e-Sword HD: Bible Study to Go

e-Sword HD Review I have tried a lot of Bible programs on my iPad trying to find one that works well with voiceover. Some can be used with voiceover, but for many things such as modern translations, reading, etc. you have to be connected to the internet. Then, there are many that have good features, but the buttons are mostly unlabeled, and I could not get voiceover to actually read the text (kind of like how the Kindle app will tell you all the buttons, but I cannot get it to read any books or documents to me.) Because e-Sword HD is $4.99, I would not have tried it except that I use and like some features of the PC version of e-Sword. So, I decided to splurge and try it. I found that the e-Sword HD program is very accessible using voiceover. I will not state that it is fully accessible because there are a few minor things that are in locations that you do not use much. But, those will be discussed near the end of this review. I found that in general, buttons are well labeled. There are a couple of buttons that you have to figure out what they mean. But, overall, that is not hard. For instance, there is a button that voiceover calls, "time". That button is actually the history button. The buttons are located as follows. It is easy to learn the general locations. Top left buttons - search, history, bookmarks, settings, and information Top middle buttons - these vary based upon the type of resource you are using. Top right button(s) - The Bible or book in use is stated on the button. When using the Bible, the verse button states the verse that is currently selected. The buttons in the top right in all modes other than resource present a popup listing for changing verses, books, etcetera. Across the bottom -- From left to right, the buttons are: Bible, dictionary, lexicon, reference, Today, editor, resources. The editor is for adding your own notes and attaching them to a location in the Bible. I have not had time to really test the editor. So, this review does not include the editor. The Today button is for a daily devotional and the associated Bible verses. You have to figure out that the button that has a reference is actually what you click on to pull up the pop-up menus to go to another location of the Bible. Also, The first time that you access the commentaries or dictionaries/lexicons, or the reference books, the button for selecting which commentary, dictionary or reference book is blank and therefore is an unnamed button. but, if you click on it and select a dictionary or commentary or reference book, then the next time you use that button, it is named by the book that is in use. NOTE: Before you try and access commentaries or dictionaries or reference books, you need to download them onto your iPad. But, once you do, you have them and can access them whenever you want and without needing to be connected to the internet. Once you have used them the first time, the buttons for selecting a version of the Bible, a dictionary, a lexicon, or a reference book when you are in the appropriate screen is labeled by the Bible version you are using, the dictionary you are using, etc. When in the Download list under resources, just selecting book will not download it. In the upper right corner there is a button that says, "Download Selection." Also, if you bring your finger across an item that is locked because you need to purchase it, it tells you that it is locked. I have not tried to download any locked items because I do not have any of them that I had purchased for the version on my Windows PC. Therefore, I cannot give details regarding downloading and unlocking of those items. Ok, now that we have dealt with the positives, it is time to deal with the negatives. When you are in the list of Bible versions, the list of dictionaries, the list of reference books, etc., all items that you have downloaded into your app, and that are currently accessible have a check mark by them. Therefore, voiceover tells you that every item that you run your finger that has a check is selected. However, the one currently beng used is the one stated when you doubled tapped on the version/booklist button that you double tapped to get the popup list. To select another one, follow the normal method of selecting an item by double-tapping the version/book you want to select. Then, voiceover will read the name of what you just selected. It will also exit the popup list, and enter the Bible version or book you just chose. NOTE: In pop-up lists, the checks are an image that is not read. For signted people, it tells them that the resource, whether a Bible version, or a book is available to be accessed. The part that is not fully accessible using voiceover is associated with downloading the resources that you have on your iPad. The resources do not state which ones have already been downloaded when using voiceover. There is a check mark by the items that you have loaded onto your iPad. But, that checkmark is an image that voiceover does not notice. Therefore, you cannot tell that you have downloaded an item until you try to download it again. Then, it will assume that you want to download that book or Bible version again, and will ask you to verify whether you want to overwrite the current file for that is on your computer for that resource. You can simply select the NO button to cancel downloading it again. So, it is not a problem if you accidentally try to download a book the second time since it will warn you. The other item that I have had problem with is probably due to the fact that I am relatively new to voiceover and I probably just do not know the correct gesture because I have the same problem in iBooks. That is page changing when the normal motion without voiceover is simply a left or right flick of one finger. When voiceover is off, a one finger flick to the left or right takes you to the previous or next Bible chapter such as from John 2 to John 3. However, just as I have not figured out how to flip from page 94 to page 95 in iBooks, with voiceover, I cannot figure the correct gesture to flip to the next chapter of a book of the Bible in this app. Again, I assume the problem is with me and not with the app.