Customer Feedback
3 Steps To Prevent BibleReader Heartache
Oct 21st
One of our wonderful customer service representatives is Danielle L. She has come up with some great advice to help you keep your purchases, notes, and highlights in three easy steps.
1) Create an Olive Tree account
By creating an Olive Tree account, you can register your in-app purchases and backup your notes, highlights, and bookmarks, etc. Create one today by visiting: https://olivetree.com/store/register.php
2) Register your in-App purchases
Did you know that when you purchase a resource within the app, you are not buying it from Olive Tree Bible Software directly? If for some reason you have to reinstall your BibleReader app, those resources will be difficult to get back. To prevent this, all you need to do is tap one button. By doing so, you’ll save all the extra time it takes to email Customer Support, provide proofs of purchase, and wait for your resources to be manually added to your Olive Tree account.
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iOS Instructions
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Android Instructions
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3) Backup your notes, highlights, and bookmarks, etc.
You’ve invested a lot of time and energy creating your notes, highlights, and bookmarks; please utilize our Study Sync feature to back them up. It’s always unfortunate when we hear from customers that have lost days, week, and months worth of their notes because they had to reinstall their BibleReader app, but never backed those notes up. At that point it’s too late and there is nothing we can do. Do not let this happen to you, especially since there is an easy way to prevent it.
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iOS Instructions
Login in to your Olive Tree account (https://www.olivetree.com/store/secure_login.php), and select the Olive Tree Study Sync link to make sure that your notes have been successfully uploaded.
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Android Instructions
Login in to your Olive Tree account (https://www.olivetree.com/store/secure_login.php), and select the Olive Tree Study Sync link to make sure that your notes have been successfully uploaded.
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The New Norwegian Bible
Oct 19th
I know what most of you are saying: “Finally!”
Well, if you’re from Norway, this is actually a really big deal. Olive Tree Bible Software is the first to offer the Bibelen 2011 for mobile devices!
Out of necessity, most translations of God’s Word in Norwegian have been idiomatic to a greater or lesser extent.
On the other hand, “Bibel 2011″ is based rather upon a concordant translation principle, where the translators aim to reproduce the Biblical texts as close to the original as possible.
The language used is good and makes biblical text understandable for today’s people. This version comes in two dialects: The Bokmål and the Nynorsk. We also have the Bibelen 1978/85 Bokmål.
Another thing we, at Olive Tree are excited about is that since the translation is based on the oldest manuscripts it’s very reliable.
To view all Norwegian Bibles Click HERE.
Future popup window ideas…what are your thoughts?
May 6th
We are considering a new popover for our parsed text in the iPhone & Android platforms. This would include resources such as the CWSB and GNT Parsed. These diagrams are “wireframes” and not actual polished screens. I am not sure if the screens for the iPhone are trying to cram too much into a small space or if they are pushing information too “deep”. Please post your comments to our Facebook Page.
Here is how the original language parsed text popover would look on tablets.
Here is how the original language parsed text popover would look on smartphones.
A few issues to consider with this on popovers is that the definition is still a click away (it is a click away with the current popover). Not all of the parsing information will always fit and so it will be linked to with a more button.
Here is how the CWSB would work for a smartphone.
Here is how the CWSB would work on a tablet.
Please post your comments to our Facebook Page.
From Palm to iPad
Feb 15th
The years have been good...
I have been using Olive Tree Bible Software since 2004. I began mobile study with an ancient Handspring, moved to a Palm T3 then a Palm T5. I loved the T5 and it served me very well for several years, but eventually I was won over to the iPhone by apps like Olive Tree’s Bible Reader 4.0+. These days I am LOVING study on the iPad using the BR5 and awesome features like the Resource Guide, note-taking capabilities, and resources like the ESV with Strong’s and the lemma feature.
I have been a pastor for over 20 years and remember the days when my study for a sermon took at least 10+ square feet of space, with a Strong’s Concordance opened up, several commentaries scattered about, and other background study volumes in addition to one or two notebooks for recording my findings. I have always had a strong desire for greater compactness and mobility in my study. Wouldn’t it be beyond amazing to be able to do a study from an entire, well-equipped biblical library while at the same time keeping sermon notes and do the entire study regardless of where I am? I can do that now! With the IPad and BR5, whether I am in my office, at the mall, in the van waiting for one of my children to finish choir practice, or doing a mission trip in the Ukraine, I have all I need in one compact device. Text to detailed study to observations to sermon notes seamlessly!
This is also a great way to buy up those 5, 10, or 15 minute time slots during the day. Open up the IPad, choose Olive Tree, and I am suddenly and instantaneously surrounded by all the Bibles, commentaries, and original language resources I could need, and they are even put in systematic order for me in one place with the dream-come-true Resource Guide. My thanks to God for the technologies that have been harnessed for Kingdom work and to Olive Tree for pressing on to develop tools for those of us who use them not only for our devotional life but for vocational work for the Body of Christ.
Mike Williamson
Pastor, Fellowship Bible Church of St Cloud, MN
Four Olive Tree Testimonials
Jan 10th
“I hardly even use my PC for bible study anymore; with all that’s available on @OliveTreeBible there’s no need!” – T.C., TX
“Using BR5 w/ iPad for sermon prep has allowed me to spend far less time tied to my pc, and more time w/ my family. Thank you. 9 years using OliveTreeBible and its always improving. Now with BR5 and iPad, it’s my primary Bible software. -David Palmer, SC
“I’m thrilled to have my AccordanceBible library on my iPhone but OliveTreeBible is still my primary mobile Bible reading software, elegant.” – John, MO
“I’ve just been in a warm cafe looking out over the Mediterranean, reading BR5. Actually, marveling more than reading. While there, I emailed friends saying that the world had just changed. Bible-study-wise, there was the world before BibleReader 5 and the world after BibleReader 5. This software is the stuff we dream of, on a phone, in my pocket. My friends, my old mum, my old dad, everyone I know thinks it’s amazing. Well done.” – Jools, Malta
iPhone, iPad Update to Verse Chooser
Jan 5th
From our wonderful users input, we are including the following updates as options in the BibleReader 5 ($.99 already out and free soon to come). Watch the App Store for your updates to take effect soon! The verse chooser will also be updated on the iPad.
BibleReader 5, “A Pastor’s Dream,” by Jason D. Jordan
Jan 4th
As a Pastor and “semi-technical tech head” I have always believed that we the church need to be at the forefront of technology rather than playing catch up as we’ve done so often in the past.
I mean just think, we live in a time where you can at any given moment turn on a T.V. and find some type of Christian television programming, but few remember the time when even owning a television was considered a breach of Mosaic Commandment number 614. It was absolutely unheard of to allow this type of technology into our homes. Now even in store-front size churches T.V.’s are used to show announcements, bible passages, or even video clips to help drive the message home.
Well, technology is now taking another leap forward with the advent of tablet computers. My personal favorite are iPads, and companies like Olive Tree and others (to be fair) are on the cutting edge of this technology and using it to advance the Kingdom.
I started using Olive Tree in 2002 when the Windows PDA’s came out and even then it was a great experience, but nothing like today. Olive Tree’s latest development, Bible Reader 5 is this Pastor’s dream.
As a semi-technical Pastor, (which just means that I know what I want, but lack the knowledge to create it) I use BR 5 relentlessly for just about every facet of ministry. I have an extensive library of study tools from Dakes, Thompson Chain-Reference, and dictionaries of all sorts. Although this may make me look studious, (unless in my study) it is impossible to study deeply. Fortunately, this is where BR 5 steps in since it allows me to have my study with me at all times. Hence, whether on my iPad or my iPhone, I am always well equipped.
Additionally, I use BR 5 in our weekly Bible Studies. I take bible study literally. As a Pastor I refuse to fall into the trap of using my congregation to practice homiletics. Many churches have bible studies, but never really study the bible. So, instead of preaching to my weekly congregation like on Sunday’s, I allow them to pick a topic and we study it together. This gives me the opportunity to teach them how to research, do word study, check background information, etc. With BR 5, I can actually do this on the fly because most of the resources in my library are here on my iPad. BR 5 makes it’s so easy because I can with a few gestures open my library and select which resource we want to explore. And with the new resource guide it is even easier.
Allow me to expound on this point in greater detail. The resource guide sees a passage I’m looking at, and breaks it down by people, places, geography, or notes, if I have any personal notes discussing similar topics, etc. It also shows me which resources have information on the passage being viewed. The following example will demonstrate the efficiency of this method:
Sometimes Easton’s dictionary will have information on a topic and Nave’s dictionary will not. That’s not a major hassle, but the BR 5 resource guide actually looks into your various dictionaries, bibles, and commentaries for you and shows you which resources has information on that topic.
So if I look up Luke 13:6
“The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree”
The resource guide will search all resources in my library and locate just about all information concerning this passage. And the speed by which it performs this function is amazing.
Another way I use BR 5 is in my Sunday sermons. Olive Tree is to be commended because they listened to their clientele and gave us what we wanted. As a bonus, we also got a whole lot of new stuff we didn’t know we wanted until we got it and now we will never live without it. For instance:
The new note section is awesome for taking notes from a sermon or creating your own. The old way was a cute little pop-up window you could type notes in, but it was difficult to follow because you had to scroll up and down to find where you were and well let’s just say it wasn’t very fun or efficient. It wasn’t really designed in IMO for a serious note taker. Well, after being requested by so many users, Olive Tree has gone above the call of duty. Not only do we have notes in our split screen, which allows for a resource on one side and a full page of notes on the other, but the notes section is intuitive.
“Cool” doesn’t even describe the ability to type a scripture and even abbreviate it and instantly it becomes not only a bookmark (sorta), but actually hyper-links you to the scripture itself. So, if you type Luke 13:6, BR 5 hyper-links me to a functional pop-up of Luke 13:6.
I call it functional because if you have a Strong’s based bible up, you can from within the pop-up get the definition for that particular word. One slight draw back, but certainly not a deal breaker is that currently it pulls up the latest translation you have up. For example; when you type Luke 13:6 NLT and the NKJV was up last, it pulls up Luke 13:6
NKJV. It would be very “cool” and even awesome for BR 5 to actually pull up that translation. I know Olive Tree well enough to know they’re listening and will make that happen.
I’ll give you one last way I use it so as to not to bore you. If I haven’t already. The new user customizable gestures features, makes studying or teaching quick and easy. I can use one finger to double tap my screen and my split screen will toggle forward through the menus. So, let’s say I am looking at my notes, but I want to see what other resources there might be in the resource guide. With a double tap of my index finger (my user defined action) I can jump from my notes to the resource guide and if I use two fingers—double tap it will toggle backwards. There are many ways to make this work for me. By double tapping, I can go between menus instantly. All-in-all, I believe BR 5 is a great tool to communicate the Gospel deeply, effectively and precisely.
All your notes can be uploaded for storage via Evernote with just a click of a button, so your sermons or notes are never lost. And can also be shared with your Smartphone.
If you travel like I do, carrying a Notebook is becoming more and more laborious. But, an iPad or Smartphone, loaded with BR 5 is guaranteed to give you the resources needed to research, study, and prepare a well laid out sermon wherever you are.
Definitely, it is a Pastor’s dream.
Written by
Jason D. Jordan
BibleReader Makes a Church Camp Appearance
Sep 8th
Rick Mansfield (http://thislamp.com) recently sent us a note telling us how he used BibleReader on his iPad to lead the Sunday morning Bible study of his church camping trip. We thought this was a great example of how BibleReader can not only aid in personal Bible study, but also teaching, so we wanted to share his thoughts.
We had 22 adults, 14 children and one dog in attendance. I was wrapping up a study we had been doing in 2 Corinthians. Due to the context [camping], I didn’t want to bother with bringing a Bible and keeping up with notes all weekend, so I prepared everything in advanced using BibleReader. I’ve been using BibleReader quite a lot lately on the iPad, but this was my first experience using it exclusively in a teaching setting. As I prepared the lesson, I was able to add my notes, highlight the verses I wanted to focus on, and add discussion questions. EVERYTHING was accessible in one application. Very awesome! I am very impressed with what I was able to do with BibleReader!
We too think that BibleReader on the iPad is an excellent tool for leading discussion groups, Bible studies, or even for preaching! We hope that you, like Rick Mansfield, will discover the flexibility, power and ease of using Olive Tree BibleReader.
Speaking of Rick, we also want to take the opportunity to tell everyone that Olive Tree CEO, Drew Haninger, will be participating in a discussion panel, “The Impact and Future of Mobile Bible Software,” of which Rick Mansfield is the chair, at the Accordance Users Conference, September 24-25 in Mesquite, Texas. You can click here to find out more information about this conference. And if you are going to be attending, stop by and say “hi” to Drew!
Bible Software Shootout Presentation
Nov 24th
Olive Tree was proud to perform in SBL’s Bible Software Shootout, a friendly competition that pitted Bible software contenders like Logos, Bible Works, Accordance, and SESB against each other, showcasing each software’s ability to perform detailed original language research.
To see Olive Tree’s presentation from SBL’s Bible Software Shootout, click here to read the presentation (.pdf), especially if you use BibleReader’s Greek and Hebrew tools.
Many thanks to everyone who stopped by the Olive Tree booth at ETS and SBL. Engineers Stephen J (@stephenljohnson) and David T (@dtrotzjr) and original language specialists Drayton B and Steven C (@steventcummings) enjoyed meeting you! Meeting our users makes a big difference for us. You can read David T’s blog post about his ETS experience to learn why.
Thanks also to those of you who signed up for the Olive Tree Newsletter and entered the ETS/SBL prize drawings. We’ll announce the winners of our drawing for a free iPod Touch, preloaded with Olive Tree resources, soon!
Help Direct Olive Tree’s iPhone BibleReader
Feb 12th
We are so excited about the level of enthusiasm and interested in Olive Tree’s iPhone BibleReader! We gets lots of excited users asking us when will feature XYZ be in the iPhone BibleReader. I want to explain a little about how our engineering process works and then give you a chance to help us decide what features to include.
Most engineering teams follow an established work process that was established for a 6-36 month time period with milestone deliverables throughout that process. Most of the time the schedulers underestimated the amount of time the project would take and so the engineering team is almost always behind schedule. (As a side note I usually way underestimate the amount of time something would take. Most projects look “easy” until I am faced with the reality of making something that barely works into production level quality.)
At Olive Tree we take a different approach to scheduling. We know what we are currently working on, we know what we will work on next, and we have a list of things to work on after that. The list is only partially prioritized. When it is time to pick the next item to work on we look a number of factors like what people have been requesting, what we feel is important, what we need to publish certain books, etc to decide what to do next. This allows us to be flexible and quickly change our engineering to meet demands, market shifts, and capture opportunities with vendors or publishers.
This does mean that it will difficult for us to say when we will have feature XYZ done since we don’t actually know ourselves. We do know if that feature appears higher on the to do list that means it will get done sooner, but we haven’t actually scheduled that feature for engineering yet.
We had one of these meetings today for picking the next features. There are so many important features to work on we wanted to get more of your feedback to help us decide. We created a survey you can fill out to help us decide what you would like to see us work on next.
Click here to fill out the survey.
Thank you for your support, help, and enthusiasm!
Stephen Johnson
Senior Software Engineer