Windows 8 App Review: Onetree Bible +

     The You version Bible App has received unrestricted top dog status in the world of Bible Apps, and Bible.is can be considered the number 2 holder with some other apps vying for attention in a market that is not crowded but filled to where any new arrivals will get a limited base depending on what features they have. The Onetree Bible+ for Windows 8 is the best and easiest to use Bible app to date. Compared to the clunky design of the You version app this is very fluid and features a 30 day devotional, Wycliffe Bible, and the Easton Bible dictionary.

Functionality

      With my computer at first I experienced some problems and I had to close it out and open it again. It started up the second go around and was very fluid. In order to download Bibles in other languages and the Easton dictionary and devotional you have to make an account via the charms bar settings. It will direct you to the website and you can quickly make an account. Then you can download what extra Bibles you want and are all set. Note: The American Standard Version Bible comes free with no account needed. If you want to you can make a free account which lets you sync all of your highlights and bookmarks (you can not highlight or make bookmarks yet in the Windows 8 version.) across Android, IOS, and Mac platforms. At first you will select your Bible and it will open to Genesis 1:1. The text flows from left to right and the best part is you don't have to press any buttons. The text flows very smooth and looks like a real Bible with the parchment like wallpaper. You can scroll through the whole Bible horizontally or click on where it displays the Bible verse and choose your chapter and then verse. In the You version experience it is greatly improved from the Consumer Preview version but is very laggy. Gone is the side bars you must click on and the highlighting feature works. Also the audio Bible works now and to select a verse is much easier. Also available in the You version Bible is the two screen view which is great for sermons and such when you need to get to another verse instantaneously or are comparing verses. The Onetree Bible App really sets the standard for intuitiveness and is much easier to use.

Bible Selection

     This is where the Onetree app loses to its competitor. Yes it has a wide variety of languages including Azerbaijan (spelled Azerbaycan), Italian, French, Finnish, and others and a Bible Dictionary/Encylopedia, 30 day devotional, the Wycliffe Bible (which is very hard to understand), KJV, Bible in basic English, and HCSB Bible. Compared to You version that is a very paltry selection (for free). My old school use to require me to use the NIV version and since it is not available for free in the Bible + app I am forced to use the You version app. Also the lack of an Audio Bible also hurts when you want to share something with friends and you are forced to read it. Still the simplicity of the Bible + and the Dictionary and Devotional really can make me forget the You version Bible since I use the KJV as my standard version anyway. 

Conclusion and Score

     The lack of more free versions does reduce the functionality of the app, but the quick and easy to use interface is much better than the You version UI and the Easton Dictionary and Devotional almost make up for the lack of extra versions. Also the live tile looks nice since it shows all of the books that you own. 
Rating// 4.5 out of 5

Why the Chrome series has a long life

  
     Many people in the IT community scorn Google's attempt at a simple and easy to use computer OS. I have never scorned the Google project and have always been a fan of the excellent and quick browser. The newest iteration of the Chrome OS is probably the safest, quickest to boot, and easiest to use OS out there. I must admit the newest hardware is much more powerful even to the point to run Windows in a Remote Desktop. The Samsung Series 550 has 4 GB of RAM and Intel innards Celeron Sandy Bridge which will probably be replaced this fall and has a 16 GB SSD which you will probably use with Windows 7/8 since it is all cloud based. The main seller for Google Chrome is the cloud. Consider that instead of using Microsoft Office you use Google Docs a free document editor with the ability to make papers, presentations, spreadsheets, drawings, and for Outlook you use Gmail and for Onenote you can use Evernote which almost replaces Microsoft Office and do not forget the template marketplace which is fully featured and is very helpful. Also schools will rest assured since Chrome OS really isn't a true OS there is virtually no possiblity of getting a virus and virus protection is built in and these things boot up in less than 7 seconds. Most people think that Chrome OS can not be used with out internet (or if yours is 3G enabled). Now Google Music, Google Docs, Google Books, all are geared for offline use. Schools will have hundreds of education tools at their disposal in the Chrome web store and businesses have plenty of options too. Low prices since hardware is very simplified is a great addition and all Chromebooks offer 3G with a 100MB of free data per month for two years which to me is great for checking a quick e-mail or updating my Facebook status. The Chromebook solution is perfect for schools and businesses on a budget that likes security and speed. Chrome will feature more hardware partners like Asus (since they made the Nexus 7 tablet) and faster innards and as some hope in the near future a collide with the New Chrome OS and Android to create a better ecosystem. I think the Chrome OS will be a great success for Google and will be the perfect options for consumers, schools, and businesses abroad.

Goodereader Tablet?? Update: Price

     It may be unbelievable but Goodereader an independent e reading and tablet reviewing source is developing their own tablet to throw into the already largely crowded tablet market. So far Michael Kozlowski the CEO at Good e reader has stated, "We are looking to have Google Play and our own Good e-Reader App Store on it, at launch. It also has a front facing 1.3 MP web cam for Skype and other things. Personally, I hate rear facing cameras and it adds on extra costs. The whole point of this tablet is to give you an alternative to the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet. It is also poised to beat our competiion in price (40.00) and developed by us."   This is a bold move if what they say the price is I think this could be a serious competitor to the likes of the Kobo Vox (pictured above) and the Kindle fire. 

Update: Goodereader has announced the price will be between $130-150.

Google Play credit card??

      The Nexus tablet is a now widely known Google Play certified device but ships with a full HD movie and a mysterious $25 app credit. This could be a good way of setting the stage for parents who could let their kids and teens a prepaid amount to buy apps, movies, books, tv series, and magazines without worrying about their credit cards. Why I point this out is because this is extremely similar to the Windows Phone $25 pre-paid app card you got for buying a new Windows Phone.

Free Windows Phone!!

If you sign up with T-Mobile you will get a free brand new Lumina 710 with a 2 year contract!! Check out the link below for more details

http://phones.microsoftstore.com/ecommerce/phones/?filterbycarrier=59&filterbybrand=1&refcode1=MST_0228_003_STORELUMIA

Our Precious Ecosystems

     Many people think that the recently revealed Surface and the just released Nexus 7 are nothing more than Halo generating products that are aimed for pushing OEM's to make better products not necessarily market share is a farce. The Nexus 7 and the Surface are poised to take two different markets. They both feature the luxury of full compatibly with their respective app markets and a high quality build and a relatively low price for their markets. Recently revealed is that the Android army consists of 400 million Android devices + compared to 350 million IOS devices and a small number of Blackberry devices and  Symbian and relatively few Windows Phones. I foresee the Blackberry market losing business share to Windows Phone/Windows 8 and the IOS kingdom under attack from the Android advance. Even if Windows 8 fails sadly Linux will not rise to the top even though Android is Linux at her core. Today at the Google I/O conference they announced 600 million apps in the Google Play store and a new magazine and movie store with movie rentals and tv series which will defiantly rival that of the 550 million app packing Itunes store which also features newsstand for magazines, and sells movies like the Google Play market. Microsoft will integrate the Zune software into Windows 8 and currently features movies, music, podcasts, but no book store (possible B&N integration but that is speculative) and no magazine store. The biggest seller to the general public is an ecosystem which Google looks like it has it all wrapped up. The Nexus 7 which will be up for pre-order soon and features a kindle fire like look with a 1280x800 IPS display and a tegra 3 core and most important Android 4.1 jelly bean. This device will be the one to beat in the current 7 inch market recently dominated by the Kindle fire in price and the Galaxy tab 7.7 tab in quality and I think the Surface will knock the Ipad off of its pedestal where whenever you have a review people will say it is better than the Ipad, but I think in quality and design will compare their devices to the Surface even though it is a tough act to follow. The IOS ecosystem is expanding at a quick rate and the Google Play ecosystem is at an even faster rate and the Blackberry system is dwindling and the Microsoft system is emerging into a viable contender.