The Bible on an iPod

I just found a great new way to use my iPod: to listen to and read the Bible! A new company called BiblePlayer has found a way to use the "Notes" feature to deliver both an audio and text version of the Bible!

I just downloaded it fifteen minutes ago, but so far I love it! I'm trying out the freeware version first, but I'll probably buy the Deluxe version. Here's how it works: first, upload the audio files onto your iPod. Next, install everything else into the "Notes" folder (just make sure disk mode is enabled). Now disconnect the iPod and navigate to the Notes section. Wait for the notes to load (it takes a while; even the totally free version contains the full Gospels). Then, choose what you want to do: "Read the Bible", "Hear the Bible", "Bible in a Year", "Devotionals", or "Bible Stories".

The totally free version, "BiblePlayer Lite", contains the full Gospels, "Gospel in a Year" (twice through, I believe), Charles Spurgeon's "Faith's Checkbook" devotionals for January, and fifteen or sixteen Bible stories. There are also three sample audio files: Proverbs 5, in King James, World English, and Reina Valera (which I believe is the Spanish New Testament).

The $5 version contains the full text of the Old and New Testament, complete year of Faith's Checkbook, eight more reading plans, over one hundred Bible stories, and a "God's Promises" module. The deluxe version, which is only $20 this month, contains all that, plus full audio files.

I like that each text file has a link to allow you to listen to the audio for it (for the Deluxe version, of course), without going through Playlists. (Though I would assume you can create playlists with the audio files; after all, to iTunes, they're just mp3 files.)

Only downside: the iPod is limited to one thousand notes, so you can install the Old Testament or the New Testament–but not both. To switch, you must uninstall one before installing the other. (Though it should be no problem to install both sets of audio files, disk space permitting...)

Just for reference, I chose the World English Version: I don't already have it, and no one in my Sunday School class ever has it, so it will be useful for version comparisions. I'll research it more before I buy one, of course, but I can always download the KJV for the freeware, if I want. (My study Bible is a New King James, so it's pretty easy to switch over to KJV. But all the "eth" and "est" and "wherefores" can get tiresome, so I doubt I will. Besides, if I already have my Bible, I don't need to use my iPod!)

I'll post again once I've given BiblePlayer a more thorough trial.

Xandria