Tech Forum Archive

Gospel Library for Macbook Pro

18 postsstarted by Christopherst 57,021 viewsoriginal topic

Christopherst
New Member
#1
I was wondering if the Gospel Library App in the App Store is available for the Mac Desktop and Laptops? Its kind of lame that it comes on mobile devices and not on the desktop or laptop. I realize that there is lds.org that has scriptures and what not, but im not always connected to the internet on my Macbook Pro laptop. Is this version coming out soon?
The LDS Church responded on May 9, 2013 at 9:53 PM as follows:
Dear Christopher Stapleton,

Thank you for contacting lds.org. We sincerely apologize for not responding to you sooner. The Response Team is made up of Church Service Missionaries and volunteers. Our numbers are few, and we are working diligently at getting caught up!

It is my understanding that the Gospel Library app works on all Apple products; it is available from the app store. I have the app on my iPhone, iPod and iPad (Sadly, I do not personally own a MacBook.) If this is not the case, we would invite you to contact tech.lds.org, which is the official technology site of the Church. They will hopefully have the answers you seek, as they are the developers of the Gospel Library app. They have forums there, wherein your concern may have been already discussed and addressed. They also have an “Ask a Question” section which will allow you to post question regarding the Gospel Library and the MacBook..

Sincerely,

SS, Response Team Volunteer
aebrown
Community Administrator
#2
christopherst wrote:I was wondering if the Gospel Library App in the App Store is available for the Mac Desktop and Laptops? Its kind of lame that it comes on mobile devices and not on the desktop or laptop. I realize that there is lds.org that has scriptures and what not, but im not always connected to the internet on my Macbook Pro laptop. Is this version coming out soon?
Although I have heard nothing about a specific desktop version coming out, there are options for running a version on a desktop by using an emulator that allows you to run mobile apps. See the Gospel Library app for Desktop PC topic for some ideas.
Questions that can benefit the larger community should be asked in a public forum, not a private message.
russellhltn
Community Administrator
#3
Except for some CDs that were published many years ago, the church has never targeted Gospel Library for any PC.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

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mullen1926
New Member
#4
It would be very helpful to make the LDS Gospel Library available on the MacBook. I go between my Macbook, IPad and IPhone often for many things and make a lot of scripture notes, etc. and would really like to be able to do so on my Macbook. the Library is not available in the Apple Store for Macbook.

Thanks for your consideration
Ken
russellhltn
Community Administrator
#5
mullen1926 wrote:It would be very helpful to make the LDS Gospel Library available on the MacBook.
Someone will have to round up a all-volunteer development team. The church isn't going to do it.
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Christopherst
New Member
#6
What we should be doing is finding people who want it on the Mac and put a wiki together on this forum that we can add to it and develop it. It doesn’t make sense to just keep asking for it if the Church is not gonna do it. Myself I am a digital graphics artist, I can create a user interface for the software, we would have to find other people who know how to code on MacOS. I could donate a little bit of my time for the experience. Anybody else want to contribute?
Christopherst
New Member
#7
If everyone donate a little bit of their time and whatever skill they could add to the project, we could get it done. Everybody just wants someone else to do the work. Put your shoulder to the wheel push along.
Christopherst
New Member
#8
aebrown wrote:
christopherst wrote:I was wondering if the Gospel Library App in the App Store is available for the Mac Desktop and Laptops? Its kind of lame that it comes on mobile devices and not on the desktop or laptop. I realize that there is lds.org that has scriptures and what not, but im not always connected to the internet on my Macbook Pro laptop. Is this version coming out soon?
Although I have heard nothing about a specific desktop version coming out, there are options for running a version on a desktop by using an emulator that allows you to run mobile apps. See the Gospel Library app for Desktop PC topic for some ideas.
I actually have tried to use the emulators and they don’t work very well. Running both Android emulators to run Mobile apps on desktop don’t work very well on the Mac. iOS emulators to run mobile apps on desktop on the Mac not work at all. I wasn’t able to get any of them to work at all let alone have it to be something that would be functional.
Christopherst
New Member
#9
I do have a know of an app that I have on my MacBook Pro called LDS Scriptures. They have mobile apps at work and function for iOS but they still have a old version for macOS. They haven’t even updated it themselves.
carsonm
Member
#10
As an alternative option, you could use either Bootcamp or like program/tool like Parallels to then be able to run Windows 10 inside of a Mac, which then allows you to run the Gospel Library App for Windows on your Mac. This app work on non-touch screen computers like the Mac (with Windows 10 running as noted above If I understand it correctly) and on non touch screen Windows 10 computers as well as on touch screen Windows 10 devices and computers.

Yes, I realize that you did not get a Mac to run Windows 10 on it, but it is an option if you want the Gospel Library App

If interested Here is a little about the Gospel Library for Windows app, along with some screen shots.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/gospe ... verviewtab#
Christopherst
New Member
#11
Why is it on Windows and not Mac?
Christopherst
New Member
#12
carsonm wrote:As an alternative option, you could use either Bootcamp or like program/tool like Parallels to then be able to run Windows 10 inside of a Mac, which then allows you to run the Gospel Library App for Windows on your Mac. This app work on non-touch screen computers like the Mac (with Windows 10 running as noted above If I understand it correctly) and on non touch screen Windows 10 computers as well as on touch screen Windows 10 devices and computers.

Yes, I realize that you did not get a Mac to run Windows 10 on it, but it is an option if you want the Gospel Library App

If interested Here is a little about the Gospel Library for Windows app, along with some screen shots.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/gospe ... verviewtab#
I have run parallels before on Mac. Windows 10 isn't free, nor is Parallels. Why buy Windows 10 and a new copy of Parallels just to get a free app that should be on Mac anyhow?

I have seen that there is a 2020 version iOS being used on macOS but it would have to be developed through the iOS on macOS.

It doesn't make sense to have Windows, Android and just mobile devices on iPhone and iPad but not on macOS.

I think the Church develops mostly on Windows and Android users because people can't afford to buy Apple products, but forces people to go the cheapest route possible.
jdlessley
Community Moderators
#13
christopherst wrote:Why is it on Windows and not Mac?
The Windows version is intended to support Windows mobile phones and a beneficial side effect is that any windows 10 device, including desktops and laptops, can run it.
JD Lessley
Have you tried finding your answer on the ChurchofJesusChrist.org Help Center or Tech Wiki?
russellhltn
Community Administrator
#14
jdlessley wrote:
christopherst wrote:Why is it on Windows and not Mac?
The Windows version is intended to support Windows mobile phones and a beneficial side effect is that any windows 10 device, including desktops and laptops, can run it.
In addition, unlike the iOS and Android version, the Windows version is an all-volunteer effort. And even then, I sense they struggle to keep up.

I think to safe to say that if there were to be a version for Mac, it would also take an all-volunteer effort.

Offers to be a beta tester wouldn't help. They'd need actual coders.
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otigraoken
New Member
#15
It wouldn’t take too much effort to make a macOS Gospel Library application today. Apple now provides Mac Catalyst, which provides a method to turn an iPad application into a macOS application.

https://developer.apple.com/mac-catalyst/

Maybe we could see it happen based on Catalyst now?
jdlessley
Community Moderators
#16
AndersenK wrote:It wouldn’t take too much effort to make a macOS Gospel Library application today. Apple now provides Mac Catalyst, which provides a method to turn an iPad application into a macOS application.

https://developer.apple.com/mac-catalyst/

Maybe we could see it happen based on Catalyst now?
The forum is primarily user-to-user help and support. There is little chance anyone with the authority to make any decision would see this thread.
JD Lessley
Have you tried finding your answer on the ChurchofJesusChrist.org Help Center or Tech Wiki?
russellhltn
Community Administrator
#17
AndersenK wrote:Maybe we could see it happen based on Catalyst now?
I still think it's going to take a all-volunteer effort.

If it's easier, that makes it more likely, but it still takes developers coming forward willing to do it.
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sbradshaw
Community Moderators
#18
Catalyst is advertised to make it easy to port an iOS app to Mac, but in reality, complicated apps like Gospel Library can't be ported by simply toggling the checkbox in Xcode. That doesn't mean that Gospel Library won't be ported to Mac using Catalyst, but it will take time and dedicated effort. I think it's true that Catalyst makes it easier to port an app – but not necessarily easy. Hopefully the tools that Catalyst provides will continue to improve in the next iteration!
Samuel Bradshaw • If you desire to serve God, you are called to the work.