I'm fairly new to the Mac world. I'm trying to figure out how to invest my financial resources for hardware in such a way that would maximize my benefits.
I currently have a 13" Macbook Air that works great with Logos. I've had no crashes or performance issues. I do have trouble, however, with communications. I live and work in an area of the world where the Internet is just abysmal most of the time. Sometimes (rarely) I can reach dial up speeds, but mostly its less than half of that. So use of the Internet other than the simplest emailing generally means a half hour trip into town... even then its not up to US standards.
I am therefore thinking about how to set up something like a wireless intranet for my family where I can have resident a lot of the things cached that we would otherwise access from the Web. I was considering the purchase of an AirPort Extreme and perhaps an Apple TV device for this purpose. For Logos work, I do fine with my laptop, but as is commented upon commonly, its not the most convenient solution for simply reading, and I have a very large library accumulated over the years. So I am debating here whether to purchase a Kindle or an iPad in order to read these titles.
The heart of my question is this: If I were to go the iPad route along with an AirPort extreme, would I be able to put my Logos resources onto an external SSD plugged into the AirPort Extreme and then access all of my resources via the Logos App on my iPad? As accessing my resources on the iPad via the cloud or via Biblia isn't going to be practical, I thought that this might provide me with better access to my entire library. If this is workable, what advantages might this provide me over just using an app on the iPad that would simply mirror my Macbook Air?
I recognize that the reading experience on the iPad may not be as good as the Kindle. I know that iPad is probably going to release a retina display in the Spring, but I may need to decide before that becomes available due to taking advantage of a trip to the US in a couple of months, at which time I'd need to make my purchases.
Any thoughts or comments about Internet access and Logos use, the viability of AirPort Extreme for accessing Logos, the use of mirroring software as an alternative proposal, and the current relative merits in this scenario between iPad and Kindle would be a really big help. I've gone round and round scratching my head on this one.
Hi Emile
While I'm not a Mac user I can comment about the option of using the iPad to access SSD-based resources.
I don't believe that this will work. The iPad app allows you to either download resources onto the iPad directly or to access them from Logos servers for which authentication is required. So I don't see that having a "local cache" of these resources would help.
With a large enough iPad you would have no problem in downloading all the resources you wanted when in range of a decent network connection which you could then use offline. In this mode, some of the features don't work - such as Passage Guide or Bible Word Study - at the moment.
The other thing to bear in mind is that not all the resources sold by Logos are currently available on the mobile platforms.
For these reasons I think you could be better off using a mirroring app on the iPad to access your Mac-based resources - there are a number of threads where various options for this have been discussed.
Hope this is helpful
Graham
EmileB:If I were to go the iPad route along with an AirPort extreme, would I be able to put my Logos resources onto an external SSD plugged into the AirPort Extreme and then access all of my resources via the Logos App on my iPad?
No. One alternative is a Mac Mini that is connected to your network that you remotely control from iPad.
The MacBook Air can run Logos 4 software. Currently, mobile Logos apps have much less capability than Logos 4. Logos mobile app for iOS has more features than Android.
Apple offers refurbished Macs' => http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac
EmileB:current relative merits in this scenario between iPad and Kindle would be a really big help.
Various forum discussions include iOS and Android mobile apps:
Observation: Apple iPad's are # 1 in tablet sales while Amazon Kindle Fire is now # 2.
Keep Smiling
Logos Wiki Logos 7 Beta Free Support
I don't think that the iPad logos app would be the thing for you. Not only would you have to load it with your library at a point when you could access a large chunk of WiFi but you would have to go back there for any updates that you might purchase.
A practical alternative are the remote access apps which allow you to control your laptop front he iPad - but I don't know how much this would affect the reading experience on the iPad.
Your Mac Book Air is probably the best you are going to be able to do.
tootle pip
Mike
How to get logs and post them. (now tagging post-apocalyptic fiction as current affairs)
A delayed thanks to all for your insights. It does sound like an iPad using a mirroring app might be the best way to go. Although, I generally wouldn't be planning on doing much heavy "study" on the iPad, as I would more likely use the Macbook Air and external monitors for this. The iPad's use (for me) would be mostly as a reader for Logos and Kindle resources (well, maybe I would use it a lot more when traveling for communications... I used to do a lot of traveling for the ministry... don't so much right now... but that may increase in the future.). Even with its portability, the Air is just not all that comfortable for me to read for long stretches, curled up with a clamshell format (as far as travel with the Air, I like traveling as superlight as possible, and I'd rather not tear apart all my setup at home... or risk damaging my Air during travel, as fixing something here would be majorly problematic). Although I've played around with an iPad and checked out some apps, to be honest, I find that after the eye candy wears off, they don't have much interest or usefulness to me.
I need to think what may be the best solution for other members of the family (wife, plus we are in the process of adopting 4-6 kids). Eventually I thought of getting them iPads for school, etc... although the limitations of the Internet here reduce that functionality considerably. Computer knowledge, foreign language skills, and web access provide a huge leg up for people here who otherwise have few future prospects economically or educationally, so I want to try to provide that for them somehow, It may be best to invest in some more Airs (over time) to provide a full computer solution. I generally don't like to share my computer as I am tied to it a lot for tentmaking or study purposes. Whatever route I take, I would certainly like to set up and develop some minimal Logos accounts for each as they grow and can handle it.
I have to admit that the Kindle is very attractive to me due to the price, readability factor, and size/weight factor in relation to the iPad (even with the anticipated size/weight reductions anticipated for iPad 3). I have read through the various links for Kindle vs iPad. While I don't relish transforming Logos resources into Kindle resources, from the links it doesn't sound TOO difficult, and in practice may not be burdensome. Less interested in Fire simply as it seems so web-centric, and that might prove frustrating for me.
EmileB:Although I've played around with an iPad and checked out some apps, to be honest, I find that after the eye candy wears off, they don't have much interest or usefulness to me.
My most useful iPad apps are Vyrso and Logos, which I use offline in a church pew. My favorite "eye" candy is The NET Bible footnotes: e.g. number 18 in Matthew 1:21; also Thankful for split screen so can scroll UBS handbook with Bible (or scroll two Bibles together).
Many education apps are usable in airplane mode. One advantage of using an iPad in airplane mode is the lack of advertising in various apps. Battery life seems to be bit longer in airplane mode. Am aware some school districts and colleges (especially Medical schools) are replacing textbooks with iPad's.
Apple has refurbished iPad's => http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/ipad (anticipating price drop after iPad 3)