I’m paying Logos. I think the tools are worth it, but I despise the way they act like they own the content. Lucas and I have talked about this at length. It’s not possible to produce the type of tools that Logos does without customizing the content for the software. There have been attempts to produce a theological markup language or something, but so far as I know, they went nowhere.
Perhaps the solution is just to forgo the tools and go with simpler online content, but I don’t like that solution.
For what it’s worth I’ve been happily using Blue Letter Bible for 8 or 10 years now; you can set and save your preferences without logging in; it also offers multiple-verse retrieval; you can look up the Strong’s reference; and there’s several other study helps. (And as a special bonus, the words aren’t actually blue.)
I use accordance, and it is helpful, at least as helpful as a seminary class (about the price I paid for it). I do wish that once I paid for the material on it I could use the same material on my kindle.
I was required to purchase a large Logos package for seminary (a decade ago) for use with the biblical languages, and I haven’t purchased a ton since then. But aside from the Greek and Hebrew tools, it’s remarkably helpful for research. Finding things in the church fathers, for example, is so much easier and more comprehensive than using the index most sets have. I recently did a search for ‘subordination,’ in my John Owen set, and the results were enlightening. I’d like to do that same in Calvin’s works, but I haven’t had the time. It is far easier than using the pdfs from CCEL. The search functions alone are well worth the money. But I do get that the prices can be cost prohibitive.
Logos makes money because their software is a pleasure to use. It’s much more pleasant to use Logos than it is to scrounge around the internet for what you need. In fact, I’m doing that right now, and this is the kind of site I end up on. It’s gross.
Still, I refuse to buy into the Logos system. I believe a man should be paid for his work, but I think the method Logos uses of extracting payment is bad. All I have the time to say for now.
The interface is nice and clean and the basic search function works for me. There’s a way to set up your chrome browser so that you can search by entering a hotkey, but I set it up so long ago that I don’t remember how.
The only thing I use logos for is the discourse analysis feature markup… which doesn’t even come with a normal package I think. I often use STEPBible, and that’s been useful simply for searches, short word studies, and to have parallel translations up.
Are you guys aware that there’s a free online Logos app that lets you view interlinear, do lookups and word searches just like in Logos, and access all their free resources?
I use it all the time. I’ve never felt the need to pay for Logos. Click the books icon on the top left, or just search for a passage from the main screen.
Literal Word just released a wonderful mobile app for the NASB. User interface is nice and clean. Performance is fast. Solid search features as well as a built-in Greek and Hebrew lexicon.
I normally use the ESV, but I think I’m going to be reading the NASB more often, just because this app is such a pleasure to use.
This is great. I’ve been wanting something like this for a long time.
It loads quickly, and straight to the Bible. No “social” junk or events or stupid promos or verse of the day or ads to load bog everything down and force you to wait 6seconds and tap 3 times to get to the Bible.
It has a simple UI.
In spite of the simplicity, it is not at all simplistic. It has the best way I’ve ever seen to filter search results to just a part of the Bible, for example.
I think you can upgrade Logos without paying for things you already bought though, no? With the last two upgrades I was annoyed at first because there was no “free” option on their front page. But if you search for “Logos Basic” you can find the upgraded software free.
I’ve almost bought one of the packages several times but it’s just too much money for stuff I won’t use a whole lot (I’m just a simple layperson). I did buy Turretin though and LOVE being able to set up a reading plan.
I wish you could search for strongs keywords or something in that literal word. Tries searching for references to fasting on there and way too many false positives.
You can. Just find one instance of the word, click on it until the definition comes up, then tap the “found x verses” in the upper right of the definition box, and it will search by what I think is the strongs number.
I’m not a pastor, and my resources are significantly limited, so logos never seemed even within reach, however over the last couple years I’ve pulled together some fair resources for study in the Olive Tree Bible Study platform.
I’ve had to buy a fair number of things but often times at big discounts when I waited patiently. I have a number of translations (Latin Volgate, KJV, ASV, NASB, ESV, NET, and NIV) that I can run in parallel on my iPad, I also have Matthew Henry’s And John Calvin’s Commentary’s which are linked to the biblical texts.
Also have the study bible notes and articles for both the ESV Study Bible and the Reformation Study Bible. Recently they released a Hebrew-ESV interlinear, which I got to pair with my Greek-ESV interlinear. Also have click access to Strongs Numbers and definitions for both my ESV and NASB translations.
Again, I’m not a pastor or a theologian, just someone deeply concerned about mining the depths of scripture, and applying it to myself and helping my friends do so rightly. Olive Tree seems to help me do that, don’t know how it would translate to professional ministry.