Glo ESV Study Bible

[Breid]

Apologies, if this has already featured, but I could not find a thread for it. I have the John McArthur ESV Study Bible on my KPW (only reason why I bought the KPW, and it works great.) I would like to have the ESV study bible on my Kobo, as an alternative to the MacArthur on my KPW, but I want to know if the footnotes, cross references etc are easily accesible.

[Breid]

Moderators, please feel free to close this thread, I received a really nice and helpful response via PM.

[davidfor]

Any chance of posting the solution? It could help someone in the future.

[Breid]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Any chance of posting the solution? It could help someone in the future.

Hi David, firstly I apologise for assuming that because nobody added to this thread that I am the only one looking for a good epub solution. While I am very grateful for the PM I received, I still do not have confirmation that ESV Study Bible will work well on Kobo - footnotes, easy navigation to individual chapters and verses etc. I am awaiting delivery of my shiny new Aura, and if I get a version of this Bible that I am happy with on my Aura, I will be happy to post here

[Breid]

I have emailed Crossways, the publishers of the ESV Study Bible, to enquire if the footlinks, cross reference etc. work in the epub version, with particular reference to the Kobo platform. I have also asked if navigation to individual chapters and verses is possible. I will let you know their response. I am not a cheapskate, but at $20+, I need to know that it will work perfectly before I buy.....or if it does not, I want to be assured that I will be refunded.

[davidfor]

I can understand that. It is always a problem knowing if the lack of response is because no-one knows or no-one is interested. While I'm not likely to be reading a study bible, I have seen enough comments about problems with them on readers, that if there is a good solution, I would like to see it posted somewhere.

Anyway, it sounds like at least part of the solution is working with the publishers. I hope it goes well and that you can tell us the results.

[andrewcrlucas]

I have this epub on my kobo and overall I am disappointed.

Selecting embedded links to go to study notes is hit and miss. The Kobo has a hard time determining if I want to select a link or turn the page. Usually takes a couple of times to go to the link.

The other more annoying feature is that on the Kobo the table of contents is displayed with something like 100+ pages, and to get to Genesis means going to page 20+. Revelation is probably down at page 80+. I havn't figured out a quick way to navigate the TOC.

It is quicker to use the search function to go to a passage. I say quicker somewhat tongue in check, because searching usually takes 10+ seconds to return any results. This doesn't work well however if you want to find an article or map in the notes.

All this to say that I prefer to either use the epub on my iPad where the navigation is much better, or I use the online edition which has excellent side by side display of notes with text.

Using it on the Kobo hardware is definitely a last resort, though in a pinch it is nice to have it. Glad I only paid $9 for it though.

[Difflugia]

I have several epub study Bibles (including the ESV MacArthur and ESV Study Bible) and the navigation is inconsistent at best on any device with a touch screen. With the ESV Study Bible in particular, the links for the notes are in a smaller font than they are in the MacArthur, so are more difficult to hit accurately.

If you want to try one out, download the free sample from Barnes & Noble. It includes all of the introductory material and the complete notes and text for Genesis. The sample is a DRM-free epub, so you can sideload it to any epub devices or reader software that you want to try it on.

Additionally, if you buy it directly from Crossway, you get both epub and mobi in the same purchase and they're DRM-free. Unfortunately, Crossway severely raised their prices several months ago, so it's now about the same price to buy it at Kobo and Amazon together as it is to get it from Crossway.

[Breid]

I have several epub study Bibles (including the ESV MacArthur and ESV Study Bible) and the navigation is inconsistent at best on any device with a touch screen. With the ESV Study Bible in particular, the links for the notes are in a smaller font than they are in the MacArthur, so are more difficult to hit accurately.

I have this on my Kindle and it works beautifully

If you want to try one out, download the free sample from Barnes & Noble. It includes all of the introductory material and the complete notes and text for Genesis. The sample is a DRM-free epub, so you can sideload it to any epub devices or reader software that you want to try it on.

I tried the B&N site but unfortunately this offer is only in their US store, which I cannot buy from (tyvm for taking the trouble to find and post the link)

Additionally, if you buy it directly from Crossway, you get both epub and mobi in the same purchase and they're DRM-free. Unfortunately, Crossway severely raised their prices several months ago, so it's now about the same price to buy it at Kobo and Amazon together as it is to get it from Crossway.
I bit the bullet and purchased directly from Crossway. TYVM for explaining that I would get both the epub and mobi formats....If I had not known that, I would not have bought it.

[Breid]

Grr, my efforts to multi quote a message have failed miserably.....all of the above are directed @ Difflugia for all the helpful suggestions. I guess I need to read the help files to learn how to multi-quote posts.
I have edited my post above to put my responses to Difflugia in blue

[Breid]

Originally Posted by andrewcrlucas

I have this epub on my kobo and overall I am disappointed.

Selecting embedded links to go to study notes is hit and miss. The Kobo has a hard time determining if I want to select a link or turn the page. Usually takes a couple of times to go to the link.

The other more annoying feature is that on the Kobo the table of contents is displayed with something like 100+ pages, and to get to Genesis means going to page 20+. Revelation is probably down at page 80+. I havn't figured out a quick way to navigate the TOC.

It is quicker to use the search function to go to a passage. I say quicker somewhat tongue in check, because searching usually takes 10+ seconds to return any results. This doesn't work well however if you want to find an article or map in the notes.

All this to say that I prefer to either use the epub on my iPad where the navigation is much better, or I use the online edition which has excellent side by side display of notes with text.

Using it on the Kobo hardware is definitely a last resort, though in a pinch it is nice to have it. Glad I only paid $9 for it though.

I tested this bible on my KPW and on my Kobo Glow. The Kindle version worked almost perfectly (sometimes the back button on footnotes etc. takes me back to the beginning of a chapter instead of to the relevant verse, but while being slightly irriatating, this is not a big deal.

I also tested this on my Kobo Glo. Result: totally unsatifsactory.

On both ereaders I opened TOC, then New Teatament, Book of Mark and Selected Mark, Chapter 9.
Kindle: Opened all my selections and read Mark Chapter 9 while waiting on my Kobo - also had time to check out cross references and footnotes, successfully navigated to them and back again to Chapter 9.

Kobo Glo: Selected TOC, New Testament, Book of Mark. This is where I came unstuck. Having selected the Book of Mark, all the chapters were underlined (implying that they were links that I could click to get to the relevant chapter) when I tapped on Chapter 9 nothing happened. So I decided to give the Kobo some time and went back to my Kindle and read Ch 9 which was open and ready for me to read.

Went back to my Kobo Glo, nothing happening, gave Ch 9 a firmer tap, screen blinked, but still nothing. Tried power off/on cycle and begain again with TOC, New Testament, Mark, Chapter 9. Once again all went well until I tapped link for Ch 9. Nothing happened (in the intervening time I have put my Kindle through its paces opening all sorts of links and navigating back to whichever bible passage I was reading before going to these links, with excellent results)

Eventually when I realised that I was becoming increasingly frustrated with my Kobo Glo - my firm taps were becoming vicious stabs and I was shouting very rude things at my Glo- I decided that it was time to delete this bible from my Glo and go with the Kindle version.

Long story short: my advice is to stay away from the epub version and stick with Kindle for now, unless anyone has tried it on a Sony with good results. I have not tested the epub on a tablet, perhaps that will work well.

Final verdict: virtually unworkable on Kobo ereaders.

[flips01]

Originally Posted by Breid

I also tested this on my Kobo Glo. Result: totally unsatifsactory.
(...)
Eventually when I realised that I was becoming increasingly frustrated with my Kobo Glo - my firm taps were becoming vicious stabs and I was shouting very rude things at my Glo- I decided that it was time to delete this bible from my Glo and go with the Kindle version.
(...)
Final verdict: virtually unworkable on Kobo ereaders.

Hi!
My Kobo Aura HD is my first and only Kobo device. My ESV Study Bible is converted from a mobi version, so I have no idea how the official ePub works.

I used the KoboTouchExtended plugin to Calibre to upload the book to my Kobo, as it gives popup windows on some links and generally seems smoother to me. (I load all my sideloaded books onto a micro-SD card I've inserted).

My experience now, especially after the 1.4.0 version of the plugin, is that the ESV Study Bible works pretty well. I don't have to wait long for Table of Contents, clicking links etc.
The ESV study Bible works better than my New Spirit Filled Life NKJV Study Bible. That one also works, but is MUCH slower.

The only frustration is actually hitting the right link sometimes (instead of hitting the note beside it or just turn the page, I would think this applies to all touch screen readers). All in all, it works for me.