Custom Purchase vs. Package Purchase

Every time I analyze the Comparison Chart of Logos packages I find myself drifting towards Platinum (is that called marketing?!), even though Platinum has a bunch of stuff I don't need/use. But it contains just a couple of items here and there I do need (want), like BDAG. Some commentaries wouldn't hurt either. They sure know how to subtract and add the right modules to make you drift into Platinum spheres!

I mainly focus on English translations, Greek and Hebrew texts and tools, and German. I could save some money initially by piecing together a custom package (Orig Lang + some English translations + BDAG), but I wonder if and how soon other users have wished for a bigger package?

Basic question: What's been your experience with custom modules vs. waiting and saving for a better package? What's penny-wise but pound-foolish with Logos? In a sense I already know the answer: Buy as much as you can afford, but I'm trying to preventing buyer's remorse!

Thanks for any input.

Ingo

P.S. I'd use Logos on all platforms.

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Brother Mark

Basic question: What's been your experience with custom modules vs. waiting and saving for a better package?

Ingo, Brace yourself for some wildly divergent opinions here. [H] My personal experience was jumping into the old Leader's Library (no longer offered), upgraded to the Pastor's library, and finally to the Silver Scholar's package a couple of years ago (timeframe may be off a few months). After coming very close to upgrading to Platinum a couple of times on impulse, I finally wrote down the differences in my Silver vs. the Platinum library, then crossing off the resources that weren't important to me so that I could honestly (if not impartially) evaluate what I'd be getting that I'd actually be using. For me, it just didn't make sense, and since then I've aggressively added only resources that I know I'll use and only when they either go on sale or come up in Community pricing or pre-pub. Again, for me, that is just good stewardship.

That's not to say that the high end of the scale on Logos packages aren't amazing bargains.... but only if you're going to really really (I mean, c'mon... REALLY) use them. Otherwise, you have a beautiful Cadillac of a library that you only drive to the end of your driveway every day, then right back into the garage.

John Fidel

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/281115#Comment_281115

For me the test was to identify the resource I will use (really use Bro Mark) and then compare the cost of acquiring these separate with the upgrade price. I have always found the upgrade price to be a bargain and have found many of the resources I did not think I would use to be very handy to have. I upgraded from Gold to Platinum and have never regretted it.

Mike S.

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/281121#Comment_281121

I recently looked at moving from Platinum to Portfolio that forced me to do a similar inventory to other. I put the following into a spreadsheet:

1. What I know I will eventually buy (i.e. that "custom package") and count up the cost of such a purchase
2. What I know I would use, even though I'm not sure if I would ever buy it (and I'm sure I would buy some of them if they showed up for a great deal)
3. Minus what I already purchased in that package (you may or may not have anything here)

I basically came up as a break-even for me on #1 (i.e. the cost of portfolio vs the cost of what I would buy over time) and the perceived value of #2 just wasn't high enough given that I'd need to lay out well over $1200 for my upgrade (upgrade prices are personalized) or my upgrade cost over 12 months plus $60 in processing fees.

Then I thought about all the prepubs I have, and the prepubs I can imagine like a child with dancing sugarplums in their head. I'll also need to replace my very aged iPhone 3g (and my wife's) in the next 3-6 months... that's another $800, then there's hoping the iPad I've been holding out for comes out around Christmas shopping time, there's also the desire to sponsor another child, give to some missionary friends of mine who are struggling, etc.... I think you can see where all this is going: I needed to fit the opportunity cost into the whole of what's under my stewardship.

God bless you and direct your wisdom in the direction he would have you run the race!

p.s. I was also clear that if my upgrade had been below $1,000, it would have worked for me.

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/281127#Comment_281127

Observation: Scholar's Gold includes United Bible Society (UBS) handbooks, which is my top prioritized commentary. Wiki has Logos Resource Reviews page.

Forum has my BDAG reformat dream => http://community.logos.com/forums/p/32633/243659.aspx#243659 plus "For Scholar's Platinum, Advanced Hebrew Supplement (11 vols.) for $ 259.95 includes HALOT plus more."

Forum thread => never default to the article. includes more BDAG discussion (with screen shots).

With upcoming Perseus collection $ 0.00 => Perseus Classics Collection (1,114 vols.) BDAG becomes more useful.

Thankful Scholar's Platinum includes A.T. Robertson's Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research

Keep Smiling [:)]

Brother Mark

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/281121#Comment_281121

For me the test was to identify the resource I will use (really use Bro Mark).

[Y]

Bill Moore

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/281346#Comment_281346

I had Scholars Gold, I think it was called then, in L3. When L4 came along, a few resources I really wanted more than justified the cost of moving to Platinum. Examining Portfolio, I just don't find the same payoff for my needs/desires, so I'm sticking with my present package and building on it. As is easily seen, it varies from person to person.

Edwin Bowden

I started with the Bible Study Library and got hooked with the whole concept of all my resources available at my fingertips.

I upgraded to Scholars Gold. Loved it.

I upgraded to Platinum when it became available. It was incredible.

As others have said, look over what titles you know that you would like to get eventually. There are easily much cheaper to buy in a base pkg than separately.

Allen Browne

Every time I analyze the Comparison Chart of Logos packages I find myself drifting towards Platinum (is that called marketing?!), even though Platinum has a bunch of stuff I don't need/use.

Perhaps you could chart what from Platinum you would use, calculate its value, and just ignore the stuff you won't use. That's effectively what I did, and I ended up wth Platinum.

You will purchase other things you need, but a good solid base package is the way to start and become famiiar with how it works IMHO.

Brother Mark

Inga, Click HERE to see what Morris Proctor (The Logos certified trainer) has to say about why anyone should at least go with the Gold package.

George Somsel

Every time I analyze the Comparison Chart of Logos packages I find myself drifting towards Platinum (is that called marketing?!), even though Platinum has a bunch of stuff I don't need/use. But it contains just a couple of items here and there I do need (want), like BDAG. Some commentaries wouldn't hurt either. They sure know how to subtract and add the right modules to make you drift into Platinum spheres!

I mainly focus on English translations, Greek and Hebrew texts and tools, and German. I could save some money initially by piecing together a custom package (Orig Lang + some English translations + BDAG), but I wonder if and how soon other users have wished for a bigger package?

Basic question: What's been your experience with custom modules vs. waiting and saving for a better package? What's penny-wise but pound-foolish with Logos? In a sense I already know the answer: Buy as much as you can afford, but I'm trying to preventing buyer's remorse!

Thanks for any input.

Ingo

P.S. I'd use Logos on all platforms.

What you call a custom package seems to be what I would call "a la carte" which is the way I started with Logos (Anchor Bible Dictionary, NA26, BAG (no BDAG yet), Abridged BDB (no Enhanced BDB or HALOT yet) BHS (no 4.x yet, just the morph edition), etc. I finally got a package -- Original Languages and then went to Scholars -- but I tend to find too much fluff in some of the packages (things that I hide in L4 such as Wiersbe and Oswald Chambers). Whether the package is worth the price is something you will need to determine for yourself since each person's interests differ.

This calls for wisdom: let anyone with understanding calculate the number of the beast -- err, make that "value of the package."

Ingo Sorke

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/281521#Comment_281521

Good information; thanks to all of you. Saving my shekels. [:)]

Mike Childs

My major interests are quality commentaries, lanuage tools, good Bible reference material. For me the old Platininum package was a no brainer. It was a great deal for me. However, with some of the quality commentaries from Baker removed from the new Platininum package, I would not buy it now. Glad I got it in time.

The upgrade to Portfolio has little interest for me. Sure there is $2,400 worth of books in it, but they are largely not the books that I need. I will be much much better off to invest that $2,400, (if and when I get the money), in the ICC commentaries, Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, and other quality commentaries that are NOT in Portfolio.

I will never upgrade without a serious restructuring of the Portfolio package. I would not give you $500 for the upgrade, much less $2,400. It is not how many books are in the package, but how many good books that I will use are in the package. I will, however, find a way to raise thousands of dollars for Logos resources I need over the next several years.

Right now I need to let my finances recover, pay off my Logos loan for books already bought, and save up for the next purchase. There is no hurry since the books that I want are not part of any special package.

Jim VanSchoonhoven

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/281968#Comment_281968

Wow, Michael Childs, do I agree with you concerning the Platinum and Portfolio packages.

I upgraded when Logos 4 first came out, from a gold and it was the best buy I ever made in Logos. I want the same things that you do quality commentaries, Greek and Hebrew helps and good Bible reference materials. At that time it was the best buy ever. I also agree with you it is not as good of a deal today, I would like to see them fix that and make it better again for the new people just getting theirs.

One you get the Platinum package a person has a good sound library and I don't see much improvement by making that huge jump to Portfolio.

I have spent the difference since that time buying books that suit the areas I intend to study. I have also worked to round out the commentary selection more, adding more commentaries that cover the OT and adding more Greek commentaries. And of course I have bought one of the most useful resources the 13 volumes of Theological Journals.

For my studies I have a much more useful library for about the same cost as the Portfolio.

I am glad I bought the packages when I did, but there came a time for me where the next jump was no longer worth it to me for my studies. Is the next step a good buy??? Yes it is, but not for me, I wanted different resources! I am working on a THD and needed other resources.

I would love to see some packages at the upper level that allowed the buyer to spend so many dollars or points on books from a list of resoureces. That way Logos could still control the pool of books but a buyer could decide what books he needed and buy the level he could afford.

In Christ,

Jim