Responding to a request on good Bible apps that the blind can access, Keith does a side by side comparison of 5 popular Bible apps for the iPhone. It has been almost a hundred episodes since the last time we did this, and technology has changed a little since then. Of course, a lot will depend on personal preference, and what extra tools are useful to the one using the app.

The criteria is based on the bible itself, not the extra bells and whistles. Mention is given to search tools, reading plans, and study aids, but the focus is on how easy is it to get right to the scripture, and read. Navigating the screen is important, as is looking up a bible reference. Also how readable is it using the built in text to speech voice in Voiceover, and do any of the apps feature a real human voice. The hot, new concept in print bibles today are the reader’s editions, and having a real human read is the audio version of that print feature.

Bible Gateway. In short, if you enjoy the web page, the app experience is pretty close. It works best if an Internet connection is available, especially the audio versions of the bible.

* Access to the bible: 3*. The app opens to a Dashvoard screen, and the bible, though handy to get to, requires a click on a “start” button.

* Navigation. 5*. Good use of heading text, and html elements, makes it easy to move through all the screens.

* Passage Lookup. 4*. Picker boxes to locate book, chapter, and verse makes it easy to get to a passage.

* Keyword Search. 5*. Searches through relevant bible passages, and commentaries.

* Accessibility. 4*. Text is excellent for text to speech voices, though the focus begins at the beginning of the chapter, and not on the specified verse. A quirk of almost all bible apps.

* Readability. 4*. Most popular versions of the bible have a human voice. For a strictly audio bible, with no text, use the link for listening to an audio bible.

Rating: 4.17

More Notes:

To make the bible more accessible, a setting would be nice to choose either the Dashboard, or the bible as the start screen. Also the menu link at the top isn’t clear as how it is used. It retains the screen, but puts the menu options at the bottom of the screen. Easy once you know it’s there. Baffling until you figure it out.

It would be a bonus if the search box on the home screen was a smart one, and also found a passage reference. The audio bibles are great as the audio partner of a print reader’s edition of the bible, but does it really need a separate Dashboard link? Versions with audio all have a “Sound” link to start playback, and it’s handy to also have the text onscreen. Human voices read to following chapters automatically.

On the home screen, the options to begin reading aren’t particularly clear. “Start” to open a bible, and “Begin” to make the picker go to a passage. Maybe that’s petty, but a simple “Done”, “Go”, or”OK” button seems more standard to give the command to look something up.

Pocket Bible.

* Access to the bible: 5*. The app opens to the bible.

* Navigation. 5*. Especially for previous and next chapters.

* Passage Lookup. 3*. It takes some drilling down through tables of content for book, chapter, and verse.

* Keyword Search. 4*. As far as finding a word or phrase in the text of the open bible.

* Accessibility. 4*. Text is excellent for text to speech voices, However, verses are broken onto lines in odd ways, even breaking apart certain words.

* Readability. 1*. No human voice available.

Rating: 3.67

More Notes:

The biggest draw back is that this app hasn’t been updated for some time, and may not be in the app store any more. Due to the lack of development, it can be a little flaky.