Olive Tree BibleReader for BlackBerry 4.0 review

[trelawrence]

Olive Tree brings name recognition and a reputation for reliability to the game. One of the things I first looked for when I initially considered the jump from Palm to BlackBerry was the presence of Bible programs.

The fact that Olive Tree had a BlackBerry port helped make the decision easy.

Olive Tree BibleReader for BlackBerry Version 4.0 is an impressive Bible study program that provides access to an entire suite of inspirational resources.

What makes this software compelling is the ability to store bible translations and related material on the user's expansion card. This removes the natural fear BB users have when it comes to device memory. Now, with this software, the only restriction on how much resources one can carry is based on device OS and memory card size.

Genius.

I am finicky... and OTBR accommodated me. Option-wise, I had numerous options: the ability to adjust font size, font color, background colors and more. The search function was snappy; I found it to be very responsive, even to multiple words.

Of particular interest to potential users will be the Bookmarking feature. It does just that: it keeps the selected verse in memory. This is great for when you are at service or such and have a list of scriptural references, you can save them in the program before-hand. I found it very useful.

Olive Tree has a library of dozens of bible translations and related reference resources that can be stored on card. Of these, a few are free (like ASV and BBE); the rest are for sale at the Olive Tree site. The reader itself is free.

My biggest issue with OTBR is admittedly somewhat unfair; it is based on the fact that I was such a huge fan of the features on the Palm port. To be specific, I was dismayed with the inability to add notes directly into the program while studying the bible. As said early, I loved this feature on my Palm. At the risk of sounding overly whimsical, I missed the ability to "split" screens with different versions. Again, that feature enhanced bible study a great deal

Simply put, this is an excellent program. It is well-made, feature-rich and has the potential to be a valuable tool in the lives of the familiars and the curious. If anything, try out the free translations. Support is quick, updates are frequently put out, and the developer clearly aims to please.

This software is rated for devices running OS 4.2 and up.

It is also available for Palm, iPhone, Symbian, and Windows Mobile.

This software was tested (and its review written) on an 8320 running OS 4.5 on T-Mobile.

[pltaylor]

Thanks for the thorough review tre. You should also check out YouVersion

[trelawrence]

Originally Posted by pltaylor

Thanks for the thorough review tre. You should also check out YouVersion

Thanks for the comment... I wrote the review on that as well!

[pltaylor]

Ha,Ha. I knew I had seen one recently but didn't notice the name. You should do a side by side review and submit it to Kevin. If chosen for the Blogs(front page) you get some CB Store $$$!

[pltaylor]

Here's more info...Community Reviews @ CrackBerry.com!

[trelawrence]

Thanks for the info. I didn't know that!

[Jizmo]

Cool thanks for the review

[trelawrence]

Version 4.05.084 out as of 01/16/09; Storm beta also available.

https://www.olivetree.com/blackberry/br4/

[Mareesha7]

Could not put it on my phone cause the extension files it don't open are the cod or jad ones .

[babytraci]

http://www.olivetree.com/blackberry/beta/Reader.jad

See if this helps.... I'm on an 8330 but I THINK it might still work

[trelawrence]

Hate to hear that... can you explain what is happening?

[trelawrence]

New update for BB users (version 4.06.110):

https://www.olivetree.com/blackberry/br4/index.php

[thx01138]

This was one of the first apps I got for my bold, and was promptly installed as soon as my Class-6 16GB microSDHC card arrived.

I downloaded the ESV Study Bible, as I was eager to start reading their notes, but speed is terrible. If you go to the verse chooser, it takes a second or so to scroll from one book to the next. And due to the current lack of split-screen, you can view the notes OR the text, which does not make for easy reading/studying.

This is still in Beta and it seems like Olive Tree is still working on it, but just for now be aware that these two issues exist and will prevent you from getting the full potential of the application.

[trelawrence]

Originally Posted by thx01138

This was one of the first apps I got for my bold, and was promptly installed as soon as my Class-6 16GB microSDHC card arrived.

I downloaded the ESV Study Bible, as I was eager to start reading their notes, but speed is terrible. If you go to the verse chooser, it takes a second or so to scroll from one book to the next. And due to the current lack of split-screen, you can view the notes OR the text, which does not make for easy reading/studying.

This is still in Beta and it seems like Olive Tree is still working on it, but just for now be aware that these two issues exist and will prevent you from getting the full potential of the application.

Thanks for that. Hopefully the developers note it.

Did you note this on the latest build?

[tasia_mobi]

Thanks for sharing this info.