Landware Gotype! Pro Casio Keyboard Review

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Product Requirements:
Device:
Casio E-100, E-105, E-115, and E-125
40 K free RAM

First of all, I would like to give a big thanks to:

The Casio Outlet Store
5000 Arizona Mills Circle, Suite 150
Tempe, AZ 85282
Phone: 480-491-9494 Fax: 480-491-9510
Email: [email protected]

For providing the Landware Gotype! Keyboard for review.

For those that aren’t familiar with the Gotype! series of keyboards, they are external keyboards that can be
attached to many PDAs, including several Palm series and Pocket PCs.

Inside the box is a small instruction booklet, a serial cable, a large piece of Styrofoam, and a diskette containing the driver for the Gotype keyboard.

landware casio1

The Gotype! has a very sturdy construction and a nice ergonomic look and feel to it. The only problem is comparing it to the size of the already ‘brick-like’ Casio PPC. The size of the Gotype! is about equal to carrying around three more Casios, its much longer than the Casio and thicker than the Casio in it’s thickest area. And, unless you have REALLY big pockets (like me), you most likely will not walk around with this thing in your pants. So let’s assume that this thing is not for complete, anywhere, portability, and should only be meant for briefcase and home use.

landware casio2

Installation was relatively easy, I inserted the disk into my desktop PC and ran the setup program while my E-125 was connected and synched through it’s cradle. From there it was just basic click yes, OK, yes yes, and I was set to start using the newly installed keyboard.

I attached the keyboard to the Casio and ran the driver enabling program, so that it would recognize the keyboard through the Casio’s proprietary serial slot, and loaded up the first program I could think of, Pocket Word. When trying to do this I noticed that the construction of the keyboard had a minor flaw, balance. While the keyboard itself seems to be constructed pretty solidly, and the unit stands on it’s own even with the Casio resting in it, if you plan on using the stylus for onscreen tapping, you will most likely knock the unit over onto its backside. The only way I found around this (without propping the keyboard up against a bigger, more steady object) was to hold the keyboard with one hand and tap the screen with he other.

landware casio3

Another flaw in the construction was the vibrations and jumpiness of the keyboard while typing. If you are a very fast typist, or you just press the keys very hard, this will be noticed almost instantaneously, and is extremely annoying. The only way around this is to either give up one of your thumbs to be the designated keyboard holder (not fun) or find a large, heavy object to put behind the keyboard to keep it stable. This may sound like a pain, and it is a bit, but I found myself becoming more and more innovative with objects for keyboard-weights, the more I places I tried to use the keyboard, and I was usually able to find a solution in every environment. Still, this seems a bit unnecessary and could have been fixed with just a little more weight on the base of the keyboard, or even a few simple suction cups on the bottom.

I should also mention that the ‘synhcable’ cases such as the Vaja and EB cases, do not work with the Gotype!. Just that tiny, fractional piece of leather that covers the Casio disturbs the connection. I notice that it will connect if you apply just a small amount of pressure to the top of the Casio, forcing it down. But once I removed the pressure, it disconnected. I believe that this could have easily been overcome with a sort of lock-and-release mechanism on the cradle part, similar to the synching cradles that come with most Pocket PCs.

landware casio4

Where the keyboard really shines is the quality of the keys and the keyboard. While the keyboard is a bit reduced in size to that of a normal keyboard, it took me as long as one minute to become accustomed to it and was typing away at my normal typing speed.

The Gotype! Even implements a Numlock keypad, super-imposed over the regular keys (switched on and off with the NUM LOCK key), and works just as a normal Number pad does. Also included are the standard CAPS LOCK, TAB, CTRL, ALT and DEL keys F1-F6 keys, and they even included a START key (however, no right-click key) to resemble a WIN9X keyboard.

The keys on the keyboard are very responsive and have a very nice springy feel to them. It actually reminds me a bit of the action of a Logitech keyboard.

Several of the normal functions of a desktop PC Win9X keyboard shortcuts, e.g. CTRL+ALT+DEL=Task Manager, CTRL+ESC=Start Menu, CTRL+A=Select All, CTRL+Z=Undo, CTRL+V=Paste etc.; have been implemented into the software for this keyboard. However, others, such as ALT+TAB=Task Switch, do not work, which would be very beneficial if they were included. It should be noted that task closing in Windows CE using CTRL+Q does work on the keyboard, and is an extremely fast way to close programs while using the keyboard.

The F1-F6 keys can all be mapped to open any program installed on the device, which is very nice. For example, instead of having to go through Start-Programs-Games-Solitaire, I can just tap the F1 key and have the program opened in the same amount of time. The F keys can also be mapped using Shift-Fkey or Alt-Fkey, giving a total of 18 shortcut keys.

The Gotype! Software also allows you to set the delay until the repeat of a key that is being depressed and the rate/speed at which the key is repeated at.

A unique feature of the Gotype! is the serial port on the side of the keyboard. This port allows the unit to use any type of serial device that is compatible with the PsPC or PPC, e.g. a serial modem or a serial connection to a desktop PC. Basically anything that the serial cradle can do, but it’s attached to a keyboard. The Gotype! also implements a DC adapter in, so you can charge the Casio while it is connected in the keyboards cradle.

landware casio5 landware casio6

This is a great idea, and if it was implemented well, it would be excellent. It would really be nice if I could use the serial out to connect to a serial modem (or cell phone) and use the keyboard in internet applications at the same time, but it’s not possible. Unfortunately, there is a small switch that only let’s the designation of the keyboard to be working or the serial port, but not both at the same time. This is due to the Casio’s hardware limitation of only being able to use the serial port for one thing at a time, which seems to make sense. Therefore, the only real way to browse the net using the keyboard at the same time is by using a Compact Flash modem. I tried this, and it works exactly as it should, having an easily accessible TAB button is such a necessity for me, when I’m on the web.

landware casio7

Overall, I believe that the Landware Gotype! Pro keyboard is a nice extra to have for the Casio. Especially for those that use a lot of applications that require keyboard input. It is a perfect thing to have sitting in your briefcase or on your desk at home, to continue those emails you started tapping out in the business meeting, during lunch, or in the cab/subway ride home, etc. The biggest gripe I have is with the portability. With the size of the Goype! Combined with the Casio, you’ve got very close comparison to, if not a larger size than, a sub-compact laptop. Which defeats the purpose of the PPC. This combined with the fact that you really can’t rest the keyboard and Casio on your lap, due to the unbalanced weight issue. And it definitely won’t fit in your pocket, along with your PPC. Still, it is a neat little gadget to have around if you have the extra cash.

Price: $79.95

Pros:
Wonderful for typing applications
Application shortcut keys
Feels like a real keyboard
Doubles as a serial cradle
Sturdy Construction

Cons:
Unbalanced, top heavy
Will not work with synchable cases such as the EB Slipper Case
Cannot use the serial port and the keyboard at the same time
Not very portable, about the size of 3 more Casios
A bit pricey at 80 dollars

 

Product Information

Price:79.95
Manufacturer:Landware
Pros:
  • Wonderful for typing applications
  • Application shortcut keys
  • Feels like a real keyboard
  • Doubles as a serial cradle
  • Sturdy Construction
Cons:
  • Unbalanced, top heavy
  • Will not work with synchable cases such as the EB Slipper Case
  • Cannot use the serial port and the keyboard at the same time
  • Not very portable, about the size of 3 more Casios
  • A bit pricey at 80 dollars

54 thoughts on “Landware Gotype! Pro Casio Keyboard Review”




  1. Gadgeteer Comment Policy - Please read before commenting
  2. All these “OTHER” reviewer always review stuff like this. The last one was an IPOD Can.

    I don’t consider a can that holds an IPOD close to a gadget, and definitly not a bible program.

    Julie/Judie, you sure he isn’t giving an excuse to spread the word of god just to give this review?

    I’am Cathlic BTW.

  3. Thanks for the review Don. I do have a couple of pros & cons to add to the list though: NavPad control is incredible… you can get to anywhere with just the one control. Speed is great, and did you notice there are fewer database files? This also speeds things up greatly, as there are less files for the OS to hunt through. The databases also can be placed in their own folder on the expansion card, which also helps speed.

    On the con side: No way to find highlights by search function, and you can’t find your own notes except by looking for them manually. You may have highlighted texts showing the importance of decisions in this short life, or even historical reference points, but it will take most of a life time to find them all again by scrolling! These features are handy for personal reminders, but what about those passages that we need for a friend in deep emotional need, or for someone in the hospital in their last few minutes before passing away… I’ve been there, and it’s no time to scratch your head and say “It’s here somewhere”. Of course, this could encourage one to memorize more (Good brain excercise as pointed out by RH Dana).

  4. Reader,

    There are tons of programs for the Palm OS. Sorry that you find this one of no use to you. Perhaps you should give it a test drive. I know Catholics that regularly study the Bible.

    Anyway, this is really an outstanding program for those of us that like to read and study the Bible. It’s of much more value to me than a calculator program or another game. Besides, if you were someone that read the Bible regularly, and were looking for a Palm program for the Bible, wouldn’t you want someone that actually uses the product to review it?

    Don
    PS- I know I’m an “Other”, (Guest reviewer), but check the review index. I’ve reviewed quite a few “gadgets” in the early years. 😀

  5. Altema,

    What is the NavPad control? And yes, I noticed that there are now only 4 files per Bible translation. But when you use them on the memory stick, they are still somewhat slower than using them directly on the PDA. As far as your comment regarding searching for highlights, how would you normally find them on the paper Bible? My guess is that you would flip all over the place and say, “It’s here somewhere”. It sounds like what I should have added to the “wish list” is a “Concordance Module”. Now wouldn’t that be cool! 😎

    Don

  6. By the NavPad, I’m referring to the 5 way control pad on most of the new Palms, also called a D-pad (for directional pad).

    In MyBible, pressing the middle button pops up the book selection window, and you move in any direction using the directional ring. Pressing the center button selects whatever book is highlighted. When you are in the text, the right/left control skips forward or back by chapter, and up/down moves up or down a page, of course. While reading or following along in a message, you can literally go to any book, chapter, or verse with the one control. Holding the center button down for 2 seconds will exit the program and take you back to the launcher.

    In regards to speed, yes it will always be faster in RAM than from an expansion card. But, with the files consolidated and the ability to segregate files from the defauld card folder, the speed is much improved. The former version was too slow for me to keep more than two translations. Even with just two translations, I had to keep one in RAM and the other on the card to reduce the delays. Now, I can keep three translations on the card, and they all launch just as fast as when they were in RAM on my former M515.

    In regards to the highlights, I would have topic notes with a list of passages, and the passages either circled or marked in the hardcopy. Since MyBible is a computer application, I was expecting to be able to find stuff after it was entered, but that’s not the case. I have other programs that let you pull up a list of your personal notes, and jump to those related passages. I would stick with the other app, but the navigation is difficult.

    Paul

  7. Originally posted by The Reader
    [B]All these “OTHER” reviewer always review stuff like this. The last one was an IPOD Can.

    I don’t consider a can that holds an IPOD close to a gadget, and definitly not a bible program.

    Julie/Judie, you sure he isn’t giving an excuse to spread the word of god just to give this review?

    I’am Cathlic BTW. [/B]

    Perhaps a remedial spell checking pgm would be more to your liking.

  8. Excellent review Don. I want to point out that Laridian also released the 3.0 improvements for the PocketPC version.

  9. Don
    When you listed your con ad

    “Cons:
    None worth mentioning…except maybe the italics”

    Were you talking about the Italic Catholics?? 🙂

    They do need to get a copy out for “us”, I have read posts that this company is not “into” Catholics. Their loss.

  10. Why does every review of a Bible software product have to get someone commenting about the evangelistic agenda behind it? The Bible is the most read book in history and being able to carry it in a PDA is significant as it shrinks the amount of paper-based products required in the life of thousands upon thousands. I don’t see people getting offended over discussing Date Book replacements as they relate to FranklinCovey planners.

    The review is very good. I would have added more on the FIND features to head-off questions about the need for a Concordance, but that’s covered in the link to the prior review.

    I’d also like to point out that when highlighting really important text, you should think about adding a bookmark as well. The highlighting helps you immediately identify the string that you’ve bookmarked.

    I’d like to see a utility within the product that lets me categorize verses with bookmark-type links. For instance, I might want to have a category called “Covenants” and then I could list the blocks of text under the heading.

    I use SLAP, so I copy my verse text, press my MEMO PAD button — which is remapped to SLAP — and paste the text. SLAP creates a new memo record when I SLAP it over to MEMO PAD. If I need to add more text to that memo, it’s already open and ready for me and I go directly to the memo in question.

    I have Laridian’s products on all my PDAs because it’s important to me to have a Bible handy — at least to me it is…

  11. You all have some pretty good ideas. I think that this product could evolve into an even more useful tool for Bible study. I am sure that Laridian will take these comments into consideration for a future release.

    Interesting to note that when I first started using MyBible, I actually said to myself that I couldn’t see myself reading the Bible from the PDA on a regular basis. In the old days, the screens were just too hard on the eyes. But all that has changed since I started using the Sony PDA. The screen is just outstanding. And so, with that technical improvement, I found that I indeed could read from the PDA every day. The technology change not only caused me, (the user), to desire the product more. But it also enabled the product to grow in features, making it more desirable. I mean, can any of you remember when all we had was a 1 MB monochrome screen?

    Let’s hope that Laridian takes a survey of which new features users would value the most.

    DonD

  12. I do not work for Laridian or know anything about them (I use Olive Tree), but I wonder if Laridian’s exclusion of Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical writings is in any way related to their perhaps having to pay more to license them and not wanting to pay the extra amount to do so.

    Just a guess.

  13. Originally posted by ss1543
    I have read posts that this company is not “into” Catholics. Their loss.

    We publish the NRSV with Apocrypha for Pocket PC. We just don’t have it for Palm. The problem is related to the capabilities of MyBible, not our personal doctrinal biases.

    It’s not entirely fair to say we’re not “into” Catholics without looking at the broader picture of Bible software in general and beyond that, Christian publishing. Many Bible software companies do not offer Catholic Bibles. Those that do do not treat them as “first class” products. That is, they may offer the NAB (“official” Catholic Bible) but they do not offer Catholic commentaries, dictionaries, and other references. One has to wonder if it’s better to pander to Catholics by giving them a Catholic Bible but not back that up with reference content, or to not even offer a Catholic Bible. I guess we’re guilty of the former and the latter, depending on the platform you look at.

    If you look at Christian publishing in general you’ll find it’s disproportionately evangelical/protestant — at least in the US. This reflects not an anti-Catholic bias but rather a reaction by publishers to market realities. There may be a bunch of Catholics out there, God bless ’em, but they don’t appear to be buying a lot of Bibles and studying Bible reference books.

    I think this may be a natural outcome of their doctrinal position which places the teaching of the church at or above the Bible. It’s not necessary for the average Catholic to read and study the Bible because the church has already got it figured out. On the other hand, evangelical Christians place the Bible ahead of everything else. As a result they buy lots of Bibles. They also teach some variation of what some call the “priesthood of the believer” which gives each believer the right and responsibility to interpret scripture the best they can. As a result they buy lots of reference books to try to figure it out.

    Anyway, we’ve got nothing against Catholics here. A large percentage of our employees are Catholic. It’s just that MyBible isn’t capable of working with a Bible that has more than 66 books. No hidden agenda; no evil intentions.

    Craig Rairdin
    President
    Laridian, Inc.

  14. Originally posted by crairdin
    [B]We publish the NRSV with Apocrypha for Pocket PC. We just don’t have it for Palm. The problem is related to the capabilities of MyBible, not our personal doctrinal biases.

    It’s not entirely fair to say we’re not “into” Catholics without looking at the broader picture of Bible software in general and beyond that, Christian publishing. Many Bible software companies do not offer Catholic Bibles. Those that do do not treat them as “first class” products. That is, they may offer the NAB (“official” Catholic Bible) but they do not offer Catholic commentaries, dictionaries, and other references. One has to wonder if it’s better to pander to Catholics by giving them a Catholic Bible but not back that up with reference content, or to not even offer a Catholic Bible. I guess we’re guilty of the former and the latter, depending on the platform you look at.

    If you look at Christian publishing in general you’ll find it’s disproportionately evangelical/protestant — at least in the US. This reflects not an anti-Catholic bias but rather a reaction by publishers to market realities. There may be a bunch of Catholics out there, God bless ’em, but they don’t appear to be buying a lot of Bibles and studying Bible reference books.

    I think this may be a natural outcome of their doctrinal position which places the teaching of the church at or above the Bible. It’s not necessary for the average Catholic to read and study the Bible because the church has already got it figured out. On the other hand, evangelical Christians place the Bible ahead of everything else. As a result they buy lots of Bibles. They also teach some variation of what some call the “priesthood of the believer” which gives each believer the right and responsibility to interpret scripture the best they can. As a result they buy lots of reference books to try to figure it out.

    Anyway, we’ve got nothing against Catholics here. A large percentage of our employees are Catholic. It’s just that MyBible isn’t capable of working with a Bible that has more than 66 books. No hidden agenda; no evil intentions.

    Craig Rairdin
    President
    Laridian, Inc. [/B]

    Wow, a reply from a company spokesman I am impressed!
    I was wondering Don did you compare Mybible to other bible software programs before jumping into this new version? You still think its better then most. Its so much more money than others I just want it to be worth the cost. 😉

    Reader,
    Get over it!! This site is for all gadgets including software! Where ever you find good comments on the bible you will find negative ones!! :wow:

  15. Originally posted by Matt
    [B]Its so much more money than others I just want it to be worth the cost. 😉
    [/B]

    Coincident with the MyBible 3.0 upgrade we also lowered our prices and we now have a number of Bibles that are free.

    You can’t really compare MyBible to products that are given away for free, since those products don’t have access to modern translations that require royalties. Even then, we give away a lot of public domain content so we don’t compare too badly.

    If you look at the products that charge something for the reader and/or content, you’ll find we’re pretty competitive. On the average cheaper than OliveTree, for example, on the products we both offer.

    Craig

  16. To have replies from a software company like this is outstanding!!I hope you really take some of these cons from the past post and give them some thought. These would be great for upgrading purposes. (free upgrades)
    I have been trying out four different softwares for bible readers. So far I am torn between Olive tree and My bible. I like the highlighting and notes of My Bible but like style of looking up of verses on Olive tree. You dont have to scroll so much with Olive Tree. You go from a list of books , to list of numbers in that book for chapters then tap the number of the verse within the chapter and bam you are there. 3 taps! Is My bible 3.0 like that? I have the free trial of My bible 2.3,which I can’t download anymore since the upgrade of 3.0 on Palm gear. Is there a quicker way to look up verses using a Tungsten C?

  17. I haven’t tried the Olive Tree Bible software. But, I have previously read that it is hard to navigate. It seems that they have quite an extensive list of translations, and their prices are comparable to those of Laridian. If the Olive Tree folks want to send me the files, I’ll review their software as well. But in all honesty, I would probably be benchmarking it against the MyBible, which I have used for years. Although, if it doesn’t show a clear advantage over MyBible, then that would tell me something.

    I’ve done many reviews for Julie, and I always tried to just look at the product as designed, and not really in comparison to other similar products. The market for everything is so competitive that sometimes it just comes down to your own personal preferences. Most companies offer “test drives” of their products, so feel free to test similar products before purchasing something. (For instance: Should I get a PocketPC or Palm OS PDA? Yikes! Don’t ask me! Which do you like better?)

    DonD

  18. Originally posted by Matt
    Is there a quicker way to look up verses using a Tungsten C?

    After you select the book, write the chapter, a period (tap tap) and the verse number in the Graffiti area.

    For help using MyBible see the extensive Help that is installed on your PC (Start > Programs > Laridian > MyBible) or select Shortcuts from the first menu in MyBible.

    Craig

  19. Originally posted by Matt
    I was wonder Don did you compare Mybible to other bible software programs before jumping into this new version? You still think its better then most. Its so much more money than others I just want it to be worth the cost. 😉

    I don’t know about Don, but what sold me on BibleReader was the navigation and speed. Moving to a certain passage was easy in some programs, but in MyBible it was virtually instant. Of course, with the files in RAM on the T|T or other OS 5 device, it IS instant! Faster than the Bible software on my desktop.

    I really liked Olive Tree, and may check them out again for all the tools. There is another app out there which has huge potential, but the navigation is so difficult that I don’t use it unless I have to, even though I’m a registered user.

  20. Don, just a quick question. Do you get any resistance from people in regards to using an “electronic” Bible?

  21. Originally posted by Altema
    Don, just a quick question. Do you get any resistance from people in regards to using an “electronic” Bible?

    I would love to try opening my palm bible in church , but still haven’t gotten up the nerve. I stick to paper in church and electronic at home.

  22. Originally posted by crairdin
    [B]After you select the book, write the chapter, a period (tap tap) and the verse number in the Graffiti area.

    For help using MyBible see the extensive Help that is installed on your PC (Start > Programs > Laridian > MyBible) or select Shortcuts from the first menu in MyBible.

    Craig [/B]

    Will this work with the keyboard of the Tungsten C. I don’t use graffiti so can I use the keyboard?:confused:

  23. Originally posted by Altema
    Don, just a quick question. Do you get any resistance from people in regards to using an “electronic” Bible?

    Not at all. Most people find it cool that I can have the Bible on my PDA. I have one friend that uses his PDA in church. I would bring mine, but they use a projection system for the scripture passages, so I usuall don’t even need to bring any Bible.

    Don

  24. Originally posted by Matt
    Will this work with the keyboard of the Tungsten C. I don’t use graffiti so can I use the keyboard?:confused:

    Yes.

  25. Originally posted by Matt
    I would love to try opening my palm bible in church , but still haven’t gotten up the nerve. I stick to paper in church and electronic at home.

    It helps if you have one of those devices that has a cover that opens like a book. I started using MyBible back when I had an M505, and with the flip cover I was able to hold it like a book (while trying to be subtle with the stylus!). Acceptance may also depend on how conservative your congregation may be. If your church is one where they encourage scripture reading during the message, you may want to bring both for a while, using the hardcopy for the public readings (where everyone stands and reads along), and use the Palm for during the message until people get used to it.

  26. Originally posted by DonD
    [B]Not at all. Most people find it cool that I can have the Bible on my PDA. I have one friend that uses his PDA in church. I would bring mine, but they use a projection system for the scripture passages, so I usuall don’t even need to bring any Bible.

    Don [/B]

    Most either don’t notice, or think it’s cool as well. Since MyBible did such a good job on the NavPad, I don’t even have to use the stylus anymore. Only two negative reactions, and both of those were half joking. Neither one was really serious, as they both had the more modern book format, rather than sheepskin parchment scrolls… so I’m just an extra step ahead of them!

    What’s in the heart is more important than what material the text is printed on.

  27. Originally posted by Matt
    I would love to try opening my palm bible in church , but still haven’t gotten up the nerve. I stick to paper in church and electronic at home.

    I started taking a Newton Message Pad to church in 1994. I didn’t have the Bible on it but used it for note taking. After a while I switched to just bringing my laptop so I had access to my entire Bible software library during the sermons. I learned to type very quietly. Once we started working on software for Windows CE I switched to a CE device at church.

    Years ago, people would ask what I was doing and I would just explain it. Nobody had any trouble with it.

    In the last 2-3 years it’s at the point where I see almost as many Palms and Pocket PCs at church as I do leather-bound study Bibles. My wife and I both carry Pocket PCs (I sometimes alternate between that and a Palm); my mother has a Pocket PC; the couple that sat in front of us last week had a Palm and another couple behind us had a Pocket PC.

    On Wednesday nights we meet for Bible study in groups of about 15 people. There are at least seven of us with PDAs in our group.

    Craig

  28. Just want to point out there is a freeware Bible reader call Bible+. It can be downloaded from (http://palmbibleplus.sourceforge.net/).

    I am using this Bible+ freeware It allows me to browse two different versions of Bibles or commentaries at the same time. This function is very helpful for a non-native English speaker such as meself. I usually read Chinese Bible and ASV Bible at the same time.

    BTW, does MyBible allow users to access two versions of Bibles at the same time (like Bible+ does)?

  29. Originally posted by DonD
    [B]Not at all. Most people find it cool that I can have the Bible on my PDA. I have one friend that uses his PDA in church. I would bring mine, but they use a projection system for the scripture passages, so I usuall don’t even need to bring any Bible.

    Don [/B]

    I have the same thing in my church but like to follow along with my own bible. I like the idea of a flip case like a bible . I wonder if the smarter case that Laridans has on the web site fits the Plam C? Any other case like bible style that you guys use?

  30. Originally posted by crairdin
    Yes.

    So to find a verse I could type in the number of the chapter, then the verse number?

  31. Originally posted by Altema
    It helps if you have one of those devices that has a cover that opens like a book. I started using MyBible back when I had an M505, and with the flip cover I was able to hold it like a book (while trying to be subtle with the stylus!). Acceptance may also depend on how conservative your congregation may be. If your church is one where they encourage scripture reading during the message, you may want to bring both for a while, using the hardcopy for the public readings (where everyone stands and reads along), and use the Palm for during the message until people get used to it.

    I don’t have to worry about conservative with our congregation.We don’t public read, just follow along.

    🙂

  32. Originally posted by Matt
    So to find a verse I could type in the number of the chapter, then the verse number?

    To go to a verse you select the book from a list, then type the chapter, a period, and the verse.

    Craig

  33. Originally posted by crairdin
    In the last 2-3 years it’s at the point where I see almost as many Palms and Pocket PCs at church as I do leather-bound study Bibles.

    We are not at that level yet, but are growing. There was just a few at first, but I know 7 or 8 who use handhelds exclusively. Not very many, but at least I’m not the only one! Something that probably shied people away was an associate pastor who went a little overboard on the technology… I could tell he was going to be preaching by the powerstrip setup next to the podium! Some were taken aback by seeing a laptop on a pedestal at the altar, and another turnoff was a message delivered from his iPaq, which died at an important point. He was reading from the device, and it died in mid-sentence. I forget if he did not have it charged up, or it crashed, but whatever the cause, it totally derailed the message at the moment. It was an earlier model device (2002), and he was NOT using MyBible. But now that we have forgotten that bump in the road, I see a gradual increase as each month goes by.

    The best point is that, with the Bible being always with you, it encourages reading and study. Sometimes that’s enough to make the difference between really getting to KNOW Him, and just knowing ABOUT Him.

  34. Originally posted by crairdin
    [B]To go to a verse you select the book from a list, then type the chapter, a period, and the verse.

    Craig [/B]

    Got it now, thanks for the tip. Is there any way to demo 3.0 ? I can only find 2.3 and can’t find that anymore?:(

  35. Originally posted by Altema
    [B]We are not at that level yet, but are growing. There was just a few at first, but I know 7 or 8 who use handhelds exclusively. Not very many, but at least I’m not the only one! Something that probably shied people away was an associate pastor who went a little overboard on the technology… I could tell he was going to be preaching by the powerstrip setup next to the podium! Some were taken aback by seeing a laptop on a pedestal at the altar, and another turnoff was a message delivered from his iPaq, which died at an important point. He was reading from the device, and it died in mid-sentence. I forget if he did not have it charged up, or it crashed, but whatever the cause, it totally derailed the message at the moment. It was an earlier model device (2002), and he was NOT using MyBible. But now that we have forgotten that bump in the road, I see a gradual increase as each month goes by.

    The best point is that, with the Bible being always with you, it encourages reading and study. Sometimes that’s enough to make the difference between really getting to KNOW Him, and just knowing ABOUT Him. [/B]

    Wow, that would be really embarassing. I can see why he dropped that way of preaching right away! 😮

  36. Where did you hear that Olive Tree is difficult to navigate? There is a “verse chooser” that allows you to find any book, any chapter and any verse without having to do more than tap. I have used it for awhile. As a Jew who goes to temple, moreover, I have no problem taking my Palm with me and opening it where necessary. There are “Jewish” versions available but these require proprietary readers (both for English and Hebrew), which are indeed more difficult to navigate. Because I find Olive Tree so user friendly, I have never tried My Bible. Should I? radleyp

  37. Originally posted by radleyp
    Where did you hear that Olive Tree is difficult to navigate? There is a “verse chooser” that allows you to find any book, any chapter and any verse without having to do more than tap. I have used it for awhile. As a Jew who goes to temple, moreover, I have no problem taking my Palm with me and opening it where necessary. There are “Jewish” versions available but these require proprietary readers (both for English and Hebrew), which are indeed more difficult to navigate. Because I find Olive Tree so user friendly, I have never tried My Bible. Should I? radleyp

    I’m not sure where they may have heard that either, but I found OliveTree quite easy to navigate. I put it on my kid’s Palms and just told them to tap the verse indicator, and that was all the info they needed. I especially like the Greek text. However, I chose MyBible because it is not physically possible to get any more direct with the navigation… short of a cerebral interface!

    PS: MyBible does have a free demo, but the demo does not include any books of the Torah. At least it will give you an idea of the features and performance. In the full version, you can also select which books to keep on the Palm from any translation. Some of my children only have 2Mb on their Palms, but I am able to leave Proverbs and other key books if there is not enough memory. We read a chapter of Proverbs every morning, and with six children (5 boys!), it makes it easy for those that are old enough to read their part.

  38. Everyone, please check out Laridian’s site. They fixed the italics issue and a few other things. And it is really much better!!

    Now that’s what I call service!!!

    (Ok Craig, fess up! You were planning to fix this all along weren’t you?)

    Don

  39. Just wanted to follow up with you guys, tryed using Palm in church today.I felt a little strange pulling it out and using it at first. After find verse 3 X faster then my wife and following the message easier I was impressed by speed of looking up verses. I had my wife follow along between the both of us fearing she wouldn’t be able to see the screen or the font would be to small , but she says she really didn’t have a problem following along.

    Two questions can you change the font color along with the backgrounds?That would be a nice touch. I found Olive Tree has it that way. I also wondered if you can change font size for more then one person following along?

  40. Originally posted by Matt
    [B]Just wanted to follow up with you guys, tryed using Palm in church today.I felt a little strange pulling it out and using it at first. After find verse 3 X faster then my wife and following the message easier I was impressed by speed of looking up verses. I had my wife follow along between the both of us fearing she wouldn’t be able to see the screen or the font would be to small , but she says she really didn’t have a problem following along.

    Two questions can you change the font color along with the backgrounds?That would be a nice touch. I found Olive Tree has it that way. I also wondered if you can change font size for more then one person following along? [/B]

    There is currently no option for changing the font color, with the exception of turning the words of Christ in red option on or off. There also is no option to change the background color, but I believe both these features were intentionally left out as to not cause confusion with the six different colored highlighters.

    The font can be changed between the standard Palm OS font, standard bold, and large. The large font is pretty big and should be viewable from a few feet depending on your device screen, but like your wife, mine has no problem sharing with the standard font.

  41. Originally posted by Altema
    [B]There is currently no option for changing the font color, with the exception of turning the words of Christ in red option on or off. There also is no option to change the background color, but I believe both these features were intentionally left out as to not cause confusion with the six different colored highlighters.

    The font can be changed between the standard Palm OS font, standard bold, and large. The large font is pretty big and should be viewable from a few feet depending on your device screen, but like your wife, mine has no problem sharing with the standard font. [/B]

    Makes sense not to use other font colors with the highlighter. One question for any of you guys off topic a bit. You guys know of any Internet user groups for christian PDA users? Good sites to check out?:)

  42. Anybody change from Palm version of MyBible to Pocket PC version. I wondered if you can change from one version to the other for free or if you have to pay something? That new 2210 has my eye and thinking of switching but upgrades and and the newest version of mobile 2003 are holding me back. I don’t know if they support the new PPC OS.

    :confused:

  43. Something I’ve done to “jump” to some of my highlights is to place them as a bookmark. I’ve done that with several passages in Romans.

    While it’s not in the MyBible program I also use Memorize (also by Laridian) to hold some of my more important scriptures I want to find again. It’s kinda like a notepad, but you can also test yourself it you remember the scripture correctly. It also imports from MyBible so you don’t have to type the scripture.

    I really enjoy this program. I also use the DailyReader and I enjoy jumping between the different translations.

    Hope this helps. And if you have a feature you would like them to include in a future release then email them. I have found the support very good!

  44. Originally posted by t_flor
    [B]Something I’ve done to “jump” to some of my highlights is to place them as a bookmark. I’ve done that with several passages in Romans.

    While it’s not in the MyBible program I also use Memorize (also by Laridian) to hold some of my more important scriptures I want to find again. It’s kinda like a notepad, but you can also test yourself it you remember the scripture correctly. It also imports from MyBible so you don’t have to type the scripture.

    I really enjoy this program. I also use the DailyReader and I enjoy jumping between the different translations.

    Hope this helps. And if you have a feature you would like them to include in a future release then email them. I have found the support very good! [/B]

    I will have to try dailyreader.

  45. Great news they support PPC 2003! My moms software of the same program is totally different on her 1910 compared to the Palm version of the same program. I wonder why this is?

  46. Originally posted by Matt
    Makes sense not to use other font colors with the highlighter. One question for any of you guys off topic a bit. You guys know of any Internet user groups for christian PDA users? Good sites to check out?:)

    Try these. Craig, of Laridian, regularly comments @BelieverPUG.

    http://www.gominister.com

    http://www.handheldministry.com

    groups.yahoo.com/group/BelieverPUG

    I also wanted to comment that Olivetree BibleReader is freeware, and they have a new HiRes+ beta version that supports split screens:

    http://www.olivetree.com/beta

  47. I just tried the new OliveTree beta, and on my Sony615 it is NOT hires and looks very pixielated. Are you sure it is hires? radleyp

  48. Originally posted by radleyp
    I just tried the new OliveTree beta, and on my Sony615 it is NOT hires and looks very pixielated. Are you sure it is hires? radleyp

    I am using BibleR+ v3.50d217 on my Sony T415 and it looks fine. I have no jaggies at all!

  49. Originally posted by LanMan
    [B]Try these. Craig, of Laridian, regularly comments @BelieverPUG.

    http://www.gominister.com

    http://www.handheldministry.com

    groups.yahoo.com/group/BelieverPUG

    I also wanted to comment that Olivetree BibleReader is freeware, and they have a new HiRes+ beta version that supports split screens:

    http://www.olivetree.com/beta [/B]

    thanks for the sites. I will check them out… Also wanted to pass along I have been using my TC and my bible software for 4 weeks now every Sunday and it is the greatest reading tool for my wife and I to follow along for Sunday mourning services.

    thanks guys. 😉

  50. Thanks, LanMan. I did not think of using that version because it said it was for OS5, although it did also add that it could be used on OS4 units. It is indeed hires. radleyp

  51. Originally posted by radleyp
    Thanks, LanMan. I did not think of using that version because it said it was for OS5, although it did also add that it could be used on OS4 units. It is indeed hires. radleyp

    Your welcome. You may also need to upgrade your BibleReadMe prog. I don’t believe the version posted works with BibleR+. Olivetree emailed BibleReadMe v2.0 (4/20/2003), which works with BibleR+, to me. However, I’m not sure where to find it on their site.

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