[jsword-devel] Future Direction for BibleDesktop

[Adam Thomas]

Neil Short wrote:
> I'll put in my two cents in: if this application falls for trying to be one of those kitchen gadgets that does everything (runs in browsers, has Mac look and feel,... etc, we may be reinventing a wheel that's already been accomplished by other applications.
>   

100% agreed!
> My attraction to BibleDesktop is that it runs on Java and is therefore portable and yet is no-nonsense functional. I look to be able to run it on a small portable device (mini-laptop-esque) so I can use it on the run or at church without whipping out some huge top-heavy application that is distracting to people sitting in the pews behind me.
>   

Completely agree and is why my vision for BibleDesktop is a 
straight-forward application. I see BibleDesktop as being an electronic 
Bible book complete with page-flipping animation. No toolbars floating 
all over the screen, no search dialogs distracting the reader, no tabs 
and panels to rearrange. The true focus is on the content and the 
reading experience. When I am deep into studying the Bible the last 
thing I want to do is think to myself is how do I bookmark this passage 
or how do I cross reference.

Use familiar paradigms that readers of "real" books are already familiar 
with. Some pointers can certainly be taken from Apple's applications. 
Yes, they can be cluttered at times, but as for usability most users 
don't even have to read the users manual to get started. That is how 
BibleDesktop should be.

Regards,
Adam
> ======
> John said to him, "Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me.  For he that is not against us is for us.
>
> Mark 9:38-40
>
>
> --- On Mon, 3/2/09, Adam Thomas <adam-thomas at cox.net> wrote:
>
>   
>> From: Adam Thomas <adam-thomas at cox.net>
>> Subject: Re: [jsword-devel] Future Direction for BibleDesktop
>> To: "J-Sword Developers Mailing List" <jsword-devel at crosswire.org>
>> Date: Monday, March 2, 2009, 3:12 PM
>> Peter von Kaehne wrote:
>>     
>>>> I am quite familiar with "rich" HTML
>>>>         
>> rendering in desktop applications,
>>     
>>>> however if a user wants a web application, they
>>>>         
>> will use one. Check out:
>>     
>>>> http://www.ebible.com/ for an example of what I am
>>>>         
>> trying to say. There
>>     
>>>> are tons and tons of web-based applications to
>>>>         
>> read the Bible. With Web
>>     
>>>> 2.0 and 3.0 and AJAX, etc etc etc they can feel
>>>>         
>> just like desktop
>>     
>>>> applications complete with persistence. Why bother
>>>>         
>> creating a desktop
>>     
>>>> Bible application simply to embed web
>>>>         
>> technologies? I personally don't
>>     
>>>> see the benefit.
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>> I am not at all sure whether I foillow you here. The
>>>       
>> reason for the
>>     
>>> search for a new renderer is related directly with
>>>       
>> serious deficiencies
>>     
>>> of the current one - inability to display several
>>>       
>> scripts at the same
>>     
>>> time, inability tod eal adequatly with complex
>>>       
>> scripts. Anything
>>     
>>> replacing the current way of rendering needs to be
>>>       
>> better. This has
>>     
>>> little or nothing to do with creating a
>>>       
>> webapplication.
>>     
>>>   
>>>       
>> Maybe I am the one who isn't understanding. I
>> wasn't meaning that 
>> BibleDesktop is a web application. Are you guys referring
>> to embedding 
>> an HTML renderer so you can do things like create links in
>> the 
>> scriptures and have rich content displayed in the Bible
>> texts?
>>
>> I agree that better alternatives should be pursued, I just
>> want to 
>> better understand what you are trying to do.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Adam
>>     
>>> My understanding is that embedded browsers offer just
>>>       
>> this, though I am
>>     
>>> sure that there are other ways to get text rendered
>>>       
>> well too. It just
>>     
>>> needs to be better than what is there. The bar is set
>>>       
>> high with Xiphos
>>     
>>> using pango-graphite and xul.
>>>
>>> Peter
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> jsword-devel mailing list
>>> jsword-devel at crosswire.org
>>> http://www.crosswire.org/mailman/listinfo/jsword-devel
>>>
>>>   
>>>       
>> _______________________________________________
>> jsword-devel mailing list
>> jsword-devel at crosswire.org
>> http://www.crosswire.org/mailman/listinfo/jsword-devel
>>     
>
>
>       
>
> _______________________________________________
> jsword-devel mailing list
> jsword-devel at crosswire.org
> http://www.crosswire.org/mailman/listinfo/jsword-devel
>
>