New user buying Logos 5 Packages

Chocolate Cake

I'm new to Logos. I want to use ESV, NIV, NKJV and NASB95 with Strong's numbers at a minimum. I see that I can get all of those Bibles for only $35 if I buy the Logos 5 Starter Library and it comes with some resources that sound useful. However, Logos 5 sounds like an old version of the software. Can I buy that starter library and use it all in Logos 9? Will that kind of upgrade cause issues?  Logos 9 packages come with less of what I want.

MJ. Smith

Welcome to the forums.The old (legacy) packages are resources only - they don't include the software with its optional features. You need to supplement it with either the free engine or one of the L10 feature packs. So yes, you can buy L5 resource bundles and run them on the L9 (free) or L10 software. L10 will have a free version sometime in the first quarter of 2023 if history repeats itself.

JT (alabama24)

Logos 5 sounds like an old version of the software

MJ already answered this, but I would phrase it differently. "Logos 5 Starter Library" isn't software, it is a collection (Library) of resources. You will not be able to get or use "Logos 5" software, nor would it likely run on your current computer. 

The resources will download and install on whatever version of the software engine you end up using. Currently the "free" version is Logos 9. At a minimum, you will want to "buy" (for free) the Logos 9 Basic. However... 

I want to use ESV, NIV, NKJV and NASB95 with Strong's numbers at a minimum.

The "Logos 5 Starter Library" does not have datasets. The bibles do not have the corresponding "reverse interlinears." I think you are wanting those, which would mean an additional purchase. Perhaps this: https://www.logos.com/product/195714/logos-9-fundamentals 

Justin Gatlin

To elaborate on MJ's post, Logos is three things: (1) software, (2) books, (3) features. The software itself is free, so if you buy something now, you will continue to get updates for future versions of Windows/Mac at no additional cost and your existing books and features will be carried along. A base package is a combination of books and features, with higher level base packages including more features and more books. The legacy libraries are the books part of old packages, but don't include the features. So Logos 5 Legacy Library is a little confusing: it isn't buying Logos 5; it is buying the Starter Library of books that came out with Logos 5. One more thing - Logos has dynamic pricing, which means if you buy one package and then another, you get a discount for the percentage of overlap. So you can definitely buy piecemeal without worry.
Since the Logos 5 starter library doesn't include any features (or the NIV, which you said you wanted), you will need another purchase on top of the Logos 5 starter library. There are 3 inexpensive ways to do this.

Option 1 - Logos 9 Fundamentals / Approximately $100
Logos has a starter deal for the Logos 9 software that includes a substantially better discount than other options, but it is one of the very few things that doesn't have dynamic pricing, so you need to buy it first. It will give you some features of Logos 9 (like the ability to access your books through app.logos.com, Factbook in the mobile app, the ability to highlight in one translation and see it in others, etc). It also comes with the Bible Exposition Commentary (Wiersbe), the New Bible Commentary (Carson, France, Motyer, Wenham) and the Bible Knowledge Commentary, which are good, modern resources. Because of its quirky status, you have to buy it first and check out to see the discount on other resources. 
Logos Fundamentals: $49.99 https://www.logos.com/product/195714/logos-9-fundamentals 
After that, I would add the Logos 5 starter library to my cart to get the NKJV and NASB95 that you wanted.
Then I would add the Logos 7 starter library to get the NIV. You can add these to your cart at once and it will automatically discount for the overlap. There is no need to check out three times. This package will also add the very good Evangelical Commentary on the Bible and Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology (Walter Elwell), and the Baker Encyclopedia. These packages should be about $50 together, maybe a little less.

Option 2 - Logos 9 Basic + Logos 5 Starter + Logos 7 Starter / $59.54

This option gets you all of the translations you wanted, but you will miss the special pricing on some of the features in Logos 9 Fundamentals that I think you would appreciate once you had them, as well as those commentaries that each cost individually about as much as the difference in this and option 1.

https://www.logos.com/product/194909
https://www.logos.com/product/208017/logos-7-starter-legacy-library
https://www.logos.com/product/218994/logos-5-starter-legacy-library
Add them all to your cart at once and check out for $59.54.

Option 3 - Logos 9 Basic + Logos 5 Starter + NIV / $43.74
This is just buying the Logos 5 starter and then the NIV, HCSB, ESV bundle for a slightly better price than buying the NIV alone. Only about a dollar difference, but money is money! Add these three things to your cart and it will automatically adjust for the overlap. In my opinion, the added resources in Logos 7 starter are worth the extra $15 (the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible alone is worth $60 alone, and the Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible is $149.99 alone), but your mileage may vary.
https://www.logos.com/product/194909
https://www.logos.com/product/218994/logos-5-starter-legacy-library
https://www.logos.com/product/218850/niv-hcsb-and-esv-bible-bundle