Are Smart Phones and E-readers worth it for reading the Bible/books?

[evangelist6589]

These days everyone uses smart phone's, Kindles, Nooks, iBooks, and whatever else I forgot to name. These are great devices that can hold allot, but I worry they will not last. I lost all my notes, highlights, and bookmarks by relying on a PDA Bible more than 10 years ago which cannot be read or used today, less connect to my Mac. I am hesitant to make the same mistake in this smart phone generation for fear that my notes, bookmarks, and books will not be readable on the computers and devices of 10 years into the future. None here really know if the iPhone, Nook, Kindle, or Android will even exist in 10 years. Years ago PDA's were red hot and sold like hotcakes, but today they are obsolete... Think about it.. Are electronic books worth it?

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

If it is a book you just want to read and have available sure, they are handy. Most of my Bible apps sync to the cloud and across devices so I feel pretty secure using them. However, I would never be totally reliant on them and if there is a book I read and really like I shop for a second hand hard copy.

 

[evangelist6589]

If it is a book you just want to read and have available sure, they are handy. Most of my Bible apps sync to the cloud and across devices so I feel pretty secure using them. However, I would never be totally reliant on them and if there is a book I read and really like I shop for a second hand hard copy.

In other words in 10 years they may not last just as the Bible apps for mobile devices and books of that day did not. I lost countless bookmarks, notes, and highlights because I relied on a PDA Bible app that at that time was very popular but today no longer exists nor connects to my Mac.

The people of 10 years ago were also drugged out on the tech toys of that time just as the people of today are.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

That's totally up to the user. The things I use now constantly upgrade across all devices and allow you to save into word processor documents. Sure, I may lose them, but someone accidentally threw away my entire sermon file at one point as well.

As I said, I would never rely on either system totally .

 

[JonC]

I like using a kindle bible app. Here is why:

1. It easy to reference. Not only can I have notes readily available and linked to passages in scripture, but these notes can be extensive (not just what I can fit into a margin). The cross-reference functions and having the ability to see my own margin notes as well as expanded chapter notes have become valuable to me.

2. My own notes are transferable. I can view them online (they won’t go away if my device crashes). I can view them on multiple devices. If for some reason the internet does go away…well, hopefully we will have warning and I’ll print out my notes for future reference.

3. Not only can I carry around the Bible and my notes, but I can also carry around many commentaries. Where I could choose a few commentaries, should I choose to carry a backpack, I can now carry a wealth of study tools.

4. My kindle is no longer produced…it is “obsolete.” I just have not seen a reason (for my purposes) to upgrade to another device. While tempted to buy a tablet (I like the galaxy), I think I’ll stick with what I have.

But it did take me awhile to start using it for study. The simple fact that my notes are not restricted to the devise was one of the reasons I went ahead and started using it (I use the app across media devices – online when at work, on my phone when I’m out without the kindle, on the computer at home, etc).

So, I guess I’d say “yes,” e-books are worth it. I still reference those I acquired for my sony reader years ago. But I am also attached to real books.

 

[prophet]

It is the sd card that has and will survive. And when it's time has past, you will be able to move your storage to the next gen. of devices.

 

[evangelist6589]

I like using a kindle bible app. Here is why:

1. It easy to reference. Not only can I have notes readily available and linked to passages in scripture, but these notes can be extensive (not just what I can fit into a margin). The cross-reference functions and having the ability to see my own margin notes as well as expanded chapter notes have become valuable to me.

2. My own notes are transferable. I can view them online (they won’t go away if my device crashes). I can view them on multiple devices. If for some reason the internet does go away…well, hopefully we will have warning and I’ll print out my notes for future reference.

3. Not only can I carry around the Bible and my notes, but I can also carry around many commentaries. Where I could choose a few commentaries, should I choose to carry a backpack, I can now carry a wealth of study tools.

4. My kindle is no longer produced…it is “obsolete.” I just have not seen a reason (for my purposes) to upgrade to another device. While tempted to buy a tablet (I like the galaxy), I think I’ll stick with what I have.

But it did take me awhile to start using it for study. The simple fact that my notes are not restricted to the devise was one of the reasons I went ahead and started using it (I use the app across media devices – online when at work, on my phone when I’m out without the kindle, on the computer at home, etc).

So, I guess I’d say “yes,” e-books are worth it. I still reference those I acquired for my sony reader years ago. But I am also attached to real books.

Try selling this argument to the people of 2024. They will laugh and treat the Kindle like the people of today treat the Palm Pilot and Windows CE PDA devices. And guess what happened to me? I relied on those devices for years which NO LONGER will sync with my computer, nor are they being sold nor used anymore. In other words it was a waste of time. Granted I still have my Windows CE clunker but it won't connect to a modern computer, and people laugh at me when I bring it out.

 

[evangelist6589]

It is the sd card that has and will survive. And when it's time has past, you will be able to move your storage to the next gen. of devices.

Perhaps correct. They had 256MB SD cards 10 years ago that will still work today. In 10 years they will have 32TB SD cards.

 

[go2church]

So where you genuinely asking or just looking to bash electronics?

 

[evangelist6589]

That's totally up to the user. The things I use now constantly upgrade across all devices and allow you to save into word processor documents. Sure, I may lose them, but someone accidentally threw away my entire sermon file at one point as well.

As I said, I would never rely on either system totally .

Great point. I am just very angry and frustrated about all my lose notes, and data from my old Palm Pilot that Apple has made sure will not work with a modern Mac. I lost TONS of data, books, and the like. The same may happen to the Kindle in 10 years. It may not exist.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

Great point. I am just very angry and frustrated about all my lose notes, and data from my old Palm Pilot that Apple has made sure will not work with a modern Mac. I lost TONS of data, books, and the like. The same may happen to the Kindle in 10 years. It may not exist.

I think we have moved beyond that. I have files that I have moved from 5 1/2 floppies to 3 1/4 (did I get those numbers right?) to flash drives to external hard drives to the Cloud. I am big on backing up. Unless there is a total shutdown of all electronics (in which case we'll have a lot more to worry about) I think I can find all my files now - something I couldn't do with the paper files thrown away - plus I still keep hard copies of vital files.

 

[JamesL]

Great point. I am just very angry and frustrated about all my lose notes, and data from my old Palm Pilot that Apple has made sure will not work with a modern Mac. I lost TONS of data, books, and the like. The same may happen to the Kindle in 10 years. It may not exist.

I wonder, and I'm not trying to be facetious...
Could it be that maybe your loss of notes, etc was purely by God's design? Could it be that He was trying to get you to come back to the scriptures for yourself? Just a thought.

I know of a man who lost an entire library in a house fire, so even books are not immune to being lost.

If I hope to use something for reference, my personal preference is to have paper books. I've been known to have my interlinear, lexicons, concordance, four commentaries, and a half dozen translations open all at one time. I'd have bookmarks scattered, just waiting for me to shove in somewhere. It looked like total madness, I'm sure.

It still probably looks just as chaotic to others, though I tend to use BibleGateway and BibleHub websites for concordance, cross reference, and sometimes n place of my parallel bible. And the relatively few times I use a commentary, I use two online - only because they're better than any I've seen in print. Of course, that doesn't mean none exist in print, just I haven't seen any.

I'm not really a tech guy. I can usually find everything I'm looking for in paper books much quicker than I can find it electronically. Call me old fashioned, I guess.

But to each his own. How do you like your steak? There's no wrong answer to that one, either.

 

[padredurand]

I wonder, and I'm not trying to be facetious...
Could it be that maybe your loss of notes, etc was purely by God's design? Could it be that He was trying to get you to come back to the scriptures for yourself? Just a thought.

I know of a man who lost an entire library in a house fire, so even books are not immune to being lost.

Been there. Done that. 3000 books, 20 years worth of sermon notes and the computer that housed the electronic version of the last 10 years of printed notes. One of the ladies from church was helping us throw the charred remains of my office into the dumpster. I was lamenting the loss of that body of work when she said, "Pastor, don't mourn too long. I'm praying you aren't in the same place you were 20 years ago."

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Been there. Done that. 3000 books, 20 years worth of sermon notes and the computer that housed the electronic version of the last 10 years of printed notes. One of the ladies from church was helping us throw the charred remains of my office into the dumpster. I was lamenting the loss of that body of work when she said, "Pastor, don't mourn too long. I'm praying you aren't in the same place you were 20 years ago."

What I like most about you is that you still maintain the common touch. I kinda liken you to Hemingway Vs Shakespeare......there is a place for both, but I dont think Shakespeare ever went fishin, much less write about it.

 

[JamesL]

Been there. Done that. 3000 books, 20 years worth of sermon notes and the computer that housed the electronic version of the last 10 years of printed notes. One of the ladies from church was helping us throw the charred remains of my office into the dumpster. I was lamenting the loss of that body of work when she said, "Pastor, don't mourn too long. I'm praying you aren't in the same place you were 20 years ago."

You know what?

I really appreciate you. And I hope I get to tell you that a thousand times or more

 

[Jkdbuck76]

Try selling this argument to the people of 2024. They will laugh and treat the Kindle like the people of today treat the Palm Pilot and Windows CE PDA devices. And guess what happened to me? I relied on those devices for years which NO LONGER will sync with my computer, nor are they being sold nor used anymore. In other words it was a waste of time. Granted I still have my Windows CE clunker but it won't connect to a modern computer, and people laugh at me when I bring it out.

Dude! Look into vmware player. create a virtual machine of the last Mac OS that would read your device. Then backup your files into a word processing document. Virtual machine is about the only way u can go back in time.

EDIT: building an old virtual machine is one way to use old programs, hardware and retrieve data from old devices. Might be worth your while.

 

[exscentric]

Dude! Look into vmware player. create a virtual machine of the last Mac OS that would read your device. Then backup your files into a word processing document. Virtual machine is about the only way u can go back in time.

EDIT: building an old virtual machine is one way to use old programs, hardware and retrieve data from old devices. Might be worth your while.

VM is one route, if you still have the files, they are probably convertible to .txt.

If one has files important, backing up and converting is usually possible and a requirement to maintain your information. I have stuff I created on a commodore 64 that I have maintained.

Google for a palm fourm and ask questions about conversion etc. Might find you aren't in the shape you think you be in

I started saving as .txt many years ago, on computer as well as pda since any word processor can read them. Saves conversion. Convert most ebooks to .txt as well, cept the thousands I haven't gotten to yet

 

[Jkdbuck76]

^^^
even simpler.

 

[evangelist6589]

Dude! Look into vmware player. create a virtual machine of the last Mac OS that would read your device. Then backup your files into a word processing document. Virtual machine is about the only way u can go back in time.

EDIT: building an old virtual machine is one way to use old programs, hardware and retrieve data from old devices. Might be worth your while.

I have a OS 9.x or 8.6 disk that I launch every know and then. But I don't believe it would read a hardwire device on a modern Mac.

 

[preachinjesus]

The continual upgrades in technology over the past decade or two have brought tremendous change and flummoxed users to a greater extent.

I realized, early on, that if I were to begin to create notes inside programs and specific apps that they would be tied to those programs. So I didn't do too much of that.

Things seem to be settling a bit and, since the market has worked itself out now, I'm beginning to add some notes here and there in my Accordance and Logos apps. However, I'm still moving a considerable amount of text over to my Evernote files and Dropbox accounts to keep them in the cloud.

Kindle seems to be a fairly stable system as well, though I'm not using too much of my research through their systems.

I would recommend you go and take your existing devices and SD cards to someone who knows what they're doing and see if they can help you migrate the data. I did this a couple of times with one of our tech guys on staff and was able to keep most of my stuff.