Results tagged “Amazon” from Logos Bible Software Blog

Last week I read some advice that a seminary student was giving to potential Logos users. It went something like this: when trying to decide whether to invest in Logos, calculate the print value of the books that you think you'd actually use and, if that amount exceeds the cost of the package from Logos, buy it. But in your calculations make sure to exclude any books that are available for free elsewhere (e.g., from Google Books or Amazon's Online Reader).

I think the first part of the advice is generally* sound, but the second part has problems. While it's often a good idea not to spend money for something you can get for free, this is not always the case. The advice above leaves out two important factors: quality and convenience.

Quality

First, the advice above is not really comparing apples with apples. The quality of Logos digital books exceeds the quality of books available at Amazon's Online Reader, Google Books, and other places on the internet.

So it may very well be worth paying money for books that are available for free online, if you want the ability to perform incredibly powerful searches, copy and paste text into papers or sermons with automatic citations, get instant access to Bible passages with a hover or a click, jump to cited books and articles, and all the other things that make Logos digital books so valuable.

So the advice would have been better if it had said, "Exclude any books that are of equal quality and available for free elsewhere." But that still doesn't quite do.

Convenience

Second, even if we were comparing apples with apples, that is, books of equal quality—or let's assume you are the rare person who doesn't need any of the benefits I mentioned above—there is value in the convenience of an integrated digital library. When your digital library is spread across multiple platforms and websites (e.g., Google Books, PDFs and Word docs on your computer, Amazon, and other places), it takes time (1) to remember where you have access to x, y, and z books and then (2) to perform multiple searches on multiple websites and desktop applications. That extra time spent can be quantified in terms of value, so it may be worth the money for the added convenience and time-saving benefit.

Let's say you use iTunes for your music library. Numerous legal sources allow you to listen to music for free online, but you have to be connected to the internet and go to the website to listen to it. You can't download it and integrate it into your digital music library in iTunes—or listen to it on your iPod. Perhaps for many songs that would be fine, but the benefit of convenience may make it worth it to purchase some music that is available for free elsewhere.

So I think we could further improve the advice by saying, "Exclude any books that are of equal quality and available for free elsewhere in a medium that offers equal convenience."

Everyone has different needs and different financial abilities, and there are definitely times when it is financially wise to be content to use good secondary tools like Google Books and Amazon's Online Reader. But if quality and convenience are important to you, it may very well be worth paying for something you can get for free elsewhere.

* However, I think you could make a case for why it might be wise to buy Logos even if the digital cost exceeded the print cost, but that is perhaps for another day and another blog post.

One of the benefits of shopping online is the ability to get help from other customers when you're making purchasing decisions. Amazon.com illustrates this well with their product reviews and product recommendations based on the purchasing habits of other Amazon.com shoppers.

For a while we've given you some purchasing guidance with our Top 10 Lists and Product Guides. We're excited to add another source of information that will help you decide what to buy next.

Now at the bottom of every product page, you'll find a list of products that other customers who bought the item you're looking at also bought. We show you the top three, but you can see the top 10 by simply clicking more ».

In case you forget (or don't want) to scroll to the bottom of the page, we've added a link at the top of each page that says, "Browse similar products." Clicking it will jump you right to the bottom where you can explore and find all sorts of additional titles to add to your library.

For now we've put this new functionality in place only for currently shipping products, but you may eventually see it on Pre-Pub product pages as well.

Well, go give it a try, and let us know what you think. As always, we love to hear your feedback.

A little over a year ago, I wrote a blog post about two ways that you can create a Logos wish list using Google or Kaboodle. I recommended the Kaboodle method because of its ease of use with the integrated Firefox and IE plugins and its additional features.

Since that post, Logos user T. C. Black has written about a third way to create a Logos wish list using Amazon. Amazon has always had a nice wish list feature, but it was limited to items you could buy at their site. A few months ago they added a universal wish list feature that allows you to add items from other sites like Logos.com with a simple JavaScript bookmarklet.

It's very easy to use and is perfect for those who already keep track of other wish list items at Amazon.

Here's how to use it:

1. Log in to your Amazon.com account, or create one if you don't already have one.
2. Create a new wish list, click "Edit list information" in the left sidebar to give it a name like "Christmas Wish List," and then click "Make this list my default list" (applies only if this is not your first list).
3. Drag the bookmarklet to your bookmarks.
4. Navigate to a product page at Logos.com, like the John Piper Collection (24 Vols.).
5. Click the boomarklet and fill out the information in the box that pops up.*
6. Keep shopping and add as many other items as you want.
7. Once you're done, visit your wish list to make sure that all the settings are as they should be (e.g., is it public or private) and to share your list with others.

Here's a sample Christmas wish list that I whipped up.

Create your own, and post a link to your wish list in the comments.

*One thing you might want to do in the notes section is specify whether you want the CD-ROM or the download, if applicable. If you want the download, be sure to provide your Libronix Customer ID in the comments as well. The individual buying for you can enter your Customer ID in the final stages of the checkout process. The only downside to going the download route is that you will receive a notification immediately when the order is placed. So if you want it to be a surprise, choose the CD-ROM option.