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Can someone explain the difference between Logos vs. Accordance?


wbarkley

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I am wondering if there is anyone who could give an accurate breakdown for the Mac version of Logos vs. Accordance. It seems that Logos is doing some interesting things with cloud support, synchronizing notes, and making more titles available. Since I am new to bible software, what are the strategies of these two companies? What are the pros and cons for either?

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This topic has a full and recent discussion on this subject. I also encourage you to read the reviews, some of the comparative, which are posted on our Reviews webpage. Rick Mansfield reviews both on his blog.

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Ms. Brown is right. There are many discussions of this. I recently did a two week research bonanza on the two and ended up going with Accordance. Obvious search and old text word study are definitely in Accordance's boat. I want to keep accordance for what it does best, Bible study. I have had a sense that accordance has gained some contract the last couple years, might be wrong here, but they are going in the right direction with Bible study tools. I also did google searches for Accordance vs logos. Although some of these led to bias opinions, there are some good reviews from those that have recently used both. My hope is that accordance continues to strive to be the leader in new study engineering. Text tools will grow with time, they have more than anyone person can need to do proper and thorough research though. Having just recently bought Lib Premier as well as a couple seperate texts, I can say that the knowledge and tech support has been first class from Accordance. They are really helpful. Ms. Brown is right, do the research that she has given. You may also want to watch training videos on each to see..

http://www.youtube.com/user/AccordanceBible

I hope this keeps you pointed in the right direction as Ms. Brown has already stated...

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Thanks. I have checked the resources that you mentioned. I feel more confident as an accordance user among logos users. I suppose I am only a little envious of the cloud support and synchronized notes.

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Thanks. I have checked the resources that you mentioned. I feel more confident as an accordance user among logos users. I suppose I am only a little envious of the cloud support and synchronized notes.

Accordance for iOS allows syncing of user notes, user tools, and highlights between your Mac and iOS device (assuming this is what you mean by synchronized notes above).

 

Scott.

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And if you mean syncing between Macs, one "workaround" for Accordance is to use DropBox. It takes a little bit of set-up work to make it work, and it's best to quite Accordance on one machine before running it on the other. That said, I've been using the Dropbox solution for "syncing" Accordance user notes, user tools, highlights, etc. for several months, and I've been happy with it.

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What Donovan has said is perfect. The trouble with test driving the software is that they both have a learning curve. When I got the accordance 7 trial, I thought, 'this is garbage!' it was ugly and very difficult to figure out initially. However, I pressed on with the encouragement of others and got some training. Now, I wouldn't trade it for the world. I use Logos as Donovan said, only for a few select texts. I never use it for text study. So, I guess what im saying is, try accordance and give it a chance. It's worth every penny and every hour. Trust me.

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I just thought of something. The best way I know of to describe the difference between accordance and logos is this. Logos is a library while accordance is a tool at the end of the day, logos may have a lot of books (many of questionable value) but what good are they of you can't accurately work out the biblical text--which, I assume, is the basic reason we all want bible study software. Accordance, on the other hand, has more horsepower than you can imagine to help you work out the text, first.

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Accordance for iOS allows syncing of user notes, user tools, and highlights between your Mac and iOS device (assuming this is what you mean by synchronized notes above).

 

Scott.

 

I think the envy comes in with cloud syncing rather than wi-fi only syncing. Rather than having to launch Accordance on the Mac and then Accordance iOS and navigate to the sync options, it would be great to make a change on the iPad and have it show up on the Mac next time you open Accordance there. Requires some type of server to handle that and I'm not sure that this is a make or break situation for Accordance.

 

In the end, I echo what others say about Accordance, it is fast, reliable and keeps you focused on the text of Scripture. It is awesome and from the few years I've used Accordance, they just keep making it better and better. I have no doubt that some of the current technologies we see larger companies be able to employ will eventually make it to the Accordance.

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Another unmentioned issue with Logos is the manner in which the resources are licensed to you. It is really more of a rental situation with Logos. They could (but likely wouldn't) deactivate a resource at any time. In fact I had a resource I got free that I found of no use to me and instead of being able to remove it from my library, like I can with Accordance, I had to contact Logos ask for the resource to be removed from my account and about 10 days or so later it did disappear. In addition to the other items already mentioned, Accordance resource management and licensing are VASTLY superior and more user-oriented.

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I'm sure our friends with Accordance will work with this if this is going to be a platform that Apple uses and expands upon :rolleyes: ...Patience, patience, patience... :D

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Another unmentioned issue with Logos is the manner in which the resources are licensed to you. It is really more of a rental situation with Logos. They could (but likely wouldn't) deactivate a resource at any time. In fact I had a resource I got free that I found of no use to me and instead of being able to remove it from my library, like I can with Accordance, I had to contact Logos ask for the resource to be removed from my account and about 10 days or so later it did disappear. In addition to the other items already mentioned, Accordance resource management and licensing are VASTLY superior and more user-oriented.

 

Can you expound on this a little more Mr. Terry for us new guys and gals?

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The speed of Accordance stands out. I still want to know. Is this because the texts are not in Unicode, or would it be just as fast in Unicode?

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The speed of Accordance has nothing to do with Unicode or ASCII. The speed of a program is often much more dependent on how things are implemented, than what they actually are. For example, I can think of a variety of ways we could implement Unicode that would make it slower, but of course there are just as easy good implementations that maintain the speed. Its just a very high priority to us to maintain a good, clean, fast codebase. This is one of the reasons why it runs smoothly and quickly on OSes from 10.8 Mountain Lion down to Mac OS 7, and also why we can quickly tweak it or modify it to implement new features or capabilities.

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In regard to the general topic of this thread, I have a significant amount of funds invested in both platforms, but I continue to primarily use Accordance for many of the reasons already mentioned above. Since these differences have already been discussed to a great extent, I thought I might offer a perspective on the topic from a slightly different angle.

 

Ultimately for me, Logos, with its larger library, becomes primarily a reader for texts I can't have in Accordance. This is why even though I currently cannot open Logos in Mountain Lion (it's not yet compatible), my work is not slowed down because if I need access to Logos titles, I can still read them on my iPad. I don't regularly take advantage of the "features" of the Logos platform because I find that I can perform the same kinds of tasks more efficiently in Accordance.

 

In regard to investing in both platforms, like all things, hindsight is always 20/20. If I could go back, I would definitely do things differently knowing what I know now. Nevertheless, some reading this might be able to learn from my experience and make choices that I wish I had.

 

When the first version of Logos for the Mac came out (2008, I believe), I was genuinely interested in comparing it to Accordance which I'd been using since coming to the Mac in 1998. Since Logos at the time was charging for the Mac version of their software unless bought with a package, I opted to purchase their Original Languages CD at the academic discount. Of course, Logos never completed their initial Mac offering and the next year junked it in favor of the Mono-based port of their Windows .Net-based Logos 4.x. This new version of Logos initially seemed innovative and certainly aesthetically attractive at first glance, so I decided to give it a whirl. Although Logos 4 would work with previously purchased titles, the new features could only be fully utilized if one of the new Logos 4 packages was purchased. So I opted to buy in again. But instead of staying at the same level, I was tempted by the large packages and I bought into Logos' second largest deal (Platinum).

 

Technically, I now have more titles in Logos than I do in Accordance, but I still wind up using Accordance more--again, for many of the same reasons mentioned by others above.

 

So, what is it I would do differently, if I could do things over?

 

Well, if I could do everything all over again, I wouldn't change anything about my investment of time and money with Accordance. That investment has been a good one for which I have no regrets.

 

However, knowing that I have come to the point that I prefer etexts over physical books, it's a simple reality that Logos has some titles that Accordance does not have. Therefore, if I were starting from scratch, I would purchase Logos' least-expensive package (I think it's the "Christian Home," though it's still a bit pricy for a "least-expensive package") because it's still the case that you need a full package to take advantage of some of the features of the Logos 4.x software. But after that, I would only buy the occasional Logos title that I felt like I really needed if I knew for certain it wasn't going to be available in Accordance anytime soon or if ever.

 

I would not buy large Logos packages.

 

Here's the reality--and those longtime Accordance users who are occasionally tempted by the big Logos packages should take note from my example--I wish that I had taken the money I spent on the larger Logos packages, which contain many titles I'll never, ever, read and had spent it growing my Accordance library even larger.

 

Because here's the other reality. Those large Logos packages do contain some of the same titles that OakTree also carries for Accordance. Let me give an example. I have the New International Greek Testament Commentary in Logos, but I do not have it for Accordance, even though it's available for Accordance. Based on how I use commentaries in Accordance, I know for a fact that I would use the NIGTC significantly more if I had it in Accordance, but I tend to use it less often because it's in Logos. I'd like to have the NIGTC in Accordance, and I'll probably just suck it up and buy it one day, but it's a bit of a bitter pill to swallow knowing that I've got it duplicated over in Logos.

 

So to sum up--my advice to the Accordance user who might be occasionally tempted by Logos is simply this: invest in Accordance as your primary platform, but if you need to, make a minimal investment in Logos for an occasional title you need that's only available on that platform.

 

That's the better path in my experience.

Edited by R. Mansfield
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Rick and Donovan, with the rising popularity of other e-readers (e.g. Kindle and Nook) and the fact that books in these formats tend to be much cheaper than those on the Logos platform, do you think you will continue using Logos as an e-reader? Or do you just plan to install, say, Kindle reader on your Mac/iPhone/iPad and purchase these kinds of books on that platform?

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Rick and Donovan, with the rising popularity of other e-readers (e.g. Kindle and Nook) and the fact that books in these formats tend to be much cheaper than those on the Logos platform, do you think you will continue using Logos as an e-reader? Or do you just plan to install, say, Kindle reader on your Mac/iPhone/iPad and purchase these kinds of books on that platform?

 

Well, I own two Kindles and a Nook. I also have the Kindle app installed on my iPad and my Mac, so yes, this is a factor. Incidentally, I don't have the Kindle app installed on my iPhone because I don't care to read from my phone and I usually have my Kindle and/or my iPad with me at all times. Except in the shower.

 

But to more directly answer your question--it depends on the title. If it is a book with graphics, I'd prefer to have it in Bible software so that I can potentially access those graphics for use in Keynote or elsewhere. Most of the newer Kindle titles now have color graphics (before the iPad Kindle app, they were all black and white); however, I can't just right-click on a Kindle graphic and copy it for use in another program. There's no option for that. The best I can do is a screen grab that may or may not give me an adequate image to use. Moreover, most of the images in Kindle titles are still fairly low resolution--probably from the cost to Amazon associated with "free" downloads on 3G Kindles.

 

If it is just a text title, though, and not available for Accordance, even if it is available for Logos, I'll probably favor the Kindle, which is also usually cheaper anyway. Plus, if it's just a title I want to read (as opposed to one I might reference over and over), I prefer reading on E Ink screens than on my iPad or computer.

 

Having said that, though, it's not too difficult to copy text from Bible software into a Word document and then send that document to my Kindle's email address. Within a short amount of time, it will magically appear on my Kindle. I've read a number of books this way in the past couple of years. Yet in fairness, I should point out that it's an easier process to move text from Logos to the Kindle than it is to move text from Accordance to the Kindle.

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I think one of the areas of my wish list would be for Accordance to continue to add to the journals that it has on offer. For example, I would love to see Themelios brought to the Accordance platform. I'd love to see BAR updated, but I know that has a lot to do with the publisher. I am a real sucker for journals! ;)

 

What he said.

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Just a reminder that we do have crossgrades for some large items, courtesy of the publishers, and even offer an extra discount on other "crossgrades" of modules that you own and keep on another platform.

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My story is quite similar to Ricks, with a little twist/add-on. I really like the following in Logos:

  • Highlighting in Logos 4 is pretty amazing and customizable
  • Personal Book Builder is unparalleled in its ability to add your own or others' content
  • "Book" reading, with highlighting and notes is a rich, highly capable experience
  • The "Discourse" ESV and GNT resources are unique to logos and a great way to look at the text

That said, there is *nothing* that compares to Accordance for searching the bible, digging into the text deep and wide and of course teaching prep. Absolutely nothing.

 

Logos is like an electronic reader that has bibles too that bolts on these other tools and functions. It's trying to take the book reading experience and add "tools" to enhance the experience.

 

Accordance has a philosophy that makes the product able to do what takes Logos 5+ tools (e.g. Bible Word Study, Search, Graph Search Results, Passage Lists, and more) to do with one "tab" in Accordance.

 

If you've been around a long time, I liken Logos to the old "Gopher" search, and think of Accordance as Google compared to Logos/Gopher.

 

That said, and this is a very personal opinion, I think Accordance has kept user content creation (currently User Notes, User Tools, User Bibles and Highlighting) to the side for WAY too long. They need to invest in this area as a top priority. The core of reading and searching and helping to drive creative and wonderful ideas, but it's way to hard to do that in the tool. I was hopeful for a while a few years ago when they did a few nice things with User Tools, but that momentum disappeared and we've been told outright it's not a priority. <sigh> For this reason, I don't buy commentaries in Accordance any more.. ever. I use Logos for commentaries and books, and Accordance for texts and their tightly integrated resources. I do this because I can engage with the Commentaries, link easily, edit easily, highlight the way I want to highlight, not end up with some hideous mix of patterns and colors that I have to print a legend to remember.</sigh>

Edited by mikes
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My experience is nearly identical to Rick Mansfield's, except that recently I decided to sell my entire Logos package and invest that money further into my Accordance library, which was really the only library I had been using to get my serious studies done. The UI in Logos for me was just too cumbersome and limited, not to mention painfully slow and resource demanding, so much so that I rarely even opened my huge Logos Platinum library. I finally sold it last month, paid the license transfer fee ($25.00), and am on my way to more resources in the only tool I use, Accordance. This is an option for those of you who have regrets about a prior investment in Logos and wish to use Accordance solely. Logos isn't terrible, and they have brought some innovative ideas to the table, but I am spoiled rotten as an Accordance user, and ever so happy to be.

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Can you expound on this a little more Mr. Terry for us new guys and gals?

 

I'll try. :)

 

There really isn't what I would call a real library management feature in Logos. Some Logos resources may have hundreds of title, e.g. Perseus, If there are individual titles you don't want or need, there are two choices: 1) "Hide" each title you do not wish to see. This is a laborious, multi-step process that is limited to working with no more than 10 titles at a time. 2) Have the resource (with all its titles) removed from your license by contacting Logos customer support (which took over 10 days in my case). If you wish to have that title again later on, you must go through the "purchase" process and download again.

 

In Accordance, I can remove single or multiple title from my library (with no need for any other interaction) using the Library window. Clicking or dragging a loop over multiple titles and with the press of a key they are removed from Accordance. Here is a major difference n Accordance: those title are still present on my computer. If I wish to use them at some future date, no downloading is needed, just add them back to the Library from their location on my computer using the Library window. Simple!

 

I have a minimal investment in Logos files and I will admit there are some titles I would like to have that only they have for sale. But the overall user experience is much much better in Accordance. Every time I think I might try to use Logos for something, I end up getting pretty frustrated. It is just too slow - compared to the lightning fast Accordance program. I get WAY more study done in Accordance and do it much more efficiently.

 

Hope that helps a bit.

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As mentioned in another thread, I have both programs. While I am NOT a scholar and I am NOT familiar with the original languages and I DO NOT use Accordance or Logos for that type of study I primarily use Accordance for ALL of my personal studies, devotions and sermon prep work. I primarily use Logos as many have already said "a book reader". I have numerous Logos titles of Dr. John MacArthur's that I read and I also have used "The Bible Exposition Commentary" which I have found to be helpful.

 

I made the switch not long after buying my first Mac two and a half years ago. I have been a Logos user for probably 4 or 5 years. I upgraded to Logos 4 on the Mac and while there are definitely things about its UI that I like and the ability to make notes on a particular word, verse or section of Scripture (Accordance allows for verse and Scripture section as well, just NOT a particular word) I have found Logos whether on Windows or Mac to be incredibly SLOW booting up, I have continual sync problems, and it lags as you input information.

 

The process from the introduction of Logos 4 until today has seen progress BUT the slowness and instability that I have experienced has given me great concern and a refusal to make any other purchases. I don't think my package would be sellable since I do not possess one of the bigger packages so I continue to use it as a book reader primarily. I am VERY DISAPPOINTED in Logos and it is difficult for me not to complain and whine since I do have a substantial investment BUT I am currently looking anxiously for additional titles to be made available in Accordance (HCSB Study Bible?).

 

Another item I would like to mention which has also already been mentioned and that is the incredible customer service and tech support. It simply DOES NOT get any better than that which Accordance offers! My hat is off to the folks at Oak Tree Software for an amazing product!

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[*]The "Discourse" ESV and GNT resources are unique to logos and a great way to look at the text

 

This is the only reason I use logos, and since Steve works for Logos, I dont see these titles coming to Accordance any time soon.

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My comments are somewhat tangental to this immediate discussion (Logos vs. Accordance), but are relevent to the larger discussion brought up in this thread.

 

A) I too recommend that the “user” parts of Accordance mature.

  1. USER NOTES: While I managed to find a work around so that I can sync from my mac pro to my macbook air via Dropbox, there is no way to sync to my iPhone. This is what keeps me from saving up and buying an iPad. I’d like to be able to sync it through dropbox (or iCloud?). I write lots of notes in my notes files. Right now the mobile version of Accordance has a size limit (10 megs?).
  2. USER TOOLS: While I import files into Accordance through simple html, the process is never smooth. Usually I have to make sure the html is very, very simple. Otherwise it won’t import. Likewise, even after I do import there are weird spacing issues throughout the document. When it’s done, it’s a wonderful to use not just on Accordance on my mac, but even more so on Accordance on my iPhone. It looks beautiful, scrolls smoothly and links to the stuff I want it to.

 

 

B) I recommend that the iOS part of Accordance mature even more so. I’m finding a growing number of people who have iPads but have no intention (yet) of buying a mac. Having a very well built, functional iOS app that works better than any other app out there for bible stuff would be a priority in the future. Right now the stuff out there for iOS stuff seems to be “companion” software. It’s not totally functional on its own. I think Accordance has a head start in this area compared to the other stuff out there. But, by bringing full functionality of Accordance to iOS I'd be able to take an iPad to a pastor's conference and not feel like I should have also brought my macbook air. For an example of what pastors might be looking for in an app, here is a good description: http://ipadinministry.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/sermon-preparation-with-an-ipad/

 

C) I don't have Logos. Every now and then I'm tempted to buy it since Lutheran publishers have chosen to publish their electronic resources almost exclusively through Logos. But there are two things which keep me from buying it:

  1. STABILITY: Every published review and personal conversation I've had with people about Logos is that it is both very resource intensive and somewhat buggy.
  2. EFFICIENCY: With Accordance I can get to the information I need to quickly (i.e. there's no wait for the computer to catch up with my clicking) and efficiently (I don't have to open up a bunch of windows or grind through a bunch of reports).

Now, having said this, please realize that I don't have Logos. they might have improved in the months and years since I've done my research.

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