For over a decade now, every two years each Fall, I have anticipated the latest update to Logos Bible Software. Today, 10/10 (who saw this as the release date coming?), we now have the release of Logos 10, and here are 10 of my first impressions of the latest edition of Logos.
The Toolbar
My first reaction to Logos 10 was, “Whoa!” I was quite surprised to see the toolbar appear on the left instead of the top of the screen. I have so far enjoyed having it on the left, as it did seem to take a lot of real estate on top. I also like that toolbar can expand or be minimized. However, having the toolbar on the left side leaves less room for your custom shortcuts.
Another feature of the toolbar is that it can be moved back to the top to its traditional spot if you desire. However, even if you have it in the traditional location at the top, it is much smaller and allows more room for the resource panels.
Bible Button
A new part of the toolbar is a Bible button. It seemed odd that there was not a button that would take you immediately to your preferred Bible, but now there is. There has also been a change in terminology here. Your “preferred Bible” is now referred to as your “top Bible.” Now, when you do a Bible search, one option will be “top Bible.” This also shows up in the mobile app.
Search
Logos has “reimagined” Search by replacing the “basic” search with a new “All” search option. This search option evidently uses AI to produce results that best fit the search query.
Within this “All” search option, you will find not only links to resources but also boxes that contain other searches that link to the Factbook, Bible searches, media, Questions and Answers, and more. There’s a lot to unpack here, Stay tuned to the Logos Daily Circle for more on searching!
Print Library Catalog
This is an interesting new feature that allows you to search the hardcopy books you have in your library. As helpful as Logos editions of books are, there is still nothing that competes with actually holding a book in your hands. Logos will now allow you to add books that are in its catalog to your Logos library. These books that you add to your personal Print Library Catalog can be organized, tagged, and searched. The caveat, of course, is that you cannot read these books. If you open the book, it will take you to the preview page for that book with a link to the store. However, you can search these books and find the heading or chapter where your search terms are found, and at least in some cases the page number. This will be a very handy feature and actually allow you to use the dusty books in your library that you sometimes forget to peruse in your studies.
Another aspect of this is on the mobile app. A new feature on the app is an ISBN Scanner. Open the ISBN Scanner, point your phone to an ISBN barcode, and voila, you have added that book to your Print Library. As the great authorized Logos Trainer Morris Proctor says, “Easy peasy!”
Note: the Print Library feature is a Gold package and above feature.
Import Sermons
Within the Sermon Manager tool, you now have the option to upload documents. If, for example, you are using the Light Network’s Sermon Planning Guide, that CSV file can now be uploaded into your Logos Sermon Manager. If you planned sermons in the past with a CSV file, all of that data can be uploaded.
Also, if you have sermons written in Word (docx files only), these can now be uploaded. When they are uploaded into the Sermon Manager, any metadata, such as the date, is added into the Sermon Manager. Additionally, any Bible references in these documents are automatically recognized and linked to your Top Bible.
Popular Quotes
Sticking with the subject of sermons, an addition to the Sermon Builder is the addition of Popular Quotations. All who preach have probably tried to put the finishing touches on a sermon by searching for the perfect quotation to use in the Introduction or Conclusion. Now you can search not just your books but all books in the Logos Catalog for that quotation. In the information pane of the Sermon Builder, Popular locations are located next to the version history button. Select the quotation marks and search for that perfect quotation. When you find your quote, you can drag the quotation card directly into your sermon document.
Advanced Timeline
Probably an underused tool has been the Timeline feature. In L10, the timeline, now called the Advanced Timeline, has gotten a bit of a makeover. At the top of the Advanced Timeline, you will now see eras. These can be set to either Bible and Church History eras (e.g., Patriarchal Period or the Byzantine Church Era) or Western History eras (e.g., the Bronze Age). Additionally, points on the timeline can be grouped by subject and type. This allows certain types of events to be minimized. This is an exciting update for lovers of timelines like myself. In the past, the timeline feature was a bit of a mess, unless you filtered down to a specific person or event. Now, it is much cleaner and easier to use.
Note: the Advanced Timeline is a feature within Bronze L10 packages and above.
Translation
A new feature of the software is Machine Translation. This will allow you to translate almost any resource in your library. This, of course, would be very helpful to non-English speakers, missionaries, and scholars. I don’t know about you, but one thing that has held me back from pursuing further scholarly studies is my utter lack of desire to study the German language. Well, maybe I don’t have that excuse anymore. At least now, when my children get ahold of our tablet and set my Top Bible to the Russian Bible (yes, this happened, and it took a long while to figure out why Russian kept appearing in my text comparisons. Oddly enough, this was around the time the war in Europe started!), I’ll be able to translate it!
Note: This feature is available in Starter and above on the web app. On mobile, it’s Silver. There is a monthly limit on how much this feature can be used.
Factbook Tags
An online-only visual filter feature adds millions of tags to your resources. This is similar to Kindle’s X-Ray feature, where you click or hover over an underlined word, and a pop-up window will define a word. This feature was introduced in L9, but it has been improved and enhanced. It can be turned on and off by selecting the Factbook button within a resource. It is on by default.
Mobile Updates
Several updates have been made to the mobile version of Logos. Here are some of the highlights for mobile and tablet devices. Almost all books can now be read to you on the mobile app with the Text to Speech function. Text Selection is easier and allows quicker and easier access to notes (Awesome!). Panels can have up to 3 different link sets and a “follow only” option. Even more features have come to the iPad: Canvas, Timeline, Sermon Manager, and Draw on Screen. These are all very exciting updates to the mobile and tablet apps.
Conclusion
There may not be any earth-shattering new features in Logos 10, like the Factbook or Counseling Guide in version 9, but the updates to the User Interface and improvements to speed make upgrading to Logos 10 worthwhile. The program is 10-40% faster depending on your machine. That’s amazing! I really love the new toolbar, as I am always running out of room on my screens, and mobile users, especially those with iPad are really going to love the new updates.
Stay tuned to Logos Daily as we will have full coverage of L10 and if you’re ready to purchase you can save up to 30% and get 5 additional resources free here.