Where next for Glo?

We are getting a lot of positive responses to our new Glo Bible software (though being 18GB on 3 DVDs I am afraid that it is always going to take a while to install…), but as we’ve been going around talking about it to everyone we can think of it has been noticeable how many of you out there are on Macs. Now, I have checked the market share and even with Apple apparently on the up, they only have 5% of the current market for computers – so maybe Christians are just more tech-savvy than the general population.

Anyway, since there are obviously lots of you out there who would love to use Glo but are loyal to your Mac too, we thought it would be good to outline (a) how you can actually get Glo running on your Mac right now, if you really want to – and (b) how soon you can get a Mac version of Glo, if that all seems too much like hard work.

The first thing to say, then, is that I am actually typing this article on the very same MacBook which I am using to demonstrate Glo to all and sundry. The only problem is that I have to restart the whole computer in Windows to do that. As a PC user it’s not nearly as bad as I thought it would be, because the Mac OS closes and restarts nice and quickly, and since I’m really only using Windows to run Glo, it hopefully won’t get all gummed up in the way it normally tends to.

Essentially what you have to do is to use the (free and pre-installed) Boot Camp utility within Mac OS X to install Windows to another section of your hard drive. There are plenty of instructions, hints and tips to be found online about how this all works, but you do need to be using an Intel-based Mac and it is worth noting that although I do know someone who has successfully installed Glo within the Parallels Windows-emulating software, due to the resources Parallels uses this is not really advisable.

This may seem way beyond the normal person’s technical abilities, however – so the good news is that a Mac version of Glo is definitely on the way and should be out next September (2011). The delay is solely due to the underlying software’s not being ready yet in Mac-compatible format, so as soon as Microsoft release it, Immersion Digital (who are the company behind Glo) will be right on it.

Also due out in the second half of next year – and hopefully all around the same time – will be device- and web-based versions of Glo, so if you’ve bought the full product you’ll be able to sign in online, or on your iPhone or BlackBerry, and get the amazing Glo experience wherever you are. Obviously (to coin a phrase) ‘your mileage may vary’ – even if you’re on the move, Glo will still be packed with incredible amounts of media content, so it may take a while longer to load up the 360 virtual tours, high-def videos and incredibly detailed photos if you’re way up a mountain somewhere…