One more Mac thread

[phuebs]

I don't mean to beat a dead horse......but I will.

For those of you who are on the Bible Works staff, I would just like you to know that you are doing a SERIOUS disservice to your own business and especially to your customers by not providing a Bible Works version for Mac. I'm very sick of all this Virtual PC stuff. Yes, I have Bible Works. Yes, I love it. Yes, I also have Virtual PC and run Bible Works on it. But it is just too inconvenient. Besides the fact that VPC takes up 5 gbs of space, it seriously hinders what I want to do with Bible Works and how I like to copy and paste into Microsoft Word and other applications. It takes way too much time and effort.

I DO NOT want to hear about other people's successes with Virtual PC, because the fact of the matter is that not everyone has success. Also, we aren't even beginning to mention all of the customers that are turned off and don't even bother with Bible Works in the first place because it is not Mac compatible.

If you take a realistic work at the computer world you will quickly realize that more and more people are buying Mac products every day. Not only iPods, but also then their computers. That means that more and more people who would use Bible software are buying Macs. That means that every day you are losing customers. I know that you don't do this just for the money....BUT you are losing money. And more importantly, Mac users are losing the capabilities to effectively use a great program like Bible Works.

Some of us here don't have enough money to have a PowerMac G5 Quad with 4 gbs of RAM and a 250 gb hard drive (that was hyperbole). But rather, others like me only have a simple Powerbook with 1 gb RAM and 80 gb hard drive. When you take off the space taken by music, pictures, and apps, there isn't a lot of room left for crummy Virtual PC.

So, please, please, please figure it out and get a Mac version for everyone's sake. I think I am forced to switch otherwise, and I seriously suggest that other Mac users do the same. If Bible Works doesn't care for us, why care for them? (other then the fact that their program is the best :)) Libronix has made the smart move and they are about to release a Mac version. And I would say they are one of your biggest competitors. I would hate to switch to them, but I think I might soon and others should too.

Please, seriously consider this and then just put a little money into creating a Mac version. I'm sure you could find Mac enthusiasts very willing to help.

Thank you for listening.

Phil

[pdwinva]

Phil,

Since I'm one of those who have posted in the past about being pleased with BibleWorks on Virtual PC, I'll reply!

Would it be preferable for us Mac users if there were a Mac version of BW? Of course it would. Do you think that there should be one? Clearly you do. And you make some good points to back that up. But the fact is, right now there isn’t a Mac version. And as long as that’s the case, there will be folks who DO WANT to hear about the experience of those who use BW via VPC, including those of us who would recommend it. Most discussion threads that I’ve seen on this topic (including one that I initiated some time ago) have amounted to just that: one person considering using BW in this way, asking for input, and those with relevant experience answering, some of them testifying positively, others, negatively. And that’s what these discussion threads ought to be. Your post reads as if you mean to suggest that because there are some who are not pleased with BW on VPC, those of us who are shouldn’t bother replying when someone asks.

So, by all means, advocate for a Mac version. You and I agree that that would be a welcome development. And you make a compelling case that (as we all know) Apple is eventually going to take over the world. But understand that not everybody is “very sick of all this Virtual PC stuff.” And as long as the curious inquire, they deserve to hear from those who are pleased as well as from those who are not.

(By the way, I only have 768MB of RAM. Your 1GB RAM Powerbook sounds pretty impressive to me!)

Paul Wolfe
Centreville, Virginia

[Columcille]

I'd love to see a Mac version of Bibleworks. I don't currently have a Mac but I am looking at the possibility of getting one in the not too distant future. Not having access to Bibleworks is a real reason I am reluctant to get a Mac. There are one or two other programs I rank just as high which adds to my reluctance to get a Mac. So, I'd like to see a Bibleworks Mac version.

That said, I'm one of about 20 people that wants Bibleworks on a Mac. Say what you will about the silent hoards out there just jumping at the bit for a Mac version, the number really isn't likely to be all that big. Are there really enough people waiting for a Mac version to offset the cost of hours and hours of development to do a good port? Would you settle for a slipshod port that the 20 people wanting a Mac version might actually be able to offset the development costs?

[phuebs]

Well, I will say that I am sick of Virtual PC stuff in that everyone always gives that as a solution. But we all know that. And I do thank those who have given there advice to Mac users on what they can do to use Bible Works. That is appreciated and has helped me in the past.

All I am saying is that if Bible Works truly wants to be a legitimate program for ALL people (which it should be because it is the best), it needs to be available to all people and cover all there bases. Maybe they can contact some university and find some Mac nerd who is willing to try and develop the program. I would myself if I knew a little more about developing (and if I had more time).

By the way, I'm guessing that there are and there certainly will be more than 20 people who want BW on MAC

[Joshua Luna]

The problem of course is investment and return.

The Apple Macintosh has had less than 3% of sales activity and less than 3% of online activity. In a nutshell this means less than 3% of computer users are using a Macintosh. While the Mac has a higher penetration rate in the education system it still is not great and Apple has demonstrated that even their most aggressive moves (like the Mac Mini) have had a negligable inpact on market share.

The next problem is the Macintosh already has a premier language oriented Bible suit. Basically the very small Macintosh pond has a very large fish.

And finally the issue is BibleWorks is a small team of believers dedicated to their product's excellence and support. Supporting multiple platforms and operating systems can become a support nightmare in addition to all the additional time and costs in developing and fixing multiple versions.

A Mac version basically needs to pay for itself to make it worth their while. The people I know using the Mac would never think in their wildest dreams of switching to a PC or software developed on the PC if they could use their favorite software specifically designed for the Mac and with specialized Mac support. It would be a hard market to get into.

With Mac's going Intel maybe some things will change, or maybe BibleWorks will look into some emulation technologies and making sure BW works through emulation.

It has seemed in the past that the BibleWorks staff has been focused on making the BEST product for the PC, and to continue to excell in that area. While branching out could be nice, it not only would have to be profitable it would require them to NOT neglect their core consumers.

As they say in the south, "One in the hand is better than two in the bush". Since resources are limited and the PC users have a loooooooooooong list of features and text/resources they want included, it may be in BW's best short term interest to spend those hours catering to their current clients and leave the Mac platform to the other companies specializing in that specific market.

Just my 2cents. As a selfish PC users I don't want to see the Windows PC version suffer because BibleWorks wishes to branch out to other platforms, especially when that platform is less profitable, flexible, and already has another company offering a competiting product.