The Future of Logos

Tony Thomas · 2024-12-06T10:45:45+00:00

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I am wondering what the future of Logos will be. Now that it is under the ownership of a private equity firm (Cove Hill Partners), its direction and focus has changed dramatically. As with other private equity-owned firms I have monitored, the push is on to convert to a subscription model. What will happen to all of us who have invested thousands of dollars into the platform and who just want to use the resources we have without any changes?

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Mark Allison

You can still use the resources you have without any changes even though Logos is providing a subscription service.

That being said, if you're asking for a promise that the digital resources you've purchased will be available to you indefinitely in the way you're accessing them now, no company can make that promise. If that's what's most important to you, start investing in a paper library. #QuickVerse #BibleWorks.

Doc B

This discussion hits the forums every few years and generates dozens of (meaningless, speculative) responses. As with anything, there's a risk, even if small.

In sum, you rolls your dice and you moves your mice.

DMB

I don't think the risk was ever 'out of business'. Bob predicted, and then demonstrated that.

The risk is what direction the PE takes it.

Frank Sauer

I think the concern that tops the list in an out of business scenario is the format of the resources we purchased. If Logos didn't release a conversion tool we would lose all our resources.

Where as if Amazon were to tank, there are conversion tools available for the Kindle purchases.

Mark Allison

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1347780#Comment_1347780

If there are conversation tools for copy-protected Kindle books, they certainly aren't legal.

Donovan R. Palmer

I am optimistic about the future of Logos. Nothing is assured, though.

For what it’s worth, years ago Bob wanted to move to a subscription model and discussed it openly on this forum. From what I recall, this was partly behind the Logos Now subscription. Those threads are still on these forums if someone wants to go digging for them.

More recently, Bob did this interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0829vrQn2LE

Personally, there is only one premium Bible software platform left, perhaps two. I own one and am more concerned about it than Logos, as Logos appears to be adapting and embracing change, while the other product is not. Regardless of how much Cove Hill is involved, there has been a lot of speculation on these forums. Both the new CEO, Bill, and Bob say the partnership with them is excellent. I take it at face value.

Anyhow, YMMV. We each have to decide what we think and make our purchasing decisions. 🤔

Bernhard

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1347780#Comment_1347780

This still works:

https://community.logos.com/discussion/124007/video-tutorial-how-to-send-to-kindle-after-the-send-to-kindle-service-is-switched-off

So, there is already a way to get the books out of Logos - of course without all the tagging etc. Instead of sending it to Kindle, you can use calibre or other software to convert it to other formats.

Mark Allison

Wow, I'm very surprised publishers allow Logos to strip the DRM-protection from their resources.

Frank Sauer

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1347789#Comment_1347789

It seems that limits to 100 pages and is a Kindle device required. I use the Kindle app on my Android Tablet

EastTN

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1347767#Comment_1347767

In my judgment, the risk that Logos will develop in such a way that it will no longer be a good fit for me has increaased significantly. That's a somewhat different risk than the risk that FaithLife goes out of business, though I suspect that risk may have increased as well. Some of their recent business decisions truly baffle me.

Ben

"its direction and focus has changed dramatically"
mmm. From my perspective, neither direction nor focus has changed "dramatically" in recent times. It's still primarily an Evangelical New-Testament oriented and "Christian"-branded piece of software.

Bernhard

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1347800#Comment_1347800

Read the first post on page 1 of that thread (no idea why the link now goes to page 3) - 100 pages does not mean 100 pages in the original, but 100 pages in the resulting Word file. Set the page size to A2 and even for longer books it would only take two or three separate exports. I just tried a whole Bible and that would take five separate exports, that you can then just paste together in one Word file.

You absolutely do not need a Kindle. If you follow the instructions you can also read the book in the Kindle app of course. But even better, you can do anything else with the Word file. You could save it as a PDF (change page size to something else from A2, of course) to read it on your tablet. Or use Calibre to convert the Word file to Epub for any non-Kindle E-REader or reading app. Or use whatever importer your next Bible software uses if ever Logos goes bust.

Frank Sauer

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1347812#Comment_1347812

I'll have to check it out - thanks

MJ. Smith

its direction and focus has changed dramatically.

I wish - I still see it focusing on the same evangelical market and grammatic-historical criticism. But I am pleased to see the increased focus on the basics of the app - UI, data storage, reusable code… all those things that turn it from an experimental project to a mature tool. Too many companies fail to do that successfully.

Mark Allison

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1347812#Comment_1347812

So you can strip the DRM off of any book in Logos? And Logos supports it?

EastTN

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1347817#Comment_1347817

I agree that it's still largely oriented towards an undifferentiated North American protestantism. That's where the company's roots seem to be, and it seems likely that still represents the majority of their user base. I don't think that's the only relevant dimension, though. For instance, Logos has always been a bit of a high-end specialty tool - the Cadillac of Bible study software, if you will. It's never been, in my opinion, accessible to the average man or woman in the pew. But now it feels like they're doubling down on that - becoming the Rolls Royce or Lamborghini of this market. I love a nice car as much as the next person, but at some point it's just too darn much.

I'm sure they THINK these changes are going to broaden their potential market base, but I just don't see it.

John

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1347822#Comment_1347822

It is basically a print/export ability. It is very limited, number of pages is too small to copy entire books. Unofficial Work around is to decrease font size to fit more onto each page.

Yes it will export a few pages you can read. But some formatting will be lost/scrambled. Links will not work. Table of contents will not work.

Marks very old tutorial walks you step by step through recreating some of the formatting and structure. I tried this on a small book and did get it readable on my kindle. But the whole process took so long and was so tedious it would have been easier to just purchase the kindle version.