Archive - February, 2010

100,000 Downloads of the Logos Bible Software iPhone App

  |  Fri, February 26, 2010   |  Apps   16

iphoneee.pngWe hit a major milestone this week when our iPhone Bible app was downloaded for the 100,000th time. Launched only four months ago, the Logos Bible Software app has received praise from The Unofficial Apple Weblog, The Apple Blog, AppShouter, and countless individuals who have left comments and feedback in the app store. Which reminds me, If you currently use the app and have never rated the app in the app store, please take a moment and do so. Let us, and others, know what you think of the app.

With 100,000 downloads in just four months, we’re thrilled that so many people are taking advantage of this free download to enhance the study of God’s Word. If you haven’t grabbed the free iPhone Bible app, what are you waiting for? Perhaps you’re someone who got the app a couple months ago, but hasn’t looked at it since. If that’s you, give it another look. Make sure you’ve got the latest version as there are some great new features we’ve added, like offline reading.

Continue Reading…

10 Reasons I Love Working at Logos

  |  Thu, February 25, 2010   |  Misc   6

It was recently announced that Logos is included on BCWI’s 2010 Best Christian Workplaces list. As I was writing the press release about the news, I couldn’t help but think about how grateful I am to work at such an amazing company. Logos truly is a great place to work. In particular, here are 10 reasons I love working at Logos:
Note: If after reading this post you think you’d love working here too, then you’ll be happy to know we’re hiring!

  1. Passion – The people at Logos are a passionate bunch. From syntax to source code, design to delivery, there is likely someone at Logos who is passionate about that area and working to deliver the very best to our customers.
  2. Software – This is a pretty selfish one, but if you’re a Logos user you’ll know where I’m coming from. I love our software and I love building my digital library. While I’m not giving you the exact details, let’s just say that the software perks for employees is very nice.
  3. Challenges – Logos isn’t interested in the status quo. It is great to work in a place that has fun, but at the same time drives you to deliver the very best.
  4. Fun – The first snow day of every year Bob buys everyone soup. Every summer we have a huge company picnic, complete with bouncy house, climbing wall, and amazing food. Five times a year we have a company wide cook-off. We have a bike shop in the office. Free childcare during the Christmas party. The occasional company outing to see a Bells game. Ping-pong table, scooters, free coffee and snacks, the list goes on and on. We work hard around here, but there is also a lot of fun to be had.
  5. Entrepreneurship – Bob Pritchett, Logos’ president, is an entrepreneur and that spirit seeps down into every department in Logos. Forging new ground and pushing the envelope of possibility means there is rarely a dull moment around here.
  6. Vision – The saying goes, “Go big or go home.” I love being in a place that has an enormous vision for the future. More than that, it is having the courage and wisdom to actually seize that vision. Being in that environment is pretty inspiring.
  7. People – There are a lot of great people at Logos. Not only that, there are a lot of brilliant people at Logos. Whether you need an expert in Semitic Languages, data systems, literature, programming, or even UFOs, there is probably one right around the corner. And, yes, we really do have a expert on UFOs here.
  8. Benefits – As we say on our jobs page, we offer competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package including healthcare, dental care, and 401(k). Gotta love that.
  9. Innovation – eBooks are a hot topic these days. But Logos has been in the digital publishing industry for over 18 years now. While everyone seems to be oohing and aahing over basic eReaders, Logos is constantly pushing the envelope of what can be done with a digital library. We’re pushing into new platforms, delivering content on the web, mobile devices, Macs, PCs, iPhone. This isn’t just about digital books. Logos is leading the way in digital library systems and research.
  10. Customers – I absolutely love hearing about how Logos has helped our customers get more from their time studying God’s Word. Every day I see things on Twitter, Facebook, the blog, and elsewhere about how much Logos means to our customers. For me, this is a huge reason I love working here. I love knowing that I work on a product that truly helps people study the Bible.

I guess I share all this not to toot-our-own-horn, but to let you know that while you love using Logos Bible Software to study God’s Word, we love creating it for you. Logos is a great company that is committed to delivering the best Bible study software in the world. Logos loves its customers and it loves its employees. That’s a pretty good combination if you ask me.
And don’t forget, we’re hiring!

You should follow us on Twitter here.

5 Reasons to Pre-Order the Calvin 500 Collection Before Friday

  |  Wed, February 24, 2010   |  Misc   11

Calvin 500 Collection (108 Vols.)

This past week, we have been putting the finishing touches on the Calvin 500 Collection—an enormous collection of 108 volumes written by or about John Calvin. This ambitious project began last year in celebration of John Calvin’s 500th birthday, and now we’re just a couple days away from shipping.

If you haven’t yet placed your Pre-Pub order, here are 5 reasons you should do so before Friday:

1. Calvin’s Commentaries

Philip Schaff wrote that “Calvin’s theology is based upon a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He was the ablest exegete among the Reformers, and his commentaries rank among the very best of ancient and modern times.”

Calvin’s commentaries display a rare combination of exegetical insight, pastoral concern, and theological depth which have inspired generations of Christians. Calvin wrote commentaries on most books of the Bible, and is best known for his commentaries on the Pauline epistles, his harmony of the Gospels, and his 5-volume work on the Psalms—all included in this massive collection.

2. 5 editions of the Institutes, including the rare Norton translation

The Calvin 500 Collection contains five editions of the Institutes of the Christian Religion—the 1559 Latin edition, the 1560 French edition, the 1574 Thomas Norton translation, and two nineteenth century translations—one by John Allen and the other by Henry Beveridge.

The publication of the Norton translation in Logos Bible Software is a significant event for Calvin scholars. Norton’s translation was the first to appear in the English language, and was published in 1574. It was also the standard English translation until its last printing in Glasgow in 1776. John Allen’s new translation in the early nineteenth century replaced Norton’s translation, and a new edition of Norton’s translation has not appeared in more than two hundred years. Early editions of the Norton translation are available today only in private collections and in a handful of libraries around the world. Even later editions are difficult to find. Having the rare Norton translation available in Logos Bible Software is a significant event for Calvin scholars around the world.

3. 600 letters and correspondence

B. B. Warfield rightly called Calvin “the great letter-writer of the Reformation age.” The Calvin 500 Collection includes over 600 letters written between 1528 and 1564. His first letters were written as he studied in Paris; the last letter in the collection was written from his deathbed. In between, we find letters to other Reformers such as Martin Luther and John Knox, as well as letters to kings and government authorities.

4. Tracts and treatises written by John Calvin and his contemporaries

Calvin’s tracts and treatises help us understand Calvin’s role in shaping the Reformation and his lasting influence as a key thinker of Reformed theology. These treatises—written by Calvin, his contemporaries, his supporters, and his detractors—expose and illuminate the emergence of Reformed theology as a legitimate movement during the sixteenth century. The Calvin 500 Collection also includes Theodore Beza’s influential Life of John Calvin.

5. Pre-Pub price expires on Friday

When Calvin 500 Collection ships on Friday, the Pre-Pub price will disappear. That gives you one last chance to add 108 books by or about Calvin to your library for a fraction of the cost. In fact, the current Pre-Pub price works out to around $3.50 per volume—for Calvin’s commentaries, a rare edition of the Institutes, tracts, treatises, letters, biographical material, and dozens of other volumes. This is a once-in-a-lifetime deal. Don’t miss out—place your Pre-Pub order now before this deal expires on Friday!

Help Us Help You

  |  Tue, February 23, 2010   |  Training   9
Forums

The release of Logos 4 has presented us with some new challenges. At launch we had a strategy to deal with the influx of issues that we knew were going to come flooding in. We kept the phone lines open later and we brought customer service representatives in on the weekend to help our customers upgrade and familiarize themselves with the new product as much as we could. In fact, a few days ago, in a very transparent blog post, Logos President and CEO Bob Pritchett shared some of the challenges that we have faced.

Growing Pains

Logos 4 has been more successful than we could have hoped. And although this is something we are so thankful for, it has created challenges in customer service that we are hoping to have remedied soon. Many companies would say, “You are overwhelmed in customer care issues because of the success of your product? That is a great problem to have!” On some level this is true, but Logos prides itself in its customer care, and one customer who is unhappy with the care they have received is one customer too many.

Our goal for customer service is to have every email answered in 24 business hours, every phone call answered—by a person—in a few rings, and hold times of less than two minutes, if any. Sadly, wait times have crested the half-hour mark and because of that the emails are stacking up as well. This is not acceptable to us, and we are in the midst of hiring and training more agents.

How You Can Help Us

In order to help keep wait times down, we could use your help. Here are a couple items that would help our customer service and technical support representatives help you.

If you need to call the customer service number, please know that we are working hard to get to your phone call as soon as possible. I know how it gets after you have been on hold for about 15 minutes. You get weary of waiting and yet you are already invested . . . you are tempted to start multi-tasking. . . . . that makes sense, but to help us get through as many calls as possible, make sure that you are near your computer when we are ready to take your call. If you have disks for your installation, make sure those are available. In fact—and I know this sounds silly to say—make sure the computer is on!

Some customers opt for contacting customer service via email. Much time is wasted when our representatives open an email that simply says, “I can’t install my program,” “my software is crashing,” or “I get an error when I try to install.” It is hard on you—and us—when you have to wait a couple days to have a response to your email and that response is a generic request for more information. If you are emailing us with an issue remember to give us as much information as you possibly can. We would rather wade through some impertinent information than have to come back to you to request more.

Include information like:

  • Which program you are contacting us for help with. Logos 3? Logos 4?
  • If you are emailing with Logos 3 issues, include your Customer ID #
  • Let us know what operating system you are using
  • What is the nature of the issue that you are calling about?
  • If you are receiving an error message, what does it say?
  • Does the error message include an error code?

Before contacting us there are a couple avenues that might save you some time. The Wiki page has some very helpful information like Help! Logos won’t start at all. What can I do? and Help! Help was working fine, but now it’s crashing on me. What happened? You can also check the FAQ page for some up-to-date tips.

As we have said before, and cannot communicate more emphatically, many of the issues that people contact customer service for have been discussed in the forums. We would love to talk to each one of you, but we want to ensure that your problem can be dealt with as quickly and efficiently as possible. The Logos Forums are read regularly by both employees and very knowledgeable users who relish the opportunity to help others. The forums allow you to easily search for topics—or create threads of your own—related to whatever trouble you might be struggling through at the moment.

We are very proud of Logos 4 and the advances that it represents for powerful and effective Bible study. With any successful product launch comes enormous, and sometimes unforeseen, growing pains. We want to reinforce our commitment you—the end-user—we are working as hard as we can to provide you with the care and attention you deserve. Thank you again for your patience and continued loyalty.

Logos 4: Display Your Books by Type

  |  Mon, February 22, 2010   |  Training   7
mp|seminars Tips

Today’s post is from Morris Proctor, certified and authorized trainer for Logos Bible Software. Morris has trained thousands of Logos users at his two-day Camp Logos training seminars.

You no doubt have at least one bookshelf in your home or office that houses your books. In Logos 4 you have an electronic bookshelf simply called the Library. This amazing tool allows you to display your resources any way you want including by Type of resource. The Type classification is an internal organization of books as developed by Logos. In other words, you can see all of your Bibles together, all of your grammars, and so forth. Here’s how to use it:

  • Press Ctrl + L to open the library in a floating window
  • Right click on a column heading of information such as Author or Title (if these various columns are not appearing click the View icon to toggle between a simple and detailed view)
  • Select Type (right click any column heading for a drop down menu of various categories of information that can be displayed)
  • Once the Type column is displayed you can drag that column heading to a different position within the headings
  • Click the Type heading and you’ll see a little arrow icon appear next to it indicating this category is controlling the display of resources

As you look in the display area you’ll see various types of resources including Bible, Grammar, Lectionary, and so on.

If you just want to see your Bibles in the Library enter this in the Find box:

type:Bible

To locate your harmonies enter:

type:harmony

To discover your timelines type:

type:timeline

Please remember this Type filter can also be used to make your search collections!

A Few of My Favorite Things

  |  Fri, February 19, 2010   |  Misc   24

I was talking to my pastor the other day about what books he was using in preparation for his sermon series going through the book of Acts. It got me thinking about go-to resources. There are several resources that are the first ones I reference when I have a question or need further insight on the Scriptures. So, I decided to share with you some of my go-to resources, and I hope you will do the same and share your go-to resources in the comment section.
Calvin’s Commentaries
You don’t have to be a Calvinist to appreciate Calvin’s handling of the Scriptures. Arminius himself recognized Calvin’s skill when he said, “…he (Calvin) excels beyond comparison in the interpretation of Scripture…”. I find that Calvin’s Commentaries are approachable, easy to understand, thorough, and applicable. I always appreciate hearing what he has to say.
Most anything by John Piper
Ever since being introduced to John Piper’s ministry, I’ve truly appreciated his insights into the application of Scripture to life. While I like referring to Piper in my studies, there is one title that truly changed my life in a tangible way and I include it among the most influential books in my life. The Supremacy of God in Preaching, fundamentally changed how I approached the ministry of preaching. Even though years have passed since I last picked it up, I often meditate on this quote from page 24:

“The true usefulness of our preaching will not be known to us until all the fruit on all the branches on all the trees that have sprung up from all the seeds we’ve ever sown has fully ripened in the sunshine of eternity”

NICOT/NICNT
I was first introduced to this series when the church I attended in Richmond, VA, was going through 1 Corinthians and the pastors, among other resources, were reading together through Fee’s commentary. I later encountered the NICNT when I was taking a course on the book of Hebrews, taught by Simon Kistemaker. He assigned FF Bruce’s commentary from the collection. Since adding the series to Logos I’ve enjoyed having access to the entire collection. It is scholarly, without being overwhelming, and provides commentary on every verse… something Calvin doesn’t always give me.
Horae Homileticae
Prior to working at Logos, I had never even heard of Charles Simeon. Boy was I missing out! If Simeon was alive today, I’d certainly subscribe to his podcast. I thoroughly enjoy both the content and format of Homileticae, and find that I go to Simeon when I want a more bird’s eye view of a passage.
Your turn
Sure, there are other titles that I love and use often… but the above four are probably the ones I go-to most often. So, what about you? What are your go-to resources? Leave them in the comment section below (and provide a link to them on Logos.com so people can find them and have a look!).

Lower Prices on Zondervan Titles and Discounts for Pradis Users

  |  Thu, February 18, 2010   |  Products   26

Zondervan

Last fall, we announced a new partnership with Zondervan, and we posted 87 books, commentaries, and reference works on Pre-Pub. Now, with just a few weeks remaining before the Zondervan books ship, we are pleased to announce lower Pre-Pub prices and steep discounts for Pradis users.

Lower Pre-Pub Prices

In general, Pre-Pub prices never go down. In fact, they often go up, which is always a good reason to lock in your Pre-Pub order at the lower price as early as possible.

We have been able to work with Zondervan to lower the Pre-Pub prices for nearly all of their books. To honor our commitment to our users who have already pre-ordered, we are going through all orders and automatically applying the lower price. That means if you’ve already ordered a Zondervan book on Pre-Pub, you don’t need to do anything to get the lower price. Your account has already been changed to show the new, lower price.

If you haven’t yet placed your Pre-Pub order, make sure you do so right away to lock in your order at the lower Pre-Pub prices. The massive 87-volume Zondervan Bible Reference Bundle has had the biggest price drop of any Zondervan collection, so that’s the best place to begin. It’s by far the best value—and the lower Pre-Pub price expires soon, so don’t miss out!

Shipping Soon!

We are only a few weeks away from shipping! All Zondervan Pre-Pubs will ship on Monday, April 5, with the exception of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, which will ship even earlier, on March 15.

That gives you a little more time to lock in your order at the lower prices. If you haven’t yet placed your Pre-Pub order, don’t miss out on the deals!

Discounts for Pradis Users

If you’re a Pradis user, we want to make your transition to Logos Bible Software as smooth as possible. We realize that you might have spent years building up the titles in your Pradis library, and you’ve made a significant financial investment in buying those titles.

For registered Pradis users only, Zondervan has authorized a special discount of an additional 40% off the newly-lowered Pre-Pub prices. The discounts are designed to help you transition to Logos Bible Software editions for the same books you’ve already purchased in Pradis. If you’re a registered Pradis user, this is your chance to get your books in Logos Bible Software at rock-bottom prices.

Pradis upgrade discounts are available only over the phone for registered Pradis users. To get the discounts, give us a call at 800-875-6467, or (360) 527-1700 if you’re calling from outside the USA or Canada. We want to take care of each Pradis user individually, so you’ll need to call and speak with someone to verify your Pradis registration and get the discount on the Logos titles. Even if you’re a registered Pradis user and you’ve already placed a Pre-Pub order for Zondervan titles, you’ll still need to give us a call to get the discount.

The limited-time upgrade discount for registered Pradis users is only authorized for one combined order, so make sure you know exactly what you want to buy before you make that call. For example, if you call for the discount on the New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, and then call back a month later for the discount on the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, we are only able to honor the first upgrade discount. However, if you ask for the discount on both in one call, we can give you the discount on both sets.

The discount only applies for Pradis users who have purchased their books before January 1, 2010. These discounts expire on June 30, 2010, so you need to act now to get the discount. It’s in your best interest to apply the discount to as many titles as possible before they expire. If you’re a Pradis user, give us a call right away to get 40% off!

  • From the USA and Canada, call 800-875-6467.
  • From outside the USA and Canada, call 1-360-527-1700.

Last Chance!

Time is running out to save big on all the Zondervan titles. If you haven’t yet placed your Pre-Pub order, do it right away to save big! Head on over to Logos.com/Zondervan to see the complete list of titles.

Libronix 3.0g Fixes Windows 7 Compatibility Issue

  |  Wed, February 17, 2010   |  Misc   35

With all the hustle and bustle surrounding the launch of Logos Bible Software 4, we failed to mention that a new version of the Libronix Digital Library System—the engine that powered Logos Bible Software 1, 2, and 3 and many products from our publishing partners—shipped to fix a compatibility issue with Windows 7 and address a handful of other issues. This support article lists the changes in 3.0g.

LDLS 3.0g is a free update, and we’d encourage everyone who’s still using Libronix to update. Just run the 3.0g update script, or simply open Libronix and go to Tools > Libronix Update. After it looks for available updates, click “Update,” close Libronix, and then wait for the updates to download and install. When installation is complete, click “Close” and then restart Libronix.

If you want the update on a disk instead, you can purchase a media-only dual-layer DVD, which also contains updated book files. These book files are also available for download by running the resource update script. A CD set is available for purchase over the phone.

Just a reminder that if you bought a Logos 4 base package, you can use most of your new Logos 4 resources in Libronix as well. Just run the script for the package that you purchased:

If you prefer, you can get all of these same resources on our media-only disk.

Logos: Rising Above a Sea of Apps

  |  Tue, February 16, 2010   |  Apps   18

iphone-small.pngI love a good giveaway! The day Apple announced the iPad we decided it was something we needed to provide an opportunity to win. I spent some time on Apple’s site that day—reading their copy and watching the videos—and thinking through the implications of a more accessible, mass-market tablet. I did smile at the promise of 140,000 apps at your fingertips, from day one. I wondered, “What percentage of those apps will actually add value to owning an iPad?”

When iPhone’s software development kit (SDK) was made available to third-party developers in February 2008 it allowed them to create applications to be sold through Apple’s iTunes store. On November 29th, 2008 Apple celebrated reaching 10,000 apps in the iTunes App Store. By June 10, 2009 they were just shy of 50,000. It is a little more than seven months later and there are 134,215 applications currently available for download from iTunes. By the end of this year there is a projection that over 300,000 apps will be available for download. The app industry is a juggernaut and—with the introduction of the iPad—it shows no sign of slowing.

Continue Reading…

Logos 4: Searching an Author’s Books

  |  Mon, February 15, 2010   |  Training   13
mp|seminars Tips

Today’s post is from Morris Proctor, certified and authorized trainer for Logos Bible Software. Morris has trained thousands of Logos users at his two-day Camp Logos training seminars.

If you’re like me, you have a favorite author. For me, I have a lot of A.W. Tozer books in print. Outside of the Bible, his writings have influenced my personal walk with the Lord more than any other author. But have you ever tried to find everything Tozer says about Psalm 42, or all that John Piper recorded about Ephesians 1? This type of research is impractical in print. With Logos 4, however, it’s practically instantaneous.

First, you want to make a collection of resources by a specific author:

  • Choose Tools | Collections
  • Click New
  • Name the collection something like Tozer Books or Piper Books
  • Type author:Tozer (where Tozer is the specific author) in the Start with box

All of the author’s books are listed in the Resulting Collection section. That’s all there is to making an author’s collection.

Now to search those resources for a biblical reference:

  • Choose Tools | Cited By
  • Click the Cited By panel menu and select the author’s collection to search
  • Type a reference in the Find box like Ps 42 or Eph 1
  • Click the search arrow (or press the Enter key)

Listed will be every occurrence of the reference in your favorite author’s works. I only wish I had this when I was turning hundreds of pages looking for that perfect Tozer insight!

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