a question from an Accordance User
Comments
-
Well, there are lots of factors that would make this very difficult to do. I've worked at both companies, and I can't speak for what Accordance does now, but I am am familiar with what we did when I was there. I know in the past, Accordance used to offer a 30% discount on Collections (their version of what Logos calls Base Packages) for new users coming over from competing platforms. This is easily comparable to our recent introductory pricing on Logos 2025 Base Packages. And, of course, last October, we had an incredible 50% off Logos 10 Base Packages in the "Last Chance" sale.
Accordance used to try to offer "crossgrade" deals, which amounted to discounts on titles or series you might have in competing software. However, it was never widespread because it required the participation of publishers to either wave royalties or offer reduced royalties, and most publishers declined to participate. I believe the old Accordance webpage that kept track of the crossgrade deals on individual titles and series was taken down long ago.
The idea of having discounts on every individual title and series you own in one platform to purchase in the competing platform would get complicated very quickly because a user's library is dynamic, not static. Figuring discounts on hundreds, if not thousands, of titles for each potential new user would be an administrative challenge on the part of our sales team. That is, it would take considerable time, with not a lot of return. Accordance created targeted deals for BibleWorks users (after BW announced they were closing) only because BibleWorks was mostly a fixed package of titles, and it was easier to create a fixed Collection of approximate content.
And, of course, Logos was able to transfer libraries of WordSearch users because they bought the company—which was a healthy platform with lots of users and a good investment for Logos.
I know all of this can be frustrating as we've seen some of these platforms fold over the years (BibleWorks, Quickverse, etc.), this often results in needing to purchase titles again. If misery loves company, I've done it myself. I've been on all these platforms over the years. I have some titles that have been duplicated in Logos, Accordance, BibleWorks, Wordsearch, OliveTree, Kindle, and even print. But my decisions were made because because ultimately, I needed what I needed when I needed it. Even working for Accordance for many years, I still took advantage of Logos sales—both individual titles and base packages, even duplicating a lot of content. Because of the incredibly large catalog available from Logos, years ago, when I still worked for the other guys, I had a personal Logos library larger than everything offered in the entire Accordance catalog. And in hindsight, I'm very glad I did this.
All that to say, I know switching platforms can be both difficult and expensive, but if you're considering switching to Logos (and I hope you will!) I would recommend starting with a Base Package, especially when it is discounted. For the resources not in that package, make a priority list of those titles or series, add them to your wishlist on our site, and keep an eye out for our sales, which often have very generous discounts. These sales change monthly (and we even have daily deals).
The good news is I've been very impressed with the health and vision of Logos since I've been working for the company. I'm no longer buying anything on a competing Bible software platform, and my assumption is Logos is going to be around long after I'm gone from this earth.
Senior Publisher Relations Specialist • Logos Bible Software • Rick.Mansfield@logos.com
2 -
My memory is not good at all. But when I 'came over' from Bibleworks to Accordance, the discount seemed quite significant (enough for me to effectively duplicate Logos resources in Accordance). Of course, BW pricing was rock-bottom.
But I agree, absent FL buying Accordance (unlikely), the move to Logos can be pricey.
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
1 -
Thanks for clarifying how the crossover worked at Accordance, I didn't realize that. When BW died, I actually did contact Logos first, letting them know the situation, and to be honest, the person I spoke with sort of blew me off and didn't even attempt to try to convince me why I should duplicate things in Logos. I then called Accordance and was informed of their crossgrade program. Like @DMB , I also remember it as being a significant discount. In fact I know it was. On a side note, I would like to mention that this time when I contacted sales, the guy I spoke to was very friendly and professional, and worked with me to access all the discounts I could personally qualify for. So this gave me the impression that Logos must have changed since the last time I contacted them, and further, I think it really speaks to how when a company offers a discount, it may be expensive on the outset, but it is often well worth it not only in building customers, but promoting customer loyalty.
1 -
I’m sad the Christmas discount is a single use code. Hoping for a new year discount code soon.
0 -
Right. The Accordance discount for BibleWorks users was steep because it was easy to create a couple comparable packages. BibleWorks famously didn't offer things like commentaries or monographs, so it was very easy to work with publishers to come up with something very inexpensive that was the equivalent of a BibleWorks library.
As @Rick Mansfield (Logos) has pointed out, Logos probably won't be able to do the same thing for Accordance users because it would be a nightmare trying to figure out the myriads of possible discount combinations.0 -
BTW, I'm using floating windows in Logos now, and with them I can do everything I used to do with Accordance workspaces (your mileage may vary).
1 -
Hi @Mark Allison,
Thanks for letting me know. Right now I am working really hard to finalize exporting my Accordance notes (I hope to be finished in Feb, I hope…). Then after that I am really going to try to force Logos to work to see if it is possible. I might contact you about floating window questions, if that is ok, as Logos' inability to have multiple layouts open at a time is really the number one reason why I am not sure if the program will be functional (despite the awesome library it has).
One thing I am kind of fuzzy about though, actually two things:
1) How many floating windows can be open at once with one layout?
2) If I save that layout, and then close the program and reopen it, will it reopen the layout WITH all the floating windows open?0 -
- I was able to open 20 floating windows, but I assume I could open more.
- When I quit and restarted Logos, they were all still open in the positions I had left them. Note: In my Logos preferences I set "At Startup Open to" to " Most recent layout-any".
I only have one monitor, so I wasn't able to test whether they opened in the same position on another monitor.
2 -
Hi @Mark Allison ,
That is great to hear!! if I can open 20 floating windows, that sounds very workable, especially if they remain open after closing the windows. Thank you for clarifying this! I understand the floating windows are more limited than a legitimate layout, but this is nonetheless optimistic. Thanks again, and I will for sure start with messing with floating windows as soon as this massive export is done.
0 -
In addition to lots of windows, lots of books can be open, with great performance. I generally keep 150-170 books open all the time, in 6 windows.
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
3 -
Hi @DMB,
Just to clarify, you are meaning that you have six floating windows open, and the 150-170 books open are distributed among these floating windows. Is this correct? Are you able to minimize a floating window?
ps - if I try to tag you, there are multiple potential profiles with the same pic, so hopefully I am tagging you correctly.0 -
Yes, you can minimize a floating window.
1 -
@kristin, adding to Mark, I normally keep the windows open, with the main window a little larger so I can quickly get to tools etc just clicking on the main window (on the Mac I use the hot corners).
I also make heavy use of MultiBook panels, where Logos automatically inserts needed volumes (eg keeping my Targums organized).
ps Yes, there's lots of me. I'm not sure which is me! But I watch recent posts.
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
2 -
Y’all talking about having 150 books open, and I suddenly now have the motivation to clean up my home office / bedroom! Thank you!
150 books open! Ah! I must destress and clean!
3 -
- I have seven floating windows open, two the complex windows with multiple panes and many tabs, of which I've posted screen shots, and five really simple ones. All close when I close the main window of Logos (of course), and all open when I open my main layout. All windows open as I left them, except any windows that I had snapped to the left side or right side of the screen, using that feature of Windows, show up in their unsnapped size and location. So when I close and reopen Logos it takes a few seconds for me to snap the thus-unsnapped windows back to the side where I want them. I could manually resize them without using Windows' snapping feature (whatever it's called), but I haven't bothered.
- DMB has me beat, but I've got fifty-five tabs, most of which are books, opened across six panes in three windows - not counting five more books each open in its own window. It all takes a bit to open up, but I open Logos only when I've had reason to close it - letting an update install, and restarting Windows are about it. Logos has frozen or crashed on me twice that I recall in the thirteen months since I first started using it.
1 - I have seven floating windows open, two the complex windows with multiple panes and many tabs, of which I've posted screen shots, and five really simple ones. All close when I close the main window of Logos (of course), and all open when I open my main layout. All windows open as I left them, except any windows that I had snapped to the left side or right side of the screen, using that feature of Windows, show up in their unsnapped size and location. So when I close and reopen Logos it takes a few seconds for me to snap the thus-unsnapped windows back to the side where I want them. I could manually resize them without using Windows' snapping feature (whatever it's called), but I haven't bothered.
-
Hi @Thomas Glen Leo ,
Thank you for clarifying this, and also for your prior screenshots. I briefly mentioned it above, but I am intensely working on a note export (which Accordance users know I have been literally working on for years), but I have reason to think I am nearing the end. After that, I am going to spend a week attempting to work exclusively in Logos and just see if it is possible. After understanding the floating windows a little better now, I feel pretty encouraged about it.
1 -
Kristin,
One other note: even with all those books, and tabs, open, actually using Logos - moving around all the windows and tabs, as I do when I'm reading or studying and looking in various tabs for comparisons, study Bibles, commentaries, etc., or reading a book, clicking on cross-references that open or switch to my preferred Bible or some other cited resource, searching, etc., Logos is pretty much instantaneous, except for the well-known bits - e.g., the creation of AI synopses, that I do understand involve background processes.1 -
Logos does keep track of multiple monitors.
The only thing that I think layouts with floating windows is missing is modularity (like updating a personal layout that is sometimes owned with a teaching layout and sometimes with a writing layout). But if you just have one master workspace you always use, it is fine.
Logos is fast enough on my computer that I would never do that, I would just update the teaching layout, switch to what I want to show, and then switch back to the teaching layout. But obviously everybody has their own flow.
Using Logos as a pastor, seminary professor, and Tyndale author
1 -
No need to destress too soon. Don't forget text comparisons … across centuries, ordered by date, and then 5 TCs by language. Multiviews for commentaries ordered by usefulness, main and supplementary, as well as Targums. It 'sounds' like a lot but sits nice and neat until needed. Peaceful-like.
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
3 -
Thank you all for sharing how you use floating windows. I knew floating windows were a thing, but had rarely made use of them. Meanwhile, I kept struggling to find a smooth way to transition from my devotions layout to my classroom layout to my lesson prep layout each morning. Opening and closing layouts takes only seconds, but after opening my classroom layout, I would hesitate to return to my devotions layout to record a thought, or to take a few minutes to glance over my lesson prep layout before the day, because those extra few seconds are valuable in the morning. After reading of how you all use floating windows, I created a new layout that has each of my constantly-used layouts in floating windows…I can simply move between them at will. So very cool. 😊
4 -
Thanks for the extensive response. I would agree with your last comment about Logos and that is why I plan to buy a package soon or go the subscription route
0 -
Seems like a fantastic time for FL to set up an e-mail with a link to one of those 'tutorial' pages with pictures, animations and small videos. All about 'floating windows' and layouts. Would appreciate all the insights here distilled by Logos experts on one page.
1 -
@Rick Mansfield (Logos) Floating windows in Logos appear to be very similar to Workspaces in Accordance. I think former Accordance users would really appreciate learning how these work.
4 -
Edit: wrong click & can't delete the empty post /edit
Have joy in the Lord!
0 -
Not exactly alike, but probably workable for those who want to do it. I have NT, OT, Patristic, etc. workspaces in Accordance that I can open and close at any time, in any order, and any combination and duplicated number. A HUGE floating windows "workspace" in Logos could encompass all of my Accordance "workspaces," but would not be as easy and nice as choosing which portion, and when, one would want to open and close various portions to stay focused. Nice to know the possible workaround, even so.
3 -
I made a suggestion you can vote for
Using Logos as a pastor, seminary professor, and Tyndale author
1 -
Hi @Justin Gatlin,
I think you are for sure correct that there needs to be options, but your two options of "clear workspace and open layout" or "open this layout in a floating window" both ultimately leave the user with only one fundamental layout open. While I am gathering that the floating windows are thankfully far more powerful than I realized, the floating windows are still connected to the layout that they are floating in. Yet when I have multiple workspaces open in Accordance, all my workspaces are addressing different topics and it would be disorganized for them to be connected with one floating in another. So I think in addition to the ideas you listed, there really needs to be a third option to simply open another layout without closing or modifying the one which is open.
On a side note, I wasn't really sure if I should make this comment here or on the thread post, so if I should comment something like this there, please let me know.0 -
I don't think I understand. You can have floating windows addressing different topics. And I'm not sure what you mean by "one floating in another." Could you elaborate on that?
0 -
I voted for Justin's suggestion. Basically, it's the same one as at Logos4, and Steve (up in heaven) trying to piece together a workaround (right-clicking a series of favorites into a floating window, etc).
I'm not sure how just any layout can fit into a floating window. In theory, there'd have to be a single window layout. Or the process quickly becomes complicated (since, as Kristin points out, it's still one layout).
And layouts can conflict with each other (eg linking assignments, and so on). Currently Text Comparisons impact each other.
I can understand Kristin's point. The 'main' window does stuff that other windows can't. Which means you're always going back to the main window for this and that. That's why, in my super-layout, the main window has all the tools. And I keep the main window size a smudge larger than the other windows, so I can see it and quickly click on it (no searching for it).
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
1 -
It sounds like the solution to your workflow would be for Logos to allow for multiple layouts to be viewed at the same time.
6
