according to jeff

For providing awesome (if expensive) dried fruit, Just Tomatoes, Etc., is added to my Nice List.

Various dried fruits are available at our local Hy Vee grocery.

I just learned from Neighbor Mike that May 25 is Towel Day. Since I didn’t yet know that, there’s a slim possibility that you didn’t know that either. If not, then now you do!

What are people saying about PocketBible on the iPad?

“… I’m almost in heaven.”
— Gaijin

“I can honestly say it’s awesome–it has already changed (and improved!) the way I do my own Bible study.”
— Jen

“I’m feeling completely justified for having based my iPad purchase on this app… maybe not sanctified, but indeed justified.”
— J.Sam

“This is one of, if not the finest app in the App store. It is everything you said it would be and more. This is by far the best Bible software available for the iPad, and makes my iPad into the “study friendly” device I had hoped for.”
— Steve K.

“This is by far the best Bible software I have ever used.”
— Phil

“Woo-hoo! It is awesome. This is the best app for my iPad! Really!”
— Brian

“Loaded on my Ipad last night. All I can say is that it is stunning and incredible.”
— John C.

“The first app in the App Store to cry out for 6 stars!”
— NNR

“Beautiful iPad app!!! Love it. This update made my week.”
— Carolyn

“The iPad version is truly the killer-app. Just knowing it was coming had me drooling, and the release didn’t disappoint.”
— Aardwolf

“Verily, I am thankful unto God for leading me to this application … Like the skillful work done by Bezalel and Aholiab, I commend your work. Well done.”
—gomo

“If the AppStore gave out awards for the best app, this would win it hands down. It has the cleanest and easiest to use UI of any app I’ve used on my iPad. If I could I would give it 10 stars not just 5.”
— RS.C

“I’ve been using Laridian products since they were founded and consider them the absolute best of the mobile Bible apps. This latest is no exception and is already my preferred app for the iPad. It’s fast, has a great user interface and tons of resources. It has earned a place on my dock.”
— naapitb

Because we’re fair and balanced, we offer an opposing viewpoint, offered by the user of another Bible product.

“The interface for this app is confusing. Make a wrong move on the touch screen and you can really get yourself lost within the program.”
— Quaczar

Read Matthew Miller’s first-impressions review of PocketBible on his iPad. A more in-depth review is promised soon.

PocketBible for iPad now available in the App Store

Read John Fidel’s review of PocketBible on his iPad.

Laridian’s PocketBible for iPad is Here

I’ve had my iPad for about a month now, and have concluded that I am an iPad fanboy.

While the iPad can be used to watch movies and listen to music and lots of other stuff, too, my use of the iPad has really boiled down to the following.

• Reading the Bible via PocketBible from Laridian — as I write this, we’re finishing up the free iPad update, so this should be available to you “soon” also.
• Reading my Amazon Kindle books — faithful readers may recall that I am a fan of the Kindle 2. Since a Kindle reader is available for my iPad, I can now download and read books on my iPad, just as I did on my Kindle. This is particularly nice because my wife, who didn’t think she would like reading on the Kindle, likes reading my Kindle. So, now she reads on the Kindle and I read on the iPad. Plus, we can share the same Kindle library!
• Quick and easy Web browsing — the iPad turns on and off so fast that it is ideal for quickly checking a Web site, such as facebook or my Yahoo fantasy baseball teams. While a laptop is nearly as portable, there’s something liberating about how quickly the iPad turns on and off. No need to lift a lid, boot up or login, wonder if I should plug in to charge the battery, etc.

Before the iPad was released, proponents of eBooks were concerned about two possible issues with the iPad.

1. The weight of the device would tire the hands
2. The backlight would tire the eyes

I was concerned about these as well, but have now used the iPad enough to have an informed opinion about them.

1. The weight of the device would tire the hands — the iPad is noticeably heavier than the Kindle. The added weight (and perhaps the size) mean that I don’t use the iPad during some activities, where I might have used the Kindle before. For instance, the Kindle is easily held while walking on a treadmill. I don’t think I’ll hold the iPad while on the treadmill. However, this might be resolved by adding a stand to the treadmill or buying a case that makes holding the iPad easier.
2. The backlight would tire the eyes — I haven’t noticed an issue with this. While I find the Kindle equally easy to read, the iPad’s backlight means that it can be read “in the dark”. The Kindle requires some kind of external light.

The iPad screen is absolutely beautiful. However, one side-effect is that it collects fingerprints like a dime-novel detective. I’m constantly needing to polish it with a fine cloth. (In fairness, however, when the iPad is on, the fingerprints are not noticeable.)

The battery life has been equally impressive. While it won’t run as long as my Kindle, it lasts much longer than my iPhone. Of course, my iPad doesn’t have a cell radio that it is powering and monitoring, so the comparison isn’t exactly fair. Nevertheless, I find that I sometimes need to ration my use of my phone to get the battery through the day. I never have to do this with the iPad.

The iPad case feels slick, like the original iPhone. As a result, I had to get over the feeling that I needed to grip it carefully to avoid it slipping through my hands. With use, however, I find that it is easily held onto and my perception of slickness, while not going away entirely, has lessened.

Partly as a result of the slickness and partly because I’m hip like that, I’ve been on the lookout for a stylish folio case. I was hopeful that Rickshaw Bagworks would meet this need. However, their first iPad offering is a sleeve, not a folio.

I opted for the non-3G version of the iPad, which also means that my iPad doesn’t have a GPS receiver. Since my iPhone has 3G and GPS, I decided that simple WiFi connection would be more than sufficient. This has proven correct; I’ve not yet been a situation where I needed 3G nor GPS.

Some have lamented that the iPad doesn’t do multitasking. Meh. Everything starts and stops fast enough. Fullscreen apps are easy to use. I haven’t missed it. (Plus, iPhone OS 4 is to have some sort of multitasking. I’m not yet convinced it will be a positive step forward.)

Others have lamented the lack of Flash support. Meh.

Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of having an iPad is getting ribbed by your friends for being a gadget-boy. Just shake it off, and tell yourself that they’re just jealous. Because, probably, they are!

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