HomeResources10 Reasons to Upgrade to Logos 10

10 Reasons to Upgrade to Logos 10

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Have all the new features at your fingertips when you upgrade to Logos 10.

Faithlife upgraded Logos Bible Software to Logos 10 on 10-10-22, of course. Who could resist that timing?

The new version comes with some awesome under-the-hood updates that will help users. In addition, they’ve added a few useful features on each platform, including the desktop/laptop version, and the mobile version that runs on an iPhone, iPad, or Android device. They also gave some love to their Logos Web App, which appeals to ChromeOS users.

10 Reasons to Upgrade to Logos 10

We’ll take a look at 10 features that might entice users into upgrading or switching to Logos 10. If you know you want to buy the new version, then be sure to read to the end to see how to get the most bang for your buck. I’ve got a way to save a little money using my own affiliate link.

1. Logos 10 runs faster on Windows and Mac

For a long time, Logos took forever and a day to load and update. They do something called indexing, which goes through your library to speed up searches. However, the indexing process took forever. In early versions of the software, I would start the indexing process before I went to bed at night, and it finished about the time I woke up.

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In recent updates, indexing ran faster, thanks to the M1 chips in the new Mac and .Net 6 on Windows. The software launches briskly and performs complex searches quicker, too. A computer made in the last few years, running the latest version of Mac or Windows, should run Logos 10 speedily.

Save thirty-percent on Logos 10 software.

2. Add your print library to Logos 10 and search

In the old days, we used to find content in our books by opening an index. Now, with Logos 10, users can scan their print library books’ ISBN numbers using the Logos 10 mobile app. This adds the book to Logos. If Logos includes the book in its massive library of resources, then the user can search for the book from within Logos 10, and it will show where you can find the item in your print library by title and even page number. 

The results might not match exactly, for example, I might own the first edition of a book, but Logos offers the third edition. Consequently, page numbers may not match perfectly, too. However, the feature sends you to the right area of the book where you can likely find it with little effort.

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To use the scanner, open the Print Library ISBN Scanner from the menu button at the bottom right corner of the Logos App on your phone. Tap on the Print Library ISBN Scanner and the camera will open. The first time you use this feature, it will ask your permission. Then, scan the barcode on the back of the book to add the book. A list of possible matches will show up. Tap Add to add the print book to your library.

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If you find yourself finding content in a book repeatedly, it makes sense to buy it from Logos, so you can quickly find it without going to the bookshelf. That’s probably why Logos included this feature; it leads to sales. However, you don’t have to make purchases for Logos to be useful to you.

Logos 10 offers over 10 new features to make the user-experience more fluid, insightful, and enjoyable. Check out what Logos 10 offers and upgrade today. Click To Tweet

It’s important to note that the Logos features are not perfect. For example, I scanned one of my wife’s books by Anne Graham Lotz titled The Magnificent Obsession. Logos said it didn’t find a match, but the first item in the list of possible matches was the exact book I had scanned. Other books I tried to scan did not show up at all. I also struggled because a few of the barcodes I wanted to scan were covered by stickers. The stickers were nearly impossible to remove, which made it very difficult for me to scan the barcodes.

3. Sermon builder uploads all your old sermons

I don’t use the Sermon Builder tool built into Logos. However, those who do will potentially enjoy uploading their old sermons or Bible studies to the Sermon Builder tool. You can quickly add old sermons in Word format, and Logos 10 will scan the sermon. Once it finishes importing and scanning the text, the program adds tags for scripture.

This feature requires the user to own Logos 10 Silver, a higher-level package that costs more than the basic upgrade. You can find more information about the packages and costs below.

To add sermons, open the Sermon Manager from the Tools menu on the toolbar. In the upper right corner, choose the menu button (three vertical dots). Choose Import to select your documents.

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You’ll see a new dialog box. Click on the Choose Files button under Sermon Content. Then, find your sermons.

4. Simple search syntax

Bible software users spend a lot of time searching the Bible and in the past, Logos’ search function has been complicated to use. Many Logos power users have admitted that they search Google to find a quick verse instead of using Logos. However, the new Simple Search Syntax upgrade brings simpler searching to the program, and it works well.

Users don’t need to remember complex codes or formatting. Logos explains the upgrade: “An improved autocomplete will intelligently suggest terms, which means users don’t need to remember most of even the simplified syntax.”

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5. Improvements to the Logos 10 timeline in Logos 10

The timeline details the history and what relates to Biblical people, passages, and events. They’ve added some amazing features, such as Church History Dataset from the Factbook, which adds detail to the Timeline. Now users get a visual presentation of how the world around a passage or event affects the meaning of the text.

6. Factbook Adds Millions of New Tags

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You read that right! Millions of new tags. The factbook gets more powerful in Logos 10 with additions to things like the Church History Dataset. It also adds tags for Biblical languages, definitions, and other information. Just hover over an underlined word, and you’ll see the entry in the Factbook (see image above). You can also right-click to find it in the contextual popup menu.

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7. Machine translation tool

Do you own books that you can’t read? Logos includes books in various languages, which means that if you don’t speak Mandarin, Latin, or Greek, for example, you’ll need a translation.

Logos 10 can do that for you if you own the Gold Package or higher. Open the book and then open a side panel that shows the text in your preferred language. It can translate from non-English to English or vice versa.

This feature will likely cost extra, based on the fine print. It says that the feature might come with “an additional fee” … “due to ongoing costs”. The company could also limit how much users can use it per month.

Logos 10 Gold users can have books in foreign languages translated for them. This opens up a new world of insightful information that would otherwise be inaccessible. Click To Tweet

8. Logos 10 Toolbar on Left Side or Top

By default, Logos places the toolbar on the left side of the screen. Beta testers reacted to this controversial new feature with a lot of discussion. However, Logos did the right thing and made this user-interface change optional. If you don’t like it, you can go into settings and change it back to its original placement at the top of the screen.

Open Settings on your version and find the option in the top of the settings window. Change between Top and Left.

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Logos folks explained that they changed the default to accommodate most new laptops, because they have widescreen displays. If you like to use labels to remind you what each button does, this makes the left side toolbar wide and takes up too much room. So, I used it on the left for a few weeks but put it back on the top. Give it a fair try by using it on the left and see if you like it.

9. User interface improvements on mobile

Increasingly people use their Bible app on an iPad, iPhone, Android phone, or tablet. Many of the best new Logos 10 features are designed for the mobile app. For example, they have redesigned the user interface so that a user can put more than two windows on the screen simultaneously. Now, you get up to six, which is useful on a large 12.9-inch iPad Pro or a big Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.

Users could link window panes before, but now you can set which window pane will drive the movement. For example, I can open my CSB, the New American Commentary, my notes, and the Faithlife Study Bible. Then I can set the screen to make the CSB the main tool, and all others will follow the movement of that translation. 

You can also save the layout for use in the future. You can save multiple layouts so you can quickly go back to your Bible study layout, a devotional Bible reading layout, or a language study layout.

10. Canvas and draw on screen on iPad only

Two of the coolest new features in Logos 10 Mobile only work on the iPad, for now. The Canvas tool creates interesting visual layouts or drawings to add to presentations or other uses. For example, you can create a canvas about the 12 Tribes of Israel with maps, names, passages, and more. Now, this took some work on the Apple iPad:

The Draw on Screen feature lets the user markup their Bible verses by writing or highlighting on the screen in color, using the Apple Pencil. The user is then able to copy and share to their Photos app or to other photo-based iOS apps. Both of these features only work on the Bronze package or higher.

Room for Improvements

The new Logos 10 update has some room to grow. First, many of the mobile features don't work on Android and that’s a real shame. Android users will feel left out. During the beta phase, I pushed hard for more Android support, and often they told me, “It’s coming.” We’ll see how soon.

The Web App of Logos 10 has a glitch that affects those who use notes. It wasn’t fixed as of launch day.

Logos calls this a major release, hence the number bump from 9 to 10. However, it is a little light on really revolutionary new features. As a result, the upgrade prices seem steep. With cutbacks in Bible software companies and the fact that companies like Bibleworks and Wordsearch are no longer putting out their high-end Bible study software, I want to support Logos to ensure that they will be around for many years to come.

Upgrade Costs and How to Save Some Money On Your Upgrade

Upgraders can buy Logos as a Library or a Feature Upgrade. What’s the difference? Library collections include the features, plus added books to your library. The Feature Upgrade just adds the features and tools needed to run those new features.

If you just want the new features, then go with a Feature Upgrade. If you want the features plus some more books, then get a Library collection. I’ve used Logos since version 3, and I always get a collection, but you don’t have to.

LOGOS UPGRADE FEATURES

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The chart above shows some of the features at each level. For example, to add the Translation tool, you’ll need the Full Feature Upgrade. To get Sermon Document Import, you’ll need to upgrade to the Silver Feature Upgrade package.

The prices for Feature Upgrades range from $259.99 for the Starter to $799.99 for the Full Feature set. If you already own Logos 9, then you’ll pay from $70.04 to $218.26.

The Library levels include the following:

  • Standard – Christ-centered Exposition Commentary
  • Starter – How to Read series
  • Bronze – Reading the Bible Today (25 vols.)
  • Silver – ISBE Revised
  • Gold – The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine
  • Platinum – The New American Commentary Series
  • Diamond – The New International Greek Testament Commentary Series
  • Portfolio – The Complete Biblical Library – Old and New Testament
  • Collector’s Edition – Far too many to name

The list above shows the name of the library collections, but also some titles included in each level that might interest upgraders. The prices go from lower to higher, with the Collector’s Edition at the most expensive end. The Bronze, Silver, or Gold libraries bring the most bang for the buck.

You can also get libraries based on your denomination or your role in the church. There’s a collection for preachers, counselors, and academics. You can also get collections if you’re Baptist, Catholic, or another denomination.

Check the Logos website for the latest pricing information for each package. 

How to Save 15% to 30% On Logos 10

New customers can use this link to save 15% on a brand new Logos 10 package. For customers upgrading, use the link to save 30% and upgrade your package. In addition, use the above link to get 5 free books.

Learn more about useful church software by checking out Top 21 Online Giving Software Services for Your Church.

Kevin Purcell
Kevin Purcellhttp://www.kevinpurcell.org
Dr. Kevin Purcell is a pastor, writer, and tech enthusiast. He serves High Peak Baptist Church as pastor. He is passionate about digital Bible study and enjoys helping others delve into God's Word using tech tools. Kevin is married to Barb, an elementary school teacher, and is father to two college-age sons. Pastor Kevin blogs at https://www.kevinpurcell.org/

1 COMMENT

  1. Lots of nice features in the upgrade.
    My main complaint is that to get the Print Library option is only available in the Full Feature upgrade which costs so much more. I’m hoping it can become a separately available feature at some point.

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