iTunes App Store

It's open right now. You have to download iTunes 7.7 first though. The iPhone 2.0 update is available right now, though if you're using the old iPhone I would be cautious. The iPod Touch 2.0 update is not available yet, and will cost $9.95 when it is [Update: It's now available, technically, but good luck getting access to it. Apple is really messing up the launch of the app store. People are having all sorts of problems accessing the 2.0 firmware update].

There are about 500 apps available right now, with approximately 125 of them free and most of the others priced under $10.

One is a promising bible app called BibleXpress created by Ben Spratling for $29.99. The translations available so far include the ESV, ASV, NASB (1995), and NRSV as well as a couple of Spanish translations (LBLA is available now; NBLH is slightly delayed).

Other translations will be added as free updates. Apparently, candidates for inclusion are the NIV, the Message, the KJV, and the NLT. The only other translation that I really wish it had is the JPS Tanakh, though the HCSB and the NET bible would be nice too.

You can do searches and write notes in it. Once I've purchased a copy I'll write a review.


Update: I emailed the author to suggest the JPS Tanakh as one of the translations he might add. He couldn't promise anything since he's got a limited number of slots. If you have any translation suggestions of your own, you can email him here: support@biblexpress.com.

He verified that this app doesn't require an internet connection to access the bible translations in question (i.e., the translations are directly on the iPod Touch/iPhone). I had been wondering why the program (version 1.0) was so small (4 MB as listed in iTunes) but apparently he has five updates in the pipeline, presumably waiting for the thumbs up from the App Store. The next update (1.0.1) increases the size of the program from 4MB to 9.3MB, which indicates that the size of the program will increase exponentially as translations are added. The 1.0.1 update includes the NASB, ESV, and a Spanish translation (LBLA). The NRSV and ASV are available in the initial version (1.0).

The author of the program is also very interested in any feedback on the program itself. If you do purchase it and have thoughts on how it can be improved, please either respond to him directly through his website (email: support@biblexpress.com) or leave a note in the comment section of this or any other relevant post I make on this program and I'll pass it along to him.


Update II: There's also another program available on iTunes called YouVersion.com by LifeChurch.tv which boasts an impressive lineup of translations (many more than BibleXpress), but it's an online program (check comment #68) which means you need a wireless connection of some sort.

On the other hand, it's free. They are looking into making the translations available offline, but they'll start with the public domain translations first and then try to get licences for the others. Unless the organization underwrites the costs, though, I doubt they'll be able to keep this program free when it starts adding translations that require licensing fees.