OK, last night I went to a free training session for theWord. They gave each of us a CD with 3 GBs of books, including hundreds of solid resources and some chaff (it was at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa so they put on some of the Chuck Smith stuff).
Frankly, I agree with the guy who has been putting out hundreds of e-Sword resources and plans to shift over from Ver. 9 of e-Sword to theWord when he says that theWord blows e-Sword away.
* Lightning fast searches
* Extreme potential of customization (probably much more than anyone needs or could want)
* Ability to have the Strong's numbers appear as the Hebrew or Greek Lemma rather than as a stupid number in the interlinear displays.
* It has more whistles and bells than ANY software in my library (Libronix, WordSearch, e-Sword, Pradis, BibleSoft, QuickVerse, Ages, etc.).
* It is also available with the program in a host of languages (in case you were using it with a Spanish speaker or person from the third world with a different language than Englsih). This is a simple setting in configuration that depends only on how many languages you installed with your program (I only have the option for English or Spanish). So, if instead of file, view, tools, window, help you want to see archivo, ver, herrmientas, ventana, ayuda, you can do it (Same with a half dozen other languages if you install them).
* They have an option where you can install the entire program onto a flashdrive (4GB and more flash drives are DIRT CHEAP now). This allows you to carry your library with you and run it from ANY computer!!!
* It is FREE!
* Did I mention that it is FREE?
Downside: e-Sword and WordSearch have a much less cluttered default set-up. You can configure theWord to be clean but it woud involve turning off some of the toolbars during your setting of preferences.
Currently there are more third party modules available in e-Sword (I have 1500+ of them on my laptop), but that is likely to change as David Cox (
E-Sword Modules Locator Database) transfers his entire e-Sword library to TW format.
No program satisfies me fully and none of them seem to have all of the stuff I like or want. However, theWord 3 is a dynamite new piece of software that should be considered by anyone who struggles with not having the money to buy the resources that they want to use. Free is good!
As I noted, there will be more solidly Reformed material appearing in theWord format all of the time. What is there now is good classic stuff, much of it Reformed. But more will be forthcoming.
BTW - you can also "make" your own modules and the program automatically hyperlinks the Bible texts for you.
Did I mention that this is FREE?