Pocket PowerChurch for iPhone

[Pastor K]

Does Pocket PowerChurch work with the iphone? If not, will you be coming out with an update that will work?

[Zorak]

There are currently no plans for future Pocket PowerChurch updates to support new mobile operating systems (Blackberry, iPhone, etc.)

[churchlady]

Bummer!!

Glad I read this...and will have to take it into consideration before buying my next device...which I was hoping was a Blackberry or an iPhone.

I am assuming just 4 month later this is still the case...

[NeilZ]

Bummer!!

Glad I read this...and will have to take it into consideration before buying my next device...which I was hoping was a Blackberry or an iPhone.

I am assuming just 4 month later this is still the case...

From what I understand, they are trying to figure what operating system to concentrate on.

[churchlady]

From what I understand, they are trying to figure what operating system to concentrate on.

Thanks, Neil! I'm sure it isn't easy with the number of platforms...and the size of the market for the program. Considering trying to convince the church to switch to the online version. Then I'd be able to access it from any web-enabled phone (theoretically!)

[Zorak]

Currently, PowerChurch Online is only available for Pocket PC/Windows Mobile, too.

A common misconception is that PowerChurch Online is a web site, which it isn't. You are actually making a remote connection to our server, where you will then see a shortcut for PowerChurch Plus, which you run just like any local program at that point.

The "IDS Client" software gets you connected to the server. This software is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Pocket PC/Windows Mobile computers.

[churchlady]

Thank you for the clarification!

[Bradv2000]

One of the forum comments stated that the person was glad he read the post before he purchased his next device. I'm glad I read the post so I can start shopping for another church management software that will work with my iPhone. Any plans for an iPhone app before I switch? I use Power Church every day, but not nearly as much as the iPhone. It would be so helpful to enter my visitation data on the road as well as other information.

[NeilZ]

One of the forum comments stated that the person was glad he read the post before he purchased his next device. I'm glad I read the post so I can start shopping for another church management software that will work with my iPhone. Any plans for an iPhone app before I switch? I use Power Church every day, but not nearly as much as the iPhone. It would be so helpful to enter my visitation data on the road as well as other information.

As was mentioned above, the development team is looking at what may or may not work moving forward.

<Personal Opinion Mode ON>
There are churches where they provide the pastor a phone, and there are churches that do not. There are those that will pay the monthly data plan required for an iPhone by AT&T, and there are those that will not.

Since the iPhone is currently limited to one phone company, does it make fiscal sense to invest time developing an application for such a limited audience, or having two or more separate code bases to cover iPhones, Blackberries, Windows Mobile, and other smartphones and PDAs.

With the smartphone market being split apart with so many different operating systems, some of which are really not OSs at all, trying to cover all the bases can be very hard for a small software company.

Finally, is it good stewardship to trash a perfectly good integrated program, one that has improved over the years each and every time its has been given a maintenance release, to purchase a new one that may not have the same responsive support system, cost more, and have a new learning curve just because it won't work with this or that PDA/smartphone ???

I think not !!

<Personal Opinion Mode OFF>

[churchlady]

One of the forum comments stated that the person was glad he read the post before he purchased his next device. I'm glad I read the post so I can start shopping for another church management software that will work with my iPhone. Any plans for an iPhone app before I switch? I use Power Church every day, but not nearly as much as the iPhone. It would be so helpful to enter my visitation data on the road as well as other information.

Actually, she said it....and she isn't interested in incurring the wrath of her office staff by switching programs!

Blessings!

[tborgal]

I personally see this as a no win situation for Pocket PowerChurch since the PDA market, which was dominated by Palm for years, has been blown up by the Smart Phones. On top of that Palm has removed itself from the PDA market from what I can see. The only reasonable PDA replacement for the Palm line seems to be the iTouch, which is what I changed to when my Palm decided not to work any longer. For those of us that are not heavy cell phone users this seems to be the best alternative out there, even if it is difficult to move the information from the Palm format to the iTouch.

No matter what you do here someone is not going to be happy.

[NeilZ]

Tom,

I totally agree. Here's a thought, the iTouch and the iPhone use the same apps, right ?? So there's a non-smartphone option open, along with the HP iPaq (don't ask), and other Windows Mobile devices.

However, that still leaves the developers having to maintain two separate code bases. The only other alternative is to develop a Java applet that will work across the OSs .

[aaronc71]

Not only does IOS work for the Iphone, IPod Touch, but also the IPad! The IPad is an enormous hit. I feel that Power Church would be doing a great service to everyone if they focused on the IOS. I am a religious user of IPhone and in the future at some point, the IPad.

PLEASE, Please begin to work on making PowerChurch work with Apple's IOS software!! Besides, they are beginning to integrate the Mac OS X with the IOS in the next release.

[NeilZ]

Not only does IOS work for the Iphone, IPod Touch, but also the IPad! The IPad is an enormous hit. I feel that Power Church would be doing a great service to everyone if they focused on the IOS. I am a religious user of IPhone and in the future at some point, the IPad.

PLEASE, Please begin to work on making PowerChurch work with Apple's IOS software!! Besides, they are beginning to integrate the Mac OS X with the IOS in the next release.

Aaron,

we're talking about Pocket Powerchurch here, this is a PDA application, something you can put in a pocket. The iPad is a bit larger

FWIW ... I've heard of users using PCPlus on a Mac using emulation software.

[revalanc]

I am probably beating a dead horse, but the only platforms you support are those that are no longer available or supported - Palm /Win Mob.
It is hard to understand why so many business and ministries are able to put out iPhone apps but this company seems not to be interested.
If you are waiting to see which platform wins out, you will be waiting forever.
It seems to me that there are two primary platforms - iOS and Android.

I am frustrated because I will be giving up my WM phone soon because of poor service in my area. When I do I will lose PPC, unless I can find a used Pocket PC for sale.

I know you have no plans to develop another mobile platform, does that mean that you are also not even interested in investigating it?
Just curious,
Alan