Customer Reviews

Franklin BIB-475 Electronic parallel KJV and NIV Bible with Holman Bible Dictionary

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Great Electronic bible, I originally purchased the Franklin HBD-1450 which is similar to this one but is smaller with a smaller display. It worked well and the functions were great but the display was hard to see. My vision is very good but the display didn't have a back light, the display is very small and the covering was not anti-glare. So I purchased the BIB-475, reluctantly because of the other review saying it could be problematic. But after much research, this one seemed to be the one that best suited me. To my delight it works flawlessly, has all the same functions as the HBD-1450 plus more , nice size screen, backlight, and a KJV as well as the NIV & Dictionary. When the cover is shut it's about 3.5 inches by 5.5 inches and it looks like a little hard back bible book. It's big enough to see the screen yet small enough to put in your pocket, Perfect!

This is 6 stars product that gets 1 star because of manufacturing quality problems.

First unit had problems with up/down/right/left key. It was ncessary to use force to make this key working, and usually it was necessary to press it many times to have the effect. I returned this unit the same day I got it and saked for replacement

Second unit had problems with screen backlit - light was flashing for about a second and vanishing. Moreover, there was something wrong with processor - sometimes it was going into "search forever" mode and the only remedy was to do hard reset. Unit was returned the same day and I asked for refund.

This WOULD be very good product - both versions of Bible, it is possible to switch between them while reading to see both version of the same verse. It is also possible to switch back and forth between Bible and Dictionary, and to find word highlighted in Bilbe directly in the dictionaty. Screen is large with good contrast, and backlit is very helpful. Nice look, looks like a small prayer book.

Unfortunately, with problems as above I will not risk other try.

I am a bit astonished, since I own 5 other products from Franklin, some 20 years old, and I have never had smallest problem. Maybe this is just poor manufacturing batch with quality problems.

I will try again after 6 month

For any reader, be it new reader,curious reader, avid reader,this item is a must have. The book of all time keeps you up to date any time any where!!Ease of reference and customer friendliness is an added advantage.
The existence of the electronic Bible and its potential reached me purely by chance; while on vacation from the Caribbean shopping at AZ Wall-mart for a wireless router.The rest is history thanks to the department attendant.To date I have shared with many friends and relatives who have expressed interest and/or purchased from Amazon,Barnes & Nobel or directly from Franklyn. This is not just the best but the most precious gift I have given myself.
Most amazing this item is encouraging as it has the ability of an on the go reminder of bible verses for life, and among many other things can search and correctly quote and compare linked bible verses that can easily be bookmarked, and with a clock,calculator notebook........Read at random or search for specifics; you have it in the palm of your hand. A most wonderful product/invention.Can be ordered on line with ease from Amazone.Received in 2 days!!!

BIB-475 is the best electronic Bible I've owned. I purchased two of them to see if they were worthy and I plan to buy some more since they checked out. The screen is the biggest improvement which is 4 inches in length and 2 inches in height. The screen looks great, it does not glare at angles, and its easy to read in the dark with the new black light feature. There are no touch buttons on this screen (example BIB-1450) so you don't have to worry about seeing your fingerprints. The button sizes are twice as big as previous models and the new layout makes them easier to access. Another nice feature this model supports is using 2x AAA batteries instead of the circular batteries (batteries are not included). Some downfalls of this model are the lack of a bookman card slot or any other kind of connectivity. When its closed it looks like one of those little personal reference Bibles that my wife would carry in her purse. This model is kind of heavy around .7 pounds, which also allows it to take a beating when its closed. The software operates the same as before with the exception of the Holman Bible Dictionary which needless to say is a blessing. I believe this product is reasonably priced if you will use it more than twice a week, Enjoy.

Totally enjoy this bible... The size makes it very convenient when working on my bible study. Its very easy to go from on scripture to another. Also, one less large book to work with or carry, fits easily in my purse. You can set it to go off automatically within a few min. so while working with it you won't run out of battery. Has other great features.

I received this bible for Christmas & within two weeks I realized it wasn't holding its memory. There for awhile it wasn't even holding the date & time but it is doing that now. But it doesn't hold "marked" verses. I will mark a verse that I like & it will still be there tomorrow but after two days of not using it, my "mark verses" are all deleted. I did e-mail Franklin & they did tell me to send it back but with all the company's going out of business, I am hesitant. Just last night as I was using the back light, it stopped working too.

I do like the bible & if these things were working I would give it a 5 star rating. It is a nice design & is easy to use & very convenient when it prefills in the chapter name. Another reason I didn't want to send it back was because I really like it & can't part with it (for everything else it does right).

My husband had a Franklin (card slot) bible that he got about 5 years ago & that works great! I figured this one would be the same. So if you do try it, make sure you get it from a store where you can exchange it right then & there. I am hesitant in shipping it back. But at least they were willing to repair or replace it for me & they did respond back to my e-mails.

Bible oriented features are not matched by any eBook out there. Franklin had decades to perfect low cost electronic bibles and did a good job with this one - intuitive, easy to use and more bible features and info than you expect before purchase. A great deal for the money, a real asset bible study.

I expected a cheap unit for under $100 price. But was pleasantly surprised. It is not as sleek as some expensive cell phones but everything works OK on it. I ordered the unit directly from Franklin to lower the possibility of initial production glitches. Production quality should be under control by now.

Sept. 25, 2010 Update:
Had this thing now for 10 months and used it extensively.

Pros: It has fantastic search features. It will even correct your spelling when searching. And it will translate and search for words of similar meaning. For example: In NIV I searched for "tares" and it found texts with "weeds" - the modern translation in NIV. Can't find such features anywhere else I seen.

Cons: Some of the text pixels are fading now. I wish they would put the thing in iPod quality box with better text and buttons and faster processor. I would be glad to pay twice the price for an improved more sleek box.

August 1, 2011 Update:
After nearly two years of use, one column of pixels went south - hard to guess read. So I got another one from Amazon. The current model is BIB-475H. It is an improvement. The processor is faster and the display has better contrast from original BIB-475. The button response seem a little better quality. I still wish for a smart phone type buttons and display - be glad to pay more if available.

I am really pleased with my Franklin electronic bible. I've owned other bibles by Franklin and am glad that they've both enlarged the screen and added a backlight. It makes it much more practical to use in church, at events or even reading in bed. The backlight works well and the battery life seems good (I used recharagables AAA batteries). It also conveniently folds up like a book, making it easier to carry.

The only complaint that I have is the lack of a card slot. That would have made it perfect.

This electronic Bible is fantastic. It works very well; it is easy to use and fits in my purse-an added bonus.
I am interested in possibly buying another one if it is available. Thanks and have a BLESSED DAY.

I recently bought this bible and quickly learned that (as others have stated) the backlight only remains on for 30 seconds. I thought this was very strange - surely the manufacturer wouldn't leave us in the dark like this?!!! I started playing around and found a way to turn the backlight on indefinitely: simply hold down the FN key when turning on the backlight.

I am sure someone else must have discovered this, but I have not seen it published anywhere on the web. Hopefully this will make this already excellent device even better for some.

Pros: The search features / ease of use is still unbeatable by today's best alternatives. I have a Palm with Bible+ software, PC software, etc. but this beats them all hands down in terms of usability.

Cons: I have gotten used to the pristine screen quality of my EZ Reader (E Ink). It feels like I time travelled back a century when I look at this screen. Don't get me wrong, the screen is sufficient and functions 100%, the fonts just doesn't compare. I guess it keeps cost down...