Logos users expected Faithlife to go to a subscription model since they’ve talked about it for years. Bob Pritchett, CEO of Faithlife, took to the forums to announce Logos Now, their new monthly subscription based service that will give uses access to some content not available otherwise. This also includes a new Web App that’s in very early beta stage.
I signed up for the Logos Now service and went over to the Logos Now Web App, the thing I’m most excited to use, and the user-interface looks a lot like the Logos 6 desktop app, but without most of the features functioning. A number of features don’t work while some do. Others don’t yet show up as available.
What Does and Doesn’t Work in Logos Now Web App
Despite that it’s a beta, or more accurately a non-functioning pre-Alpha, it’s promising. We will hopefully one day see the things we love about Logos, like the tools, library access and syncing of content.
Enter a passage reference and the passage will load. Click on the Library button to open books.
Click on Documents, Guides and Tools and you’ll get a screen like the one above which says, ‘Check back soon!” This also happens on the Home and Search buttons too. In the upper right we get the layouts, help and account buttons, all non-working.
Sometimes things seem to work fine and other times they fail miserably. For awhile I couldn’t navigate to other passages or scroll through more than a few passages before the window went blank. Then I got logged out, not on purpose. I logged back in and I could move around the Bible. It seems this was a login/logout issue more than anything else.
Table of Contents, at least on my preferred Bible shows nothing. However, other tools in the drop down box that shows up after clicking the Book cover work. I could increase and decrease font size, use column or full screen viewing mode.
Other Things in Logos Now
Logos Now is a little more than the Web App. Here what’s exclusive to Logos Now subscribers in addition to Logos Now Web App.
- Old Testament Propositional Outlines Dataset
- Greek Grammatical Constructions Dataset
- Commandments of the Law
- Logos Stock Images, vol. 2
- Visual Copy Templates for Visual Copy tool new in Logos 6
- Author Slide Templates for Visual Copy tool new in Logos 6
- Proclaim Starter for Visual Copy tool new in Logos 6
- Concordance Tool
- Media Browser
The Old Testament Propositional Outlines Dataset gets describe as follows:
This visual filter reformats Old Testament text into a narrative outline that labels the purpose or theme of each line, and offers easy-to-read primary points and secondary points. With a click, see how the text flows, how ideas fit together, and how each line relates to the next. This outline also exposes key aspects of biblical narratives, like events, purposes, and characterization. More and more Old Testament books will be added over time, and eventually, this dataset will include the entire Old Testament.
The site says it would cost $39.95 if bought separately, however it’s also exclusive to Logos Now. That means seems to mean buyers can get it outside of the subscription.
Here’s how Faithlife describes the Greek Grammatical Constructions Dataset.
With the Greek Grammatical Constructions Dataset, you can simplify complex constructions with ease. This new dataset identifies grammatical constructions in the New Testament and finds other occurrences of the construction in the Bible. Create visual filters to mark constructions in your favorite Bible as well as find and test your knowledge of rules and constructions. Filter results in the resource menu to make certain constructions easy to spot in future studies and limit your search by book of the Bible.
Faithlife says this would cost $14.95 if they sold it outside the subscription.
Read the description of the Commandments of the Law tool.
The Commandments of the Law Interactive provides information on the 613mitzvoth (commandments) as delineated by Maimonides (Rambam) in the Middle Ages, around 1170 C.E. While the Rabbis freely referred to the 613mitzvoth and agreed on their number, they rarely provided a completed list and therefore understood the commandments differently. These commandments are explicit commandments found within the Torah as understood by the Rabbis. Maimonides distilled the principles for identifying the 613mitzvothand also provided a reliable list. His listcontains 248 positive commandments and 365 negative ones.
The Commandments of the Law interactive allows you to group the 613 mitzvoth (commandments) into various categories (State, People, Category, etc.) and track down a specific type of law.
It would cost $5.95. So that’s $61 of content. Add the visual media which would add up to a total of $125 sold separately. It will take you almost 21 months if they added nothing new to buy them at $9/month. That’s not a bad deal, if they do add more content within that time.
New Logos Now Media Browser
There’s now a Media Browser under the Tools menu. Click it and see all the new media options listed above.
The Media Browser shows image and multimedia files. Use it to teach or preach. Use it to enhance your own personal study. Share images or media online to help others.
Along the left there’s a list with categories of kinds of media or ways of organizing it. Things like tags, kinds, topics, or collections organizes the media.
Should You Subscribe
Yes or no! Not very helpful I know. People who hate subscription software should stay away. Those who like it should sign up. Others, who want the Web App access or want early access to new features that normally wouldn’t become available till Logos 7, should sign up. I signed up for the free 30 day subscription so anyone can get a look for free and cancel if you’re not impressed.