What Happens When L4 is Released?

In Logos' defense,  when I got the version 3 upgrade, it included a CD of training videos, and the Beta already has links to training videos on the help menu.  They are for version 3 still, but that is an obvious enough thing that they will fix when the time is right.  Also, the recent betas have had significant improvement in the basic reports, which makes it easier for new users.

That said, the results you get can be, well, unexpected if you don't have the favorite book settings set right.  The release version needs to come out of the box with results that make sense.  This either means that Logos has a sense of picking defaults other than Alpha order, or there is a setup script that walks the new user though setting these favorites.  The present system where we have to make sure we have five of each type of book is not a realist option for the release.

Back in "Logos 4 Philosophy" Bob pointed out that there are only a limited number of peope who are tech savy enough to really be interested in the under the hood stuff that we all are used to handling in Libronix, and so that is why it takes care of all that stuff for us.  Admittedly, I come from a Main-line background, but in my experience there is also a very limited number of people who are used to anywhere the detail of bible study Logos offers, since they already know what the bible says...

By speading up whole library searches with "best" results coming first, Logos 4 is a step forward, but while I LIKE having all the reports open when I type in a reference, it does take a lot of screen space and is not obvious what exactly all those things are.

Quite frankly, I am coming to the conclusion that the reason the majority of beta testers do not find v. 4 difficult to use is because they truly have brilliant minds.  And I am not in that group; v. 4 is difficult to use for me and it is not because I have used v. 3.  It is because I do not have a lot of time to do things by trial and error and learn from my errors.  I would prefer to read something on "why prioritize and how to" and something on "how resources are organized, e.g. subsets to search on".  And when I first get the software, not wait months until videos are posted or have to pay a lot of money for training. 

I wonder how many other people are out there who have never participated in the forums/newsgroups that have purchased a package from Logos and never made another purchase of resources because they found the program difficult to use and hard to learn.  I am just determined and stubborn enough to have hung around because I do love the software. 

Joan,  I am far from the sharpest tool in the shed around here either, there are many more learned and seminary trained people around here than myself.  I would say I feel very comfortable working with computer applications in general and don't have a lot of difficulty working out new ones   but I have not all been comfortable with working with L4.  For me its not so much the information that is presented but the way to go about things in order to get things done.  That said I can see the majority of people in my bible study group would not at all be excited by L4 they would not have a clue as to where to start with all the information that got thrown up at them after entering a passage in the home page box.   L3 offfered I think a much better usser controlled entry into the program allowing the user to dermine whether they wanted their bible study to start with the works or just a simple bible and commentary or even just a bible to read.  L4 you presented with a whole lot of information thrown up at you in what was not apparent to me was suppossed to be mimicking a newspaper and then when you get over that and work out you are suppossed to enter a passage in the box it gives you bible study on steriods...and thats great I like that and many of us beta testers like that..but someone new to bible study software who is unsure of the benefits of using such an application...I am not sure it is really going to make the right first up impression upon them. i.e. the average person in my bible study group they will consider opening up their favourite commentary alongside their bible a much easier method...now someone who is a more of an academic type, who has a defininte reason to use bible study software, or the person like you or me who really wants to take their bible study a little further and explore wider topics, then they might be willing to stick it out a bit longer if they have a real desire to learn how to make use of such software. The L4 bible study on steriods with the works or nothing at all approach I think is not going to catch the needed entry points into bible software for all potential new users.

This is an unfair comparison. Try closing all Bibles but an English Bible, then open from the home page and see if your friend finds it a little more accessible.

I did exactly that. I had an english bible open. He came into my office. I closed all down but the home page and asked him to tell me what he thought...after he  typed in the verse....that's what he saw....LOTSA STUFF!

For the record; I just did it 2 minutes ago with another "non bible software using" christian and his reaction was the same..."Why don't I just get a bible and a commentary...what's all this other stuff?"

and part of  the reason that I did this was to see if he'd even know what to do on the home page....it took about 2 minutes before he realized that he was supposed to type in a passage...and all that other stuff he didn't expect...he expected to read the passage #1 and also have a commentary there along side him to help.

I ALSO ASKED if he thought that after he got comfortable that he'd be fine with "taking the training wheels off" and he said "probably yes"

but we will give advance notice here on the forums so that you can tell me it is too soon, and then I can explain why we need to release it anyway and promise that we'll add those important missing features ASAP, and then, I hope!, you'll all be ready on release day to twitter, blog, and generally say nice things to encourage a massive number of upgrades and new purchases, thereby funding our ongoing development and the near-term release of the things that should have made it into the first release but didn't.

Are you with me? :-)

Of course I'm with you Bob, but can we please have more than a two day notice.  :-)

Since I'm still waiting on artwork and workflow in some areas to finalize I'm not doing my screenshots and walkthroughs yet. 

I'm certainly hoping to spend a few days writing up a massive review and walkthrough complete (I hope) with a few video's and demonstrations.  But I will need time to actually begin and finish. 

Of course in the interest of scandal and sheer web traffic I'd love to post the whole thing about 24 hours before you announce it.  [;)]