Glossary of Geology App Reviews

I have the hard copy printed version and was looking forward to a portable version, but I am a bit disappointed. There seems to be no way to adjust the relative sizes of the search window vs the definition window. The app could use hyperlinks to similar terms, for example. The word list alphabetical menu is too compressed and the scrolling search resolution is poor, thus if you wish to scroll to a sequence of letters the word begins with, you have to be content with scrolling to the general vicinity. There are so many definitions that scrolling is a real chore, so unless you spell out the word in the search box, be prepared for repetitive strain syndrome caused by scrolling fatigue. Very expensive app for just a clumsy word list, however the accuracy and basic usefulness is certainly there.

Its shocking that the text doesnt have hyperlinks in the definitions so that you can easily look up related terms and words you dont know. It would also be nice to have some sort of predictive search (like Wikipedias search box) to avoid having to type long words/phrases and to circumvent spelling ambiguities (e.g. UK vs. U.S. spellings or when you simply dont know how a word is spelled). As a previous reviewer said, the app should also maintain a search history from one invocation to the next and should reorient itself to landscape if you turn the device.

Glossary is great; app on the other hand needs updating to support landscape view; hyperlinks amongst other features mentioned by on here already.

App keeps crashing on iPhone 4. Please fix

There are only two options to find words, i,e. search(word input) and word-list(alphabetical list). There is no search history window, no infomation(about) window, no bookmarks, no index, no landscape mode (only portrait), no sophisticated internal cross reference(link). Worst of all, partial word matching(search) cannot be done. I tried to enter "bri" looking for "brittle", but as soon as I entered the three letters, input-window shows "rbi" not "bri", then a few seconds later "ALERT no matches found"!!! It also claims that the iPad version is optimized for the larger visual experience of that device, but I dont see any optimaization other than the rather vacant space which is left unused. Very professional and auhentic information is confined in a primitive implementation. I should have bought a printed book.

The content is great, but after 2 weeks the app stopped having a search bar. It is literally impossible to access anything outside of the daily words and terms that start with "A" at this point. The app already had less functionality than I thought a $20 app should have, but I felt like the content was worth the money. Not anymore. It isnt worth anything if you cant access it.

This app is expensive because its a thoroughgoing scientific resource -- its not a toy or an app for casual curiosity. With that in mind, I can say that the dictionary itself is a marvellous resource, but the app is a significant disappointment . I frequently find myself vexed when I try to use it - it seems to lose various functions randomly across uses (potentially across iOS updates, though I havent tracked the breakages carefully). Currently, the search function is... functionless. Although the term "search" exists, no text box accompanies the prompt; accordingly, one cannot type in a word to search. I wonder whether the frequent breakdowns occur because the app is offered by an organisation whose focus is geology, rather than IT and app development. Whatever the cause, the malfunctions are currently intolerable-- I spent quite a bit of money (relative to many apps) for something that should be invaluable, but is instead frustrating at its best and useless at its worst.

I own the hard copy of this reference as well and I can find no difference between the two. I like that I can now carry that thick text that has helped me through my geology undergrad degree in my pocket. Definitely worth the money (considering I paid like $80 for the hardcopy) if you are a dedicated geoscience major or professional.

This is the ipad version of the five pound 800 page book - excellent resource to have on hand.

i just bought this app. but it cant work on ios5. plz!!!do something

This app is really invaluable for a working geologist. It is the book and then book is wonderful. Everyone should have it. However, I just got my iPhone 4S with iOS5, and although I can get the splash screen, the app does not load. If you go to the support link and search for "support", there are no matches. Hence my note here. I miss it!

Awesome tool! Any term you need to know at your fingertips!

The word list and definition areas are locked in at awkward ratios on my iPhone. More room is needed for the definition area, and it would be best if it could be sized by the user. Otherwise... works. Has a long way to go. Would be nice it if allowed one to peruse (full definitions, not just lists), especially if by discipline (strat, sed, paleo, igneous, mineralogy, etc.).

For the iPhone, it needs to let me move the partition between the word window and the definition window once I find the term I want. I looked up Facies and there are three column inches in the treekiller version which is a lot to read on an unsized window on an iPhone. Also, Id like to be able to have it go back to the front cover somehow. It looks like I get to enjoy the design of that cover only upon the very first launch of the app. For the iPad, the problem is that when I find the term I want and hit Word List, it puts me back to A instead of all of the, e.g., Facies choices. Then when I go back to Search, my windows is blank again. The iPhone works correctly but the iPad does this blank thing.

This app no longer works on my phone. They have updated it to require a higher OS than is available for my iPhone. I bought this app less than a year ago. If this was done to a free app, it would be different, but for one that cost this much, they should at least have made it backwards compatible. You are better off buying a pocket geology dictionary for $5. Dont risk your money. Who knows how long this will last.

Excellent reference and much easier to pack around than my hard copy. As a Geologist, I can verify that this book is widely considered the authority with geologic terminology. Efficient technical support promptly had a fix for a minor issue I was having. -Thanks!

As a geology student, I use this app a lot. And I love it. Unfortunately it doesnt open now that I am using iOS6. Hopefully this can be fixed soon and get back to a 5-star rating :-)

No longer works with newest iOS. Was perfect and beyond 5 stars when it used to work. Saved me in the field and in lab during geology courses

Update: After the update and still it only supports portrait mode for a $30 app!!!! Taking another star away. ----- Only one orientation is supported, the single portrait orientation. Really!? Not even both portrait orientations! Come on now! For $30 they surely can do better than that!? This is one of the more expensive apps on the Apple app store and it has a really poor user interface. I expected a better.

Thanks for the updates this is a handy little app and worth the time and effort.