# Bibleworks, Accordance, Logos



## Romans922

I'm trying to make a decision on which one I should get to determine how much money I will need to save to buy them. 

I am most familiar with Bibleworks, as a friend early in seminary gave me version 4.0. It was old. I have primarily been using that ever since, except when I had an internship at a church. They gave me the updated version. 

I have two desktop PCs, a dell laptop; all which run on windows and an iPad. I will use the software on one of the desktop PCs. I bring up the iPad because I know at least that accordance has an app on there that works if you have an account with accordance. I do know that typically accordance goes with Macs and Bibleworks goes with PCs. So what should I get? What are the pros and cons of them? HELP please!


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## greenbaggins

It will depend on what kind of program you want. Logos is for those who want a digital library, fully integrated. The resources available are vastly larger than Bibleworks. New modules are coming out all the time. Bibleworks is for those who want pretty much exclusively a linguistic tool. Bibleworks search engines are better. It is a deeper program. Basically, if you want breadth, go with Logos (and if you really like reading on the computer). Go for Bibleworks if you want depth (and there are additional, free user modules that you can get online, like Calvin's commentaries, and Keil/Delitszch).


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## kodos

I use Logos 4 regularly. Great program. It synchronizes everything on the cloud, and as Rev. Keister has pointed out - it is a great digital library tool. I haven't used BibleWorks, so I cannot compare them unfortunately. 

The nice thing about Logos 4 is that I can have my library on my iPhone, iPad, Mac and work PC. So it's always with me. And my library keeps growing


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## Backwoods Presbyterian

For a Pastor I think Bibleworks > Logos.

But that is just my uneducated opinion.


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## Romans922

Thanks Lane. I think a linguistic program is all I am seeking. All the other resources, I'm not that interested in. I have books and like them.


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## greenbaggins

Romans922 said:


> Thanks Lane. I think a linguistic program is all I am seeking. All the other resources, I'm not that interested in. I have books and like them.


 
Then Bibleworks sounds like what you want. What is really nice about BW is how deep the integration goes. For instance, the entire early church fathers set is keyed to every single verse in the Bible. So every time the Schaff set mentions a particular verse, you can find out what that church father said simply by clicking a button. The same is true for all the grammars and dictionaries. If I would recommend any modules, I would recommend that you get the HALOT/BDAG set, as well as the Exegetical Dictionary by Balz/Schneider, unless, of course, you already have these in hardcover.


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## Romans922

You mean, not use my physical books sitting right here next to me? I already have them in hardcover. They look pretty!


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## SolaScriptura

I thought that once I got Logos I'd use it exclusively, but as it turns out I still prefer Bibleworks for those times when all I want to do is a quick search for something in the Bible.


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## fredtgreco

greenbaggins said:


> Then Bibleworks sounds like what you want. What is really nice about BW is how deep the integration goes. For instance, the entire early church fathers set is keyed to every single verse in the Bible. So every time the Schaff set mentions a particular verse, you can find out what that church father said simply by clicking a button.



Lane, how does this work? Are the Fathers an add on?

@Andrew
I think if you have the budget, I'd get both Logos and Bibleworks. I use them both every week. The iPad app for Logos is just great. And while I like books, I am very fond of not having to carry 8-10 books from home to office, and other places while working on a sermon. Having commentaries electronically is good. And in both BW and Logos the electronic lexicons are WAY better than book format.


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## greenbaggins

Fred, with my version they were a free upgrade that you can easily download. I expect that, whenever version 9 comes out, they will be already fully integrated into the program.


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## fredtgreco

Lane,

I have version 8. Where did you download them from, and how are they integrated?


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## Romans922

When is V. 9 to come out Lane?


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## greenbaggins

Andrew, the BW folks are pretty coy about when new versions might come out. They have been coming out fairly steadily one new version every three years, which means that we're due a new version sometime in the fall or winter. 

Fred, if you don't already have the ECF, then check under the help menu, BW on the internet, check for updates. It should be listed as an optional add-on that you can download. As to how it's integrated, if you check in the right-hand major field (of 3), you click on resources, and underneath that "summary." There you will find every reference to the verse in question among all your resources. This will include the ECF, once you've downloaded it.


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## fredtgreco

greenbaggins said:


> Fred, if you don't already have the ECF, then check under the help menu, BW on the internet, check for updates. It should be listed as an optional add-on that you can download. As to how it's integrated, if you check in the right-hand major field (of 3), you click on resources, and underneath that "summary." There you will find every reference to the verse in question among all your resources. This will include the ECF, once you've downloaded it.



Got it! Thanks.


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## Romans922

Maybe I'll just wait till the new one comes out to save money. I still have the old BW program 4. It is good enough for me...the only bad part is I have to have the cd in the cdrom the whole time.


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## Romans922

What greek / hebrew text do you guys use on Bibleworks?


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## jogri17

I think it is funny how no one here mentioned using a concordance ! Some books are just useful but take up too much room. In those cases I have chosen to invest in Logos. No reason why you can't do both. Why not buy a simple base package in logos and bible works and the add on individual books or collections as you see fit? Having Luther's works on Logos is just nice and such a room saver.


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## DMcFadden

You guys addicted to the smell of paper better never move. My wife (an UNUSUALLY patient and understanding woman) has more than once threatened my life (possibly burning me on a pyre of my own books) if I should ever be foolish enough to suggest moving them.

After painfully paring, pruning, and trimming more than 2,500 of them, she is still on a warpath about the thought of moving the other 2,500. That is what digital libraries are for, don’t you know. They are marriage savers! 

Few tools are as helpful to the working pastor as the search capabilities of Libronix. It will not only do in-depth linguistic studies, but it will afford you a giant library to search at the same time. Not every insight on a text comes from a commentary. It is nice to have the integration with theology books too.

Logos/Libronix books are expensive, but with Logos and a few of the free programs, you can reasonably build a HUGE library for a fraction of the cost of print books. Even if she threatens me within an inch of my life, my wife cannot pry out of my clutching hot little hands the 25,000+ books located on a 1 TB Passport back-up drive that will fit in your pocket.

And, with the Kindle, reading digital books doesn't even need to prematurely ripen your cataracts.

If you have the money, buy Libronix + BibleWorks + Kindle. If you don't have the cash, you can do right nicely with Libronix and a Kindle.


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## Romans922

No help on what Greek and Hebrew Text to use on Bibleworks?


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## KMK

DMcFadden said:


> If you have the money, buy Libronix + BibleWorks + Kindle. If you don't have the cash, you can do right nicely with Libronix and a Kindle.



How well does the Kindle read Libronix? It doesn't do well with pdfs.


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## ryanhamre

I have Logos. It has been an invaluable expense, that I use it daily.

In terms of the linking to church fathers and such, within Logos you are able to do the same thing, you are able to do a "Power Lookup".

I have been studying 1 Corinthians 2, so I did a Power Lookup on v14, which brought up all of my resources that reference this particular verse. Among which was-

[9.] Ver. 14. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit.”​
Schaff, P. (1997). The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Vol. XII (37). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems.

There are a lot of videos that are offered for free that help the purchaser use the program to its fullest potential.

I will admit, BibleWorks functions faster than Logos, but the speed difference is in no way enough to inhibit my use of Logos.


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## DMcFadden

Ken, what I should have written was . . . 

* Libronix is great for books you want to search
* Free resources are a great way to save money on books you cannot get, or don't want to purchase for Libronix
* Kindle is WONDERFUL for reading, especially for aging eyes

Put them together and you have a "complete" library.


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