is not as regularly updated. This is probably one of the biggest drawbacks to a free version. Because it's free and the programmers have regular jobs they can't dedicate themselves to fully keeping the software up to date. This also means a lack of technical support. Most times, you have to find help in an online forum regarding the issue you are having. 

Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list. There are other things to consider, like automatic citations, user friendliness, speed of the program, etc. But hopefully this will be enough to inform you which way direction to pursue. 

Hope this post has been helpful and please feel free to contact us at longfortrugh@gmail.com for any questions or concerns you may have. Thanks. 

Steven

Deciding on a Paid or Free Version Bible Software Steven Long 5/27/13

^{This is the third part in a TBD part series on Bible software. Here are the other parts: (part 1) (part 2)}.

Before investing any money into any Bible software package you need to ask yourself the most important question: do I need a paid version or can I get by on a free version? Hopefully, this post will be able to help you decide. Here are some brief pointers in making the big decision:

Buying a paid version

• A seminary student in need of major research and heavy original language needs
• A full-time pastor/Bible teacher
• A seminary teacher who uses the original languages and other tools extensively
• Homeschool students with a heavy Bible curriculum (a free package may do depending on how far you would like your child to go in Bible study)
• Professional theologians/writers that tackle large chunks of Biblical texts

Sticking with a free version

• Deeper, personal Bible study
• Normal, everyday Bible reading and study
• A general building up of a good theological library (a lot of books are available for free in the public domain. This means that free Bible software will often include these books in their packages). 

These are just some general guidelines of whether or not to buy a software package or stick to a free version. Ultimately, you have to decide on your own needs and uses for the software. But just a few closing thoughts: it is possible to find a happy median between a paid and free version package. For many, they buy a low-end base package and then supplement it with a free version. This is actually a reasonable and viable option for those who want to homeschool their children but desire quality Bible software. 

In the next post we'll look at a few paid software packages as well as some good free ones. I'll also talk about the advantages and disadvantages of both. 

Some Suggested Criteria for Purchasing Bible SoftwareSteven Long 5/19/13

This is the second part in a TBD part series on Bible software. The first part can be found here: (part 1).

The one thing that seems to hold most people up in purchasing software is determining what kind of software will be most useful. You certainly don't want to just jump in and spend money, especially if free software is something that will fit your needs. I suggest that you look at a certain criteria before committing to one particular package. Here a couple of things I would look for:

     First, determine what your need is. This is the most important step in the process of choosing Bible software. If you don't know why or what you need it for then you'll probably just end up wasting your money. It's best to start with a few basic questions like,

• Will I use it on a daily basis?
• How much can I or am I willing to invest?
• If I purchase, what kind of package do I need versus what kind of package do I want? 
• Will this software grow with my needs or can I use it for a long time to come.

     As you can see, these are some pretty basic questions, but nonetheless necessary. For instance, numbers 2 & 4 are probably more significant, at least to me, than the other two. If the software package is out of my budget then it is certainly not worth considering. The great thing about a lot of packages nowadays is that they offer flexible payments. For example, when I purchased my Logos package I was able to spread it out over a 12 month period ,which made it much easier to pay for. On the downside, I had an extra monthly payment for an entire year! Accordance also offers a payment plan similar to Logos, only their minimum purchase is a bit higher.

     Second, make a list. This will actually help with the first point, and asking yourself those basic questions should get your mind working on what's important and what's not. For example, Will you need something with basic original language tools for simple word studies or something that will allow you to do heavy lifting in that area like morphological and grammatically specific words and context? Knowing exactly what you need will make the process much easier.

    Third, consider how you will use it. Some us just don't need high-end software. But then again, some of us do. If you are a full-time minister or a seminary student you may want to seriously consider investing in good Bible software. And while your at it, you may want to consider how long the software will last. In other words, you want a software that will grow with your ministerial/seminary needs. If you're mainly using it for personal Bible study consider a low-end package, but if you teach and/or preach on a regular basis you may want to consider a mid to high-end package. Either way, be mindful of the cost and payment options!!!

     Fourth, make sure you can customize your software to your needs and likes. There's nothing more frustrating than excitedly downloading and opening up your new software and finding it not quite what you expected. Before you commit to buying a package know what you're getting. Go over the contents carefully and look for the specifics. Some packages offer a lot of bells and whistles for your buck but unfortunately most of us will use a small portion of what they offer.

     Fifth, make sure your software will grow with your needs. This is important, but mostly based on the needs that you have for it and how you will primarily use it. Updating and increasing your library is important. For this reason you want to make sure your software will be useful even when it becomes "older." Most companies give free upgrades to books, articles, etc, but charge a nominal fee for new and added features or from going from one version of the software to another, which usually includes new and improved features of the software. Try to get to know the software you're interested in as much as possible: Are they a reputable company? Is the software relatively new with regular versions and upgrades to come or has it been around for awhile? These kinds of things may incline you towards a particular software package.

Lastly. spend A LOT OF TIME asking questions and looking around their websites. I would have to rank this the most important part of this entire post. The only way you're going to know which program meets your specific needs is if you invest the time in getting to know what your preferred software can and can't do. Accordance Bible is one of the only software I know of that offers a free demo trial for their software before you purchase it. That's always a good thing. Then, you can actually try and get a feel for it before committing. Also, call the company and ask questions, watch their tutorial videos (this can also give you a good feel for the software), and get as much information as possible, including pricing, features you may not quite understand and the like.

     Buying Bible software can be fun, and just like a road trip, getting there is half the fun. However, if you've planned poorly, by the time you arrive you'll wish you would have taken more time during the planning process.

     In our next post, we'll explore a little bit of the advantages/disadvantages of having a paid versus a free Bible software. Hope this is useful for you, and thanks for dropping by.

Steven

Bible Software–Should I, Should I Not? Steven Long 5/17/13

I like Bible software. I REALLY like Bible software. And I've probably tried most of them, or at least the better known of them.

I've tried Accordance, though it is a Mac program. I used their free emulator to run it on a PC. The results were not the same, nor did they look anything like the videos. That's why I'm quite excited about their PC native release coming sometime in 2013.


I've tried Olive Tree with it's sleek design and great note-taking capabilities. For a long time Olive Tree was only mobile specific (PDA, smartphones, tablets, etc) but has recently launched out with their desktop version. They also have a Mac-top version as well.


I own a Logos package, Original Languages Collection, and use it quite frequently when I have to hunt down those scarce and hard-to-find references regarding ancient languages, grammatical phenomena, and the like.


And then there's all the free software. Yep, I said free! Absolutely F-R-E-E; software like,E-Sword, The Word, and The Sword Project. And don't let the "free" fool you. These programs are quite capable of doing a lot of heavy work. Sure, they're probably not going to yield the same results as a paid program but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. No pun intended.

But the question at the back of most people's minds is, "Should I, or should I not?" Let's face it. Technology has come a long way and that included software. Bible software can save you hours of time of research and study, and with all the features that some of these packages have to offer you should really consider using one, especially if you are, or aspire to be, a serious student of God's Word.

And that's where this post comes in. Considering that I've tried a lot of them I've learned from experience a little about what's good, or bad, or really a waste of time. I hope to impart some of this knowledge to my readers. So, I am beginning a short series on what and how to look for Bible software that fits your needs. My hope is that by the time we finish these posts that you'll be better equipped, or at least know what you need before tying up lots of money into a program that you find you don't really enjoy using all that much. So stay tuned and maybe I'll even through in a couple of brief reviews and comparisons of some Bible software that I've used. Thanks for dropping by.

Steven