Not another Surface vs Ipad post

This is not a post at which is better, I understand that both have their place depending on individual needs.

I have the ipad air 4th generation and am overall happy with it using Logos. But I was wondering exactly what features are not available for the ipad that are available for the surface/desktop app/full version?

Is there a link that tells me?

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Comments

Dave Hooton

Unless a user has compiled a list, differences between the two are not readily available. Have you checked in the Mobile Apps forum?

Joey Midgett

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1261349#Comment_1261349

I did, but could not find any kind of list. Just random features here and there.

Mike Childs

As I understand, with a Surface you can run the full windows version of Logos. So, anything that Logos offers is available on a good Surface tablet. I used a Surface Pro for several years, and that was certainly the case. For example, Personal Books were available on my Surface Pro, but not on an iPad. IPad is great for reading Logos books, but it will not run the full Logos program.

Joey Midgett

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1261351#Comment_1261351

Yes, and I am trying to weigh out in my mind whether I want to fork out the money for a surface when I already have an ipad, But it's hard to weigh that out when I don't even know what features my ipad can't do that the full version does.

R. Mansfield

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1261358#Comment_1261358

Yes, and I am trying to weigh out in my mind whether I want to fork out the money for a surface when I already have an ipad, But it's hard to weigh that out when I don't even know what features my ipad can't do that the full version does.

Joey, do you have a Windows or Mac computer besides your iPad? If this is the case, and you know Logos fairly well, try using just the iPad for Logos work for about a week or so to see what features you might be missing. Also, the web version is more closely aligned to the desktop version of Logos than the mobile version. You might have benefit from using it on your iPad as well.

Joey Midgett

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1261363#Comment_1261363

Yes, I have a desktop and know Logos features OK on the desktop. I have used the ipad exclusively for over a week when I was on vacation recently and it worked pretty good, though there were a few things I was missing. And it was during my vacation that I thought maybe a surface pro would be the way to go, and that's what got me thinking about what all my ipad may not be able to do that the full version can.

I did manage to find a short list by Graham in another post. Which pushes me to think I may want to purchase a surface pro, but again, I was hoping there was an exhaustive list of what features were not available on the ipad as of yet.

Here is the list that Graham gave in the other post:

Things such as:

the complete range of search options including morph and syntax searches

access all Guide sections, not just a subset

have access to more functionality when offline

more flexible and multi-panelled layouts

more functionality in terms of linking resources

access Theology and Counselling Guides

create and manipulate collections

use the full range of Interactives

set up custom reading plans

use the sermon manager tool

add tags and ratings to resources

I'm sure I've missed a lot of obvious things but hopefully that gives a flavour.

Though the sermon manager is now on the ipad.

GregW

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1261369#Comment_1261369

Here is the list that Graham gave in the other post:

Things such as:

the complete range of search options including morph and syntax searches

access all Guide sections, not just a subset

have access to more functionality when offline

more flexible and multi-panelled layouts

more functionality in terms of linking resources

access Theology and Counselling Guides

create and manipulate collections

use the full range of Interactives

set up custom reading plans

use the sermon manager tool

add tags and ratings to resources

I'm sure I've missed a lot of obvious things but hopefully that gives a flavour.

I’m not sure there is a definitive list, but I’d also add several which stop me moving fully to iPad:

Create and manage Collections
Create and edit Custom Guides
Library tagging
Prioritization
Popups (ie hovering to see original language information versus having to do a Look Up on iPad)
Interlinear view
Greek/Hebrew Reader’s Edition
Visual Filters
Highlighting palettes
Cited By
Power Lookup
Information panel
Access to Resource Information (as in Ctrl-shift-I)
Create custom Reading Plans
Interactives

For me, it’s the library management ones that I find really restrictive (tagging, prioritisation, create/edit collections). Some of these might be available on the Web app, but I haven’t used that for a year or so. I know the library management functions aren’t.

Mark

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1261369#Comment_1261369

though there were a few things I was missing.

All that you are missing on the ipad can be done on a Surface Pro. The Surface Pro runs Logos as if it were a desktop. My favorite feature I would be missing without the Surface Pro would be the personal books. Those hold my personal notes. On the Surface Pro, I can add to those notes as well.

Joey Midgett

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1261393#Comment_1261393

though there were a few things I was missing.

All that you are missing on the ipad can be done on a Surface Pro. The Surface Pro runs Logos as if it were a desktop. My favorite feature I would be missing without the Surface Pro would be the personal books. Those hold my personal notes. On the Surface Pro, I can add to those notes as well.

Curious, you say your personal books hold your personal notes, do you use them like notes for scripture instead of using the notes feature?

Mark

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1261432#Comment_1261432

Curious, you say your personal books hold your personal notes, do you use them like notes for scripture instead of using the notes feature?

I use both. But I preach from notes that end up in personal books. So I have, for example, notes on the book of Ezekiel are 63 pages long. Or my notes on Psalms are 97 pages long. I continue to add and tweak my notes. The sermon building cannot do what I want, so I use personal books. Whether I preach or have a Bible Study, they are available to me.

I also use the notes feature.

Mike Childs

There are a number of reasons I would not want to totally rely on an iPad for Logos Bible Study.

1, Personal Books are not available.

2. And perhaps more important, you cannot download you entire Logos Library onto an iPad, unless it is a small library. I have an iPad with the new chips. It has enough harddrive space to download my 9,000 plus books library, and I have tried. But it doesn't work well if you do. You will not like it, and you will more or less lose use of part of your library if all you have is the iPad. Without the internet, you will be in trouble on the iPad.

3. iPad excels as a content user. It is great to watch a ballgame, a movie, read a book, web browsing, or play a game. It will not replace my laptop or desktop computer. iPad is no doubt a better entertainment tablet than Surface Pro, and Surface Pro is a better computer than iPad. That is my opinion.

4. As stated in posts above, you will lose many features of the full Logos. So, it really depends on how much of Logos you actually use.

5. I did use the full Logos very successfully on three different versions of Surface Pro. I eventually may return to Surface Pro, but I am happy with my laptop and iPad for now.

I personally use a good laptop (PC) for deep and serious study. I use my iPad for a full color reader - great for reading magazines like Astronomy or BBC History, as well as Logos Books.

Joey Midgett

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1261793#Comment_1261793

There are a number of reasons I would not want to totally rely on an iPad for Logos Bible Study.

1, Personal Books are not available.

2. And perhaps more important, you cannot download you entire Logos Library onto an iPad, unless it is a small library. I have an iPad with the new chips. It has enough harddrive space to download my 9,000 plus books library, and I have tried. But it doesn't work well if you do. You will not like it, and you will more or less lose use of part of your library if all you have is the iPad. Without the internet, you will be in trouble on the iPad.

3. iPad excels as a content user. It is great to watch a ballgame, a movie, read a book, web browsing, or play a game. It will not replace my laptop or desktop computer. iPad is no doubt a better entertainment tablet than Surface Pro, and Surface Pro is a better computer than iPad. That is my opinion.

4. As stated in posts above, you will lose many features of the full Logos. So, it really depends on how much of Logos you actually use.

5. I did use the full Logos very successfully on three different versions of Surface Pro. I eventually may return to Surface Pro, but I am happy with my laptop and iPad for now.

I personally use a good laptop (PC) for deep and serious study. I use my iPad for a full color reader - great for reading magazines like Astronomy or BBC History, as well as Logos Books.

I have a great two monitor desktop setup that is not going anywhere. It is my main study platform. The ipad I use for preaching and for study when not at home or I just want to be mobile, ie. relax on the front porch while I study.

I was just thinking a surface pro might be better for me than the ipad for those on the go days, so if I need all the features of Logos they are there.

R. Mansfield

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1261808#Comment_1261808

I have owned five Surface tablets over the years since the original Surface RT was released. I don’t currently have one. I love their size and portability, and they are great computers. But they are simply not as good of a tablet—for doing tablet-specific things—as an iPad. And I think that this lies in the fact that in spite of having a touchscreen, most Windows applications, and perhaps even Windows itself doesn’t really focus that much on being a touch-centric computer.

Whereas, the iPad, on the other hand is designed to be touch-centric first. Unfortunately, as already discussed here, most iPad apps aren’t as powerful as their Windows and macOS versions. I hope this changes over time. I prefer my iPad Pro over my desktop computer, but I still rely on the latter for numerous things the iPad doesn’t do.