Software Developers Walking

| Mon, April 12, 2010 | Misc.

Today’s guest post is from Ed Ball, Software Architect here at Logos. Ed has been with Logos since 1995. From time to time he blogs at the Logos Code Blog.

For more than a decade, a small group of Logos software developers has been taking daily walks near the office, just before lunch, rain or shine. Back in Oak Harbor, the standard walk was to the City Beach Park. Here in Bellingham, we have many roads and trails to choose from, and can be spotted just about anywhere within a mile of the office. We frequently walk along the beautiful Whatcom Creek Trail.

Our most infamous walk, however, is what we call the Death March, a three-mile hike to and from the observation tower in the Sehome Hill Arboretum. The entire walk takes about 45 minutes on a good day, which is a pace of nearly 4 miles per hour, climbing (and descending) over 500 feet.

(If you have Google Earth installed, you can see the hike in 3D.)

Just getting to the entrance is more of a hike than our typical walks.

The stairs up the observation tower provide the final ascent.

The payoff of the long walk is the stunning view of Bellingham and the bay.

Logos 4.0b Is Now Available

| Mon, March 15, 2010 | Apps & Web Tools, Training

A new version of Logos 4 will be available later today as a free download to all Logos 4 users. Version 4.0b adds a plethora of new features and improvements and squashes lots of little bugs. If you have automatic updating enabled (screenshot), which is the default setting, Logos 4 will notify you that updates are ready to be installed.

When you see the balloon tooltip window, right-click on the Logos icon in your system tray and choose to “Install update” (screenshot). If Logos 4 hasn’t downloaded the update by the end of the day and you just can’t wait any longer to get your hands on the latest release, just type Update Now into the command bar (screenshot). This will force Logos 4 to check for any available updates (screenshot) and begin downloading them.

[Read more…]

Custom-Built Bookcase for Sale, Low Miles

| Tue, March 2, 2010 | Products

Today’s guest post is from Dr. Steve Runge, a scholar-in-residence at Logos Bible Software and author of the Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament, Lexham High Definition New Testament, and the forthcoming Discourse Grammar of the Greek New Testament: A Practical Introduction for Teaching and Exegesis.

This would be the heading of my want ad if I were to post one. You see, ten years ago when we bought our house, one of the first personal projects I did was build a custom, floor-to-ceiling bookcase in my new office.

At the time I was regularly buying Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplemental volumes, scholarly commentaries like Word Biblical Commentary, ICC, and the Anchor Bible and whatever else I needed to write my MTS thesis. This bookcase was to be the showpiece of my scholarly man-cave. I even inherited a great leather chair from an aunt-in-law, the kind that was scratched by a cat and isn’t allowed in the living room any more. Life was great—until something happened.

[Read more…]

Libronix 3.0g Fixes Windows 7 Compatibility Issue

| Wed, February 17, 2010 | Misc.

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.

Commentaries That Comment on the Text

| Fri, February 12, 2010 | Products

Today’s guest post is from Dr. Steve Runge, a scholar-in-residence at Logos Bible Software and author of the Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament, Lexham High Definition New Testament, and the forthcoming Discourse Grammar of the Greek New Testament: A Practical Introduction for Teaching and Exegesis.

Frédéric Louis Godet Commentary Collection (16 Vols.)What do you look for in a commentary? Sometimes it’s insight into how a passage is structured; other times it’s understanding how a particular passage fits into some larger debate. Most often, though, you turn to a commentary when you get stumped by the text itself. After all, where else better to turn than to a commentary?

A commentary that primarily comments on the text would seem like an obvious thing, but in many cases as modern commentaries have gotten more and more specialized, less and less of the content actually focuses on the biblical text. Now there’s a place for all the debates and contemporary discussions that are ancillary to the text itself, but they can distract your focus.

One of my mentors told me that the best way to get answers to questions about how the text hangs together is to read commentaries that were written before the previous century, and he specifically mentioned Frédéric Louis Godet as an example. Men like Godet were writing in a time before the New Perspective on Paul, before many of the Enlightenment-driven critical methodologies were in vogue. As a result, far more of the content in these commentaries was actually devoted to commenting on the text. They did not get distracted from their primary purpose: expositing Scripture to help readers better understand and apply it.

If you’re interested in modern interpretive controversies, there are plenty of titles to chose from (see, e.g., our Commentaries Product Guide). But if solid engagement with what the biblical text actually says is what you’re after, I will pass on the advice that I have richly benefited from: check out Godet and the his contemporaries (e.g., Henry Alford, William Robertson Nicoll, John Eadie, J. P. Lange, and the authors of the Classic Commentaries on the Greek New Testament like J. B. Lightfoot, H. B. Swete, and B. F. Westcott). They provide an important balance to modern scholarship, filling in holes that unfortunately seem to be growing bigger as the years pass. Do not look down on the “dead guys.” READ them.

The 16-volume Frédéric Louis Godet Commentary Collection includes commentaries on Luke, John, Romans, and 1 Corinthians as well as important biblical and theological studies. It’s nearly 100% of the pre-orders needed to send it into production. If you’re interested in solid exposition of the biblical text, place your pre-order for the Godet collection today.

For more on this subject, see our previous blog posts:

Top 10 Reasons Not to Upgrade to Logos 4

| Wed, January 27, 2010 | Misc.

Since the launch of Logos 4 about three months ago, thousands upon thousands of people have upgraded to our brand new software platform with one of our newly reconfigured and much bigger base packages. In fact, some people have even upgraded multiple times. They moved over to Logos 4 at their same base package level, were blown away, and then decided to go all the way up to Platinum or Portfolio.

But not everyone has upgraded yet, and I’ve seen a variety of reasons people have given for not making the move to Logos 4. I’m not about to tell you what to do with your money. We’re all accountable before God for how we invest the money that He’s entrusted to us. So you’ll have to decide for yourself whether upgrading to Logos 4 fits into wise financial stewardship for you.

However, so many of the reasons that people have been giving for not upgrading to Logos 4 are based on misunderstanding or misinformation that I feel compelled to take the opportunity to respond to some of them while there’s still time to upgrade at our introductory pricing, which expire at the end of the month.

Reason 1: I don’t want to repurchase my books.

I agree. I wouldn’t want to either. But you’re not. In most cases you’re getting thousands of dollars of new resources that you don’t already own for pennies on the dollar. Look how much new content you’re getting if you upgrade from Gold for Logos 3 to Gold for Logos 4 (or higher). That doesn’t even factor in all of the cool databases that lie behind new features like Biblical People, Biblical Place, Biblical Things, etc. or the fact that you’re getting the most advanced Bible software platform on the planet.

So the short answer is that you’re not repurchasing your books. You’re purchasing lots and lots of new content at a huge discount.

Reason 2: The Logos 4 engine isn’t worth what you’re charging for it. / The upgrades are too expensive.

Many people mistakenly think that they’re not getting any new content with their upgrade—just the new engine. But that’s far from the case. In some instances you’re getting enough new content that in print would take a U-Haul truck to deliver! If you look at all the new content you’ll be getting and sit down and do the math, I think you’ll come to the conclusion that our upgrades are anything but too expensive. Most upgraders seem to agree.

Reason 3: I already got the free Logos 4 engine. Why would I want to pay to get Logos 4? Isn’t it just the same thing?

There’s far more to the Logos 4 experience than the new core engine, which is free. Much of what makes Logos 4 shine is tied to resources and databases that come with our new Logos 4 base packages. Explore the 4 ways to move to Logos 4, and find out why you should seriously consider upgrading.

Reason 4: I’ve spent years building my Logos library. I don’t want to lose everything I’ve acquired.

Don’t worry. You won’t. When you move to Logos 4, all your books come with you—even the ones you bought back in the 1990s. That’s the beauty of our licensing system. We sell you a license to a book or group of books, and that license isn’t tied to any particular file format, version of our software, or platform. If you’ve purchased it once from us, you can access it in any or all of the platforms we have available. Currently the available platforms include Windows, Mac (in beta), iPhone/iPod Touch, and mobile web (in beta). We’re even exploring a web version of Logos Bible Software.

Reason 5: The Mac version isn’t ready yet, so I’ll wait until it is.

True. The Mac version is still under development and isn’t ready just yet. However, Mac users might still want to go ahead and upgrade to Logos 4 now. Here are a few reasons: (1) You’ll get a better deal if you upgrade before the end of the month; and remember, you’re purchasing the books, not the engine. (2) You can use most of your new Logos 4 books in Logos for Mac 1.2.2 while you wait for version 4 to get finished. (3) Logos for Mac 1.2.2 and Logos 4 for Mac can run side by side without any problems so you can enjoy the stability of the old version while testing and enjoying the new features in the new version. (4) Logos 4 for Mac is being updated almost weekly with new features and bug fixes, and those updates come to you automatically and at no additional cost.

Reason 6: My computer is too old and probably won’t run Logos 4 well. / I’ve heard Logos 4 is slow.

It may very well be true that your computer won’t run Logos 4 well. Many netbooks and computers older than a few years may struggle to run Logos 4 as speedily as a newer, more powerful machine will. But keep in mind that you can continue to use the vast majority of your new Logos 4 books in Logos 3; think of it as another Library Builder collection. This will allow you to take advantage of the great new content in Logos 4 base packages and be ready to jump right into Logos 4 as soon as you are able to get a new computer.

Reason 7: Logos 4 is missing some of my favorite features. I’ll wait until they get added.

It’s true that Logos 4 doesn’t have all of the features that were in Logos 3. That’s partially because Logos 4 is a brand new platform, and we had a decade to add features to Logos 3. Instead of waiting until we got all of those features in Logos 4, we decided it was time to let you start enjoying all of the improvements you’ve been asking for. The good news is that the most important features from Logos 3 are being added, they’re even better in Logos 4, they’re free, and they’re getting pushed out in updates all the time. By upgrading now, you’ll actually increase the speed at which new features are added to the software.

Reason 8: I don’t want to lose Logos 3.

In the truest sense, as a software program Logos 4 is not an upgrade to Logos 3. Normally when you upgrade your software, it’s “out with the old and in with the new.” But Logos 4 is a completely separate application, which means you can run Logos 3 and Logos 4 side by side for as long as you’d like. You can even use most of your new Logos 4 books in Logos 3 as well. So take your time to learn Logos 4 and continue to enjoy the familiarity of Logos 3 until you’re ready to transition over completely.

Reason 9: Logos 4 is harder to use than Logos 3. / I don’t want to learn a new program.

Just about anything new and unfamiliar is going to be harder to use than something you’re very familiar with and skilled at using. But that doesn’t mean that the new thing isn’t far better than what you’re used to. There are numerous threads in our forums where a Logos 3 user who upgraded to Logos 4 posts about how much better he likes Logos 3, Logos 4 users reply by encouraging the individual to give it some time, and then, almost without fail, the original poster ends up coming back exclaiming how much better Logos 4 is and how much easier it is to use. In other words, the vast majority of people conclude that it’s well worth the effort to learn the new system. We even give you lots of help to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Reason 10: I don’t have the money to upgrade right now.

That may very well be a good reason not to upgrade to Logos 4 right now, but you may want to know that you can use a payment plan to spread your payments out over 12 months. This is perfect for pastors with book budgets. With our introductory pricing ending soon, you should at least consider whether a payment plan is right for you.

Well, that’s 10. I’m sure there are others. If you haven’t upgraded yet, I’m curious to know your reasons. If I haven’t mentioned them above, leave them in the comments. I’d love to have the opportunity to correct any other misinformation about upgrading to Logos 4. I’ll be out of the office all day today, but will do my best to reply to your comments tomorrow.

5 Reasons to Do Your 2010 Bible Reading in Logos 4

| Fri, January 22, 2010 | Training

How’s your Bible reading going? If you’re like many Christians, you probably made plans to read through the Bible (or a portion of it) this year. If the statistics are correct, right about now many of you might need a little encouragement to stick with it. Or maybe the new year crept up on you, and you never even got around to picking a reading schedule for the year.

Either way—whether you’re just getting started or trying to stick with it—let me encourage you to consider doing your 2010 Bible reading in Logos Bible Software 4. I can’t promise that it will keep you on track all year, but there are five reasons I think it could be a big help.

With Logos Bible Software 4, you can

  1. start and end your Bible reading schedule whenever you want
  2. customize your reading schedule to fit your schedule and pace
  3. recover from missed days and stick with it
  4. read your Bible anywhere
  5. turn Bible reading into Bible study with ease

Let’s take a look at each one of these.

1. Start and end your Bible reading schedule whenever you want.

With most traditional Bible reading plans, you start on January 1 and finish on December 31. So if you didn’t start your Bible reading on the first day of the year, chances are you probably aren’t going to try—it’s just too much work to get caught up.

But that doesn’t have to be the case if you do your Bible reading in Logos 4. Your Bible reading plan can start and end any day of the year. You can just as easily set up your plan to start today. With Logos 4 every day is a good day to start reading the Bible.

2. Customize your reading schedule to fit your schedule and pace.

There are lots of good Bible reading plans freely available on the internet. Some let you read straight through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Others have you read through the OT and the NT at the same time. Others throw in a Proverbs a day. Still others include a daily reading from the Psalms.

While there are a wide variety of plans available, there may not be a plan that’s a perfect fit for you. Scheduling your reading in Logos 4 means you can create just the right plan. You decide when to start and finish, how often to do your readings, what portions of the Bible to read, and how much to read at each sitting. There’s no need to be forced into a plan you can’t maintain with your schedule.

In Logos 4 there are several predefined plans, but creating your own unique plan is easy. Go to File > Reading Plan, or type “Create Reading Plan” into the Command Bar and hit enter. Click on “All Passages” and choose one of the default plans, or enter your own custom range. For example, if you want to read from multiple places in the Bible each day, separate the ranges with a pipe. Ge–Dt | Mt–Jn would give you a reading from the Pentateuch and the Gospels each day. You can even create your own chronological reading plan using a variety of custom ranges.

3. Recover from missed days and stick with it.

According to the statistics I’ve seen, the majority of people who set out to read through the Bible or a portion of the Bible in a year end up throwing in the towel pretty early on. If you miss a few days, it’s easy to feel so far behind that you can’t get caught up. You could just adjust your schedule, but a print schedule doesn’t really lend itself to changes.

That’s the beauty of Logos. If you fall behind and can’t get caught up, instead of quitting you can just select “Adjust plan from here,” and it will push everything back (update: this feature is in beta and will ship soon!). Or you can just skip the readings you’ve missed by selecting “Catch up to here”—not ideal, but definitely better than quitting. If you’d rather still end on the same day and not skip any of your readings, it’s easy to quickly edit and rebuild your plan.

4. Read your Bible anywhere.

For the sake of consistency, it’s ideal to do your Bible reading at the same time and in the same place every day. But that’s not always possible. What often happens is that if you miss your scheduled Bible reading time, you end up missing the day (and one missed day often leads to another). You may have other opportunities during the day to do your reading, but you don’t have a Bible handy or can’t remember where you left off.

Logos 4 makes it easier than ever to do your Bible reading anywhere. Your reading plans are synced between your computers, so whether you’re at home, at the office, or on the road, you can keep up with your reading. With the Logos iPhone app, you can even take your reading with you in your pocket. I’ve been doing most of my Bible reading this year on my iPod Touch, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the ability to make the most of my bus trips to and from work* and the convenience of reading in bed.

5. Turn Bible reading into Bible study with ease.

If you’re reading the Bible carefully, you’re likely going to have questions about the meaning of a word or a verse or the location of a parallel passage or cross reference. Many print Bible’s have basic cross references and notes, but even with a good study Bible you’re going to come up empty handed on occasion. Digging deeper with print resources can take a lot of time and effort, and doing your reading in a print Bible means you’ll probably be more likely to pass up on the opportunities to turn reading into fruitful study and meditation. The beauty of Logos is that you can get answers in just a few minutes to just about any question that arises while you read. If you want to take your Bible reading to the next level this year, Logos 4 might just be exactly what you need.

Whether you’re just now considering a reading plan for 2010 or you’re on the brink of giving up on one, I’d encourage you to get started today with Logos Bible Software 4.

* In order to do my Bible reading on the bus, where I don’t have Wi-Fi access, I have to make sure to look up my reading before I’m out of Wi-Fi range at home or at work. But this will no longer be an issue. We’re currently beta testing offline support for reading plans, and it works great. It’s coming to an app store near you soon!

The Best Reason to Upgrade

| Thu, December 31, 2009 | Products

Over the last two months, we’ve talked a lot about reasons you should upgrade to Logos 4, like

But one thing we haven’t really talked about in much detail yet is the absolutely amazing deals you get on some of the best Christian books on the planet with our base package upgrades. Here’s what I want to argue in this post: there are many great reasons to upgrade, but the most compelling reason—at least in terms of value—is the hundreds of new top-quality books you’ll get for an unbelievably low price.

I’ve worked here at Logos for just over two years now and was an enthusiastic customer for three years prior to that, and as someone who loves to find and get a good deal, I can assure you that they don’t get much better than this. Let me illustrate this with some of the resources you’ll get when you upgrade and a little number crunching.

Crossgrading from Scholar’s 3 to Scholar’s 4

Scholar's Library (LE)Let’s say you own Scholar’s Library for Logos 3 and you’re considering moving to Scholar’s Library for Logos 4. Did you know that you’ll get more than 180 new resources for only $127.50 (or even less*)? That’s $.70 per volume. Here are just a few examples of the titles that you’ll get:

Did you know if you bought just these 44 volumes by themselves, it would cost you $489.90 (or $669.90 after the two on Pre-Pub ship)? If you crossgrade for only $127.50*, you’ll get these 44 titles plus more than 136 others for $362.40 (or $542.40) less! That’s about 1/4 of the price for 4 times as much content! And that doesn’t even include all of the databases and features in Logos 4. So when we say you’re getting an incredible deal when you upgrade, we mean it.

But the further up you go, the more amazing the deals get.

Upgrading from Scholar’s 3 to Scholar’s Gold 4

Scholar's Library: Gold (LE)Let’s say that instead of just crossgrading from Scholar’s 3 to Scholar’s 4, you upgrade to Scholar’s Gold 4. Did you know that you’ll get more than 650 new resources for only $720 (or even less*)? In addition to the 180+ titles that I mentioned above, you’ll also get top-notch titles like

That’s an amazing amount of quality content. If you do the math, you’ll notice that these 170 volumes would cost you a whopping $3,725.68 if you purchased them all separately—and that’s at our sale prices, not full retail. If you upgrade for only $720*, you’ll get these 170 volumes plus nearly 500 others for $3,000 less than it would cost you to buy just these 170 volumes separately. Wow. That’s about 1/5 of the price for almost 4 times as much content! And, again, that’s not even including all of the databases and features in Logos 4!

Upgrading from Scholar’s 3 to Scholar’s Platinum 4

Scholar's Library: Platinum (LE)By now I think I’ve made my point—our upgrades are amazingly priced for the amount of quality content you get. But I’ll take it one step further. Let’s look at upgrading from Scholar’s version 3 to the brand new Scholar’s Platinum. In this upgrade you’ll get nearly 950 new resources for only $907.54 (or even less*). That’s $.96 per volume. In addition to all of the tremendous titles in the two lists above, you’ll also add to your library things like

If you bought just these 156 volumes by themselves, it would cost you $2,787.45. But think about this. If you’re coming from Scholar’s version 3, the difference in price between upgrading to Gold ($720*) and upgrading to Platinum ($907.54*) is only $187.54 (you’re getting an extra special discount for upgrading three levels higher). So if you were going to upgrade to Gold and think you might later purchase just one or two of the items in the list above, it would definitely be worth it to make the jump all the way to Platinum. Just look at all the extra content you’d get—and for less money, too.

I realize that we’re not talking about pocket change here, but if you’re serious about building a library of biblical and theological resources, there’s really no better way to do it—and there’s no better time than now, while we still have our extra low introductory upgrade discounts running. The great news for those of you who don’t carry this kind of money in your wallets is that you can use our payment plans on upgrades and spread out your upgrade cost over the next 3, 6, 9, or even 12 months.

So head on over while our lowest prices are still good, and check out your upgrade options. These deals are just too good to pass up.

* Your upgrade price might be even lower based on several factors. Visit our customized upgrade discounter to see your low prices.

4 Ways to Move to Logos 4

| Fri, December 25, 2009 | Misc.

Merry Christmas from all of us here in Bellingham, Washington. We hope you’re having a wonderful celebration of the birth of our Savior with family and friends.

Many of you have already upgraded to Logos 4, and you may have even used it to read the Christmas story, prepare for your Christmas Eve sermon, or study the themes surrounding Christ’s first advent for your personal devotional time. If you haven’t upgraded to Logos 4 yet because you were waiting for some Christmas money, I wanted to take a few moments to give you your 4 options for moving to Logos 4. And even though we’re closed today, our website is available to take your order right now. If you choose the download option, you might even be able to start playing with your new toy later today.

Option 1: Base Package Upgrade

The first and best option is to upgrade your Logos 3 base package to a higher Logos 4 base package. So if you currently have Scholar’s Library for Logos 3, your best option is to upgrade to a higher base package like Gold or Platinum for Logos 4. The reason this is the best option is because we’re offering some extra special introductory discounts right now, and you always get the best deal on our highest base packages. In addition to keeping all the books you already own, you’ll get the most new features and resources at an amazingly low price. If you have the money or would like to use one of our payment plans, this is definitely the way to go. Even if you’re not sure if your computer can handle Logos 4 yet, it still makes sense to upgrade now to take advantage of the extra savings. In the meantime, you can even enjoy the majority of your new resources in Logos 3.

Option 2: Base Package Crossgrade

If you can’t afford moving up a couple of levels in your base package or you feel that you’re already at the base package level that’s right for you, the next best option is to crossgrade your current base package to the new Logos 4 version. So if you own Scholar’s Gold for Logos 3, you can move over to Scholar’s Gold for Logos 4. You won’t get as many new books or quite as good of a deal as upgrading, but in a couple of cases you’ll get more than 100 new titles for less than $2 each! Crossgrading your base package is a great option for those on a tight budget.

Option 3: Minimal Crossgrade

The next best option if you don’t really want to add new books to your library is the Minimal Crossgrade. The Minimal Crossgrade gives you just the core essential resources and databases necessary to move your existing library over to Logos 4 and take advantage of many of the cool new features. We highly recommend that you purchase at least the Minimal Crossgrade to get the true Logos 4 experience.

Option 4: Free Core Engine

The last way to move to Logos 4 is to download the free core engine. The free Logos 4 core engine without a Logos 4 base package or the Minimal Crossgrade will be lacking many of the new databases and resources necessary to use features like Biblical People, Biblical Places, Biblical Things, the new reverse interlinears, many of the sections of the Guides and the Home Page, Logos controlled vocabulary database of synonymous terminology, and a few other things. You also won’t be able to use your current library of books on the iPhone app. If you want to have the best experience with Logos 4 and access your books on the iPhone app, choosing the free core engine is not the right choice. But if you’re just looking for very basic functionality, it’s hard to beat the price. :) Remember, though, that the free core engine option will always be around, but the extra special upgrade discounts won’t last forever.

To sum it all up, here are your 4 options laid out in a table.

New Books1 Features Value Price
Base Package Upgrade ≈150–1,6002 All3 Amazing Deal ~$130–$3,0004
Base Package Crossgrade ~25–2002 Most3 Great Deal ~$35–$1604
Minimal Crossgrade ~402 Many3 Good Deal $69.95
Free Core Engine None Some3 Free $0

1 Plus your current resources, which will move over to Logos 4 at no additional charge.

2 Numbers are estimates and will vary depending on what you already own.

3 Depends in part on which base package level you’re at.

4 With special, limited-time discounts.

Logos 4.0a Is Now Available

| Thu, December 24, 2009 | Misc.

The first significant update to Logos 4 is now available as a free download to all Logos 4 users. Version 4.0a adds tons of new features and tweaks and includes numerous bug fixes. If you have automatic updates turned on (screenshot), which is the default setting, Logos 4 should have already notified you that updates are ready to be installed.

When you see the balloon tooltip window, right-click on the Logos icon in your system tray and choose to “Install update” (screenshot). If the update hasn’t been downloaded yet and you just can’t wait any longer to get your hands on the latest release, just type Update Now into the command bar (screenshot). This will force Logos 4 to check for any available updates (screenshot) and begin downloading them.

What’s New in 4.0a?

Below you’ll find a list of many of the new features and improvements we added in 4.0a. To help you learn about some of them, I’ve taken several screenshots. Click on the links below to see the corresponding images. In the coming weeks, we’ll discuss some of these new features in detail here on the blog.

  • Search Analysis grid in Bible and Morph searches (screenshot)
  • Bible Text Only visual filter (screenshot)
  • Ctrl+Alt+B opens Copy Bible Verses from any Windows application (if Logos 4 is running) (screenshot)
  • Help > Explain the screen (F9) (screenshot)
  • Index Merging reduces the time it takes to build a full library index when adding new books.
  • Redesign of the Cited By tool (screenshot)
  • Commentaries section in Bible-reference-based guides supports custom collections of commentaries (e.g., Favorite Commentaries) (screenshot)
  • Added more Highlighting styles (screenshot)
  • Added hit counts to concordance results in Bible Word Study sections with a ring graph (screenshot)
  • New look for Topics and Important Words in Passage Guide (screenshot)
  • Home Page ribbon can be customized (screenshot)
  • Search: My Content shows results from saved guides
  • Ctrl+H opens History
  • Alt+P opens or closes the Help menu
  • Added two new handout styles
  • Added new styles for the Ctrl+Drag distance calculation in Biblical Places maps
  • Added searching indicator to Reading Lists searches
  • Added Visual Bookmarks settings
  • Added Resource Panel Background settings
  • Added “rebuild index” command
  • Added “merge index” command to force index merging (when possible)
  • Added a “Copy” option to the context menu for the reading plan reference range selector
  • Improved performance in many areas of the application

To see a list of some of the main bugs we squashed, check out “What’s New in Logos 4.0a.”

Time to Upgrade to Logos 4?

Many of you have been cautiously watching from the sidelines, waiting for the right opportunity to make the switch to Logos 4. As you can see, Logos 4 is now better than ever. It’s had nearly two months of extensive testing by thousands of users, and our team of developers has been fixing bugs, listening to user feedback, and adding some really cool new features.

But 4.0a is just the beginning. Work has already begun on 4.0b. We’re in the process of adding these additional features, as well as many others that we can’t tell you about yet.

There’s never been a better time to upgrade to Logos 4. It’s a powerful, stable, cutting-edge piece of software that just keeps getting better all the time. And best of all, these updates come to you free of charge.

The window of time for taking advantage of our upgrade discounts is getting smaller. Don’t miss out on your chance to move to Logos 4 at our special introductory discount prices. What are you waiting for? Upgrade today.

What’s Your Favorite New Feature?

After you’ve updated to 4.0a, drop a note in the comments and tell us what your favorite new feature is. I think I’m most excited about the search analysis feature—virtually endless ways to explore and organize biblical data. The ability to use custom collections of commentaries in guides is also pretty sweet. What’s your favorite?

What about Logos 4 for Mac?

The Mac version of Logos 4 is also making some nice progress with a new build coming out about once a week on average. The latest release, Alpha 8, is coming together quite nicely. If you’re ready to help up test it, you can either upgrade your base package or download core engine.