# Logos 6 is AMAZING!



## DMcFadden (Oct 30, 2014)

OK, I admit it. I do not read manuals, hate to have to learn new software, and object to minor "improvements" generating big $$$ for software companies at my expense.

However . . . 

Logos 6 is AMAZING! It does so many things and does them so nicely. If you have a large library in Logos, it will be even more useful to you thanks to some of the improvements, tweaks, and new features. Check it out: https://www.logos.com/.

One of the cool little additions is the ability to take any piece of text (or photo) and turn it into a professional slide "automatically." They even give you a variety of styles to choose from. The attached Calvin quote was created by 1. highlighting the text in the Institutes, 2. right clicking and selecting "visual copy," 3. selecting one of nearly 50 templates (several of them with drawings of Calvin in various places on the template), and 4. saving it as a JPEG (I could just have easily ported it over directly to Powerpoint or Proclaim, printed it, or saved it in some other popular format).



They also have a number of animations, archaeological "before and after" photos/reconstructions of ancient sites (e.g., Herod's Temple, Ephesus, Pergamum, Sardis, etc.).

Pretty nifty!

BTW, if you ALREADY own Logos, sign in before looking at the prices. They will give you credit for what you already have and this may reduce the sticker shock. They also have a nice variety of designer packages (e.g., Anglican, Reformed, Lutheran, Baptist, etc.) to tailor the resources to your likely interests. My package, for instance, was about $800 less expensive than the "Gold" asking price due to the books already owned in my library.


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## augustacarguy (Oct 30, 2014)

Love the new 6, as well.


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## kodos (Oct 30, 2014)

I have seen features touting slides and animations, and visual media. Is there anything in the update that makes it worthwhile besides those features (which to me are fluff, and I would never touch). 

The upgrade or even crossgrade prices are pretty steep for what you get at the moment. I saw a big jump from 4->5 (especially since 4 was broken more often than not, at least on the Mac).

I just haven't seen much compelling to upgrade to 6, even though it has been hyped a lot. Maybe the features that are really interesting are being hidden under the glitz and glamour of slides and animations? Logos 5 has been remarkably more stable than 4. However, it seems like I have to restart my copy almost every day because resources have been updated. That is annoying, and might be worth an upgrade if Logos 6 could still work while resources were being downloaded and wouldn't require a restart.


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## Ask Mr. Religion (Oct 30, 2014)

Well, I just finished paying off my Portfolio edition of Logos 5 so it will be some time before I make the move to Logos 6.


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## Semper Fidelis (Oct 30, 2014)

My crossgrade (I tool have Portfolio) is going to cost $200. Just waiting until I've saved a bit for that.


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## DMcFadden (Oct 30, 2014)

kodos said:


> I have seen features touting slides and animations, and visual media. Is there anything in the update that makes it worthwhile besides those features (which to me are fluff, and I would never touch).
> 
> The upgrade or even crossgrade prices are pretty steep for what you get at the moment. I saw a big jump from 4->5 (especially since 4 was broken more often than not, at least on the Mac).
> 
> I just haven't seen much compelling to upgrade to 6, even though it has been hyped a lot. Maybe the features that are really interesting are being hidden under the glitz and glamour of slides and animations? Logos 5 has been remarkably more stable than 4. However, it seems like I have to restart my copy almost every day because resources have been updated. That is annoying, and might be worth an upgrade if Logos 6 could still work while resources were being downloaded and wouldn't require a restart.





> *Bible Background*
> 
> Ancient Literature tool
> Explore the Bible’s background by connecting Scripture to ancient literature. Connect the texts based on references, allusions, and shared themes.
> ...



I suppose that much of this constitutes "fluff" to a lot of people, but it seemed like a significant improvement over L5 to me. Even the features that are present in L5 have been improved and enhanced (generally anyhow). But, since I use Powerpoint on a weekly basis in my Bible classes, perhaps I am unduly influenced by the whistles and bells. Making effective use of nearly 8,000 books in Logos can be daunting. This version looks like it holds promise for finally being able to make a more effective use of my investment.


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## kodos (Oct 31, 2014)

Thanks Dennis! Unfortunately, my problem with Logos 6 is that they seem to have gone to the techniques secular companies use when it comes to marketing and it is really hard at a first glance to tell what is really new or is improved or is different. For instance, many of those features are present in Logos 5. Highlighting? I can do that. Topic Guide? I can do that. Passage Guide? That's been there forever, etc.

The inline search is rather interesting, and I like the idea of that a lot because I really do not like Logos's slow search index in Logos 5 (Google is faster to find verses I want, sadly).

Almost everything I saw in their promo video had to do with visual media. That's just not my thing, to see the Temple be transformed back 2000 years because they hired a 'Hollywood matte painter'. Odd things to tout, in my opinion.

That said, I am so grateful that Logos 6 has helped you in your use of your library! And I'm grateful that the Lord has blessed us with a rich tool like Logos, and the folks up there do an excellent job. I just am having a hard time with Logos 6's feature set, because it is fairly confusing to sift through. And it isn't a small investment even to crossgrade 

Looking forward to hearing more about how you are using it!


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## Scott Bushey (Oct 31, 2014)

"I really do not like Logos's slow search index in Logos 5 (Google is faster to find verses I want, sadly)."

This is an issue for me as well....but I am impatient.

The feature set is difficult for me at this point because I am new to the format. I have Accordance as well and their platform is much simpler-and quicker. But then again, it is not Logos Reformed!


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## DMcFadden (Oct 31, 2014)

kodos said:


> Thanks Dennis! Unfortunately, my problem with Logos 6 is that they seem to have gone to the techniques secular companies use when it comes to marketing and it is really hard at a first glance to tell what is really new or is improved or is different. For instance, many of those features are present in Logos 5. Highlighting? I can do that. Topic Guide? I can do that. Passage Guide? That's been there forever, etc.
> 
> The inline search is rather interesting, and I like the idea of that a lot because I really do not like Logos's slow search index in Logos 5 (Google is faster to find verses I want, sadly).
> 
> ...



Yeah, I agree that their promo hypes the visual and video features. Also, their commingling of older and new features in the list makes it difficult to compare apples to apples. The "factbook" feature will help me access more of my resources than in the past. That was worth the cost for me. Also, I had my eyes on some additional resources that were pretty pricey. They packaged them together in a way that resulted in a substantial savings. Logos is a slow and cumbersome program in many ways. I prefer using Wordsearch and e-Sword for some purposes. But, there is nothing that compares to the extraordinarily large digital libraries that they have in their format.


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