Logos v Accordance 9: Greek Language Tools - an honest appraisal!

Hi, I've recently had a discussion that suggests that Accordance is the better package for Greek language studies. I'm more than content with my Logos Leaders Package, but I would appreciate an honest assessment from those of you with higher Logos packages (and a higher Greek understanding) as to whether you think it's true that Logos is outstripped by Accordance when it comes to language studies, particularly for Greek? As I would like to know what advice to give. Thank you..

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DMB

Stephen, I won't speak to 'tools' (your question); frankly I think a lot has to do with personal needs. But the big area I credit Accordance with is a lot of 'side' documents that really come in handy when looking at the greek (manuscripts, the same text in other languages, etc). I get the feeling the Logos customer base vs the Accordance customer base may be the issue. More troubling is the likelihood of future growth in this area; these type of resources tend to 'sit' in Logos for years.

mab

From a more general perspective of languages, the one clear advantage is that Accordance has a working audio feature for Greek and Hebrew. I'm not sure when we'll see this in Logos. This is something that you can't get from a book. Anyone have an idea when we'll get this?

BillS

Stephen,

It depends on what your long term needs are as to which has the better tools. Those who have Accordance (I don't, but many of my seminary profs did) tell me it has better tools for language study. But it stops there. Logos has much the better breadth & scope of resources available for a library, & its language tools were adequate to get me through seminary--even in in versions 2 & 3 , & are even better now.

If you're on a doctoral track focused on language, you may want the other guys. But if you want a library, or if you're on a pastoral track, or both, you'll eventually want Logos even if you also choose the other guys.

Just my $.02.

Garrett Ho

whether you think it's true that Logos is outstripped by Accordance when it comes to language studies

What does "outstripped" mean in this case?

I have L4 Platinum as well as the scholars version of the "other software." Logos is slow in comparison, and takes a few more keystrokes to use, but it does pretty much everything. Speed is the tradeoff we pay to have a much larger library and some additional functionality (better synchronizing, for example). I've found that I use Logos almost exclusively these days.

To be honest, it is hard for us to recommend a package when we don't know what your needs are. Are you doing complex linguistic searches on a regular basis, or do you need something like an exegetical guide and add-on lexicons?

Stephen Thorp

What does "outstripped" mean in this case?

Hi, thanks everyone for your quick replies.

Sorry Garrett, I just meant 'outstripped' in the sense of 'out performed', 'easier to use' , greater capacity to get to the meaning of the text'. My son is at theological college and tells me that his professors pretty much echo BillS's remarks that seminary profs think that Accordance has better tools for language study. I'm asking if folk agree. Logos is a great piece of software but it isn't cheap, so it's a shame if one feels (or is being encouraged) to buy another package because 'the tools' are better. [:O]

BillS

Hi Stephen,

What track is your son on? Pastoral? Academic? If pastoral, I'd commend Logos because its tools are just fine for that & the library will serve him for a lifetime. (I'm 9 years into full time ministry, 10 years out of seminary, now, & I'm SO THANKFUL I went with Logos...)

BillS

I should add that language tools aren't the only tools a pastor needs. I'd suggest that Logos' exegetical guides & passage guides are without equal--especially as the library grows.... fingertip access to all in your library about your passage of the week.

NB.Mick

Hi, I've recently had a discussion that suggests that Accordance is the better package for Greek language studies. I'm more than content with my Logos Leaders Package, but I would appreciate an honest assessment from those of you with higher Logos packages (and a higher Greek understanding) as to whether you think it's true that Logos is outstripped by Accordance when it comes to language studies, particularly for Greek? As I would like to know what advice to give. Thank you..

Hm. Just a maybe unrelated observation: I'm not really "in the know", but what I sometimes read or hear is that seminaries around here (Germany/Switzerland) that require deeper Greek language studies seem to base this on BibleWorks, which I don't know but regard as a tool focused only on this area - but then the students here may not have Mac hardware accross the board in the firstplace.

FWIW the German Bible Society, who are behind all the texts such as NA and the LXX, seems to promote Accordance now, to a certain extent, too, but still regard SESB (which is L3!) as the "flagship" for serious study in the original languages.

Stephen Thorp

What track is your son on? Pastoral? Academic?

Hi Bill,

Many thanks for your response. I'd have to say at this stage primary Academic (athough there is naturally some pastoral).He's in his first year of a three year theology degree and although he has been studying Greek he wants to take it as a major option next year. Hence the discussions about getting the right 'tools for the job'. Like me he already has Logos to Leaders level and I was surprised that it was felt that Logos might not be adequate.

I too am grateful for Logos, I've been ordained 20 years this year, but only discovered Logos 6 years ago. I too am thankful.

tom

but what I sometimes read or hear is that seminaries around here (Germany/Switzerland) that require deeper Greek language studies seem to base this on BibleWorks, which I don't know but regard as a tool focused only on this area - but then the students here may not have Mac hardware accross the board in the firstplace.

Coming from seminary, those of us use a PC, we used BW to study Greek and Hebrew. The people who used a Mac used Accordance for their study in the languages. Why, because these tools rock when it comes to the original languages. I could do some complex searches in BW7 that I could not figure out how to do in L3.

There were several of us who used L3/L4 in seminary, but none of us used L4 for word studies for the reasons that Mike S. stated above.

BKMitchell

Greetings,

Since, your son already owns the Logos Leaders base Package, it might be more advisable for him to upgrade to the next level which just happens to be the Original Language Library(JG). It, will give him a larger library for cheaper, than he would get if he moved to Accordance. He, would also be able to use that library, on PC, MAC, Ipad/Ipone, Android, and wherever he goes.

If, your son doesn't own a Mac and is primarily a Windows/PC user (and if he just wants another program) I would definitely not recommend Accordance, but would recommend BibleWorks9 instead as it actually has Greek Manuscripts images, New transcriptions of Greek texts, The CNTTS NT Critical Apparatus, and many Greek Morphological texts all in the one base-package.

However, it may be cheaper for a seminary student such as your son to simply use a Logos academic discount and upgrade to the Original Language Library (JG) or higher.

NetworkGeek

Now we're talking! I get the idea, thanks for the clarifications on what Accordance offers. I hope it spurs some ideas inside Logos although I am sure they have looked at Accordance very carefully.

Mike Childs

As one who went to seminary and studied Greek and Hebrew before Bible software, I find Logos' tools more than enough. It can be done without a computer for that matter.

If you are proficient in Greek, then it is not going to matter which of the software choices you use. You will get as deep as your understanding of Greek and the Scriptures can take you. And it is impossible to get any deeper than that no matter what tools you have. It is a silly argument. Both software programs have the tools you need. A few seconds difference in speed is meaningless. And if you doing graduate level work in Greek, you cannot just depend upon what any Bible software tells you. You have to know the language and grammar yourself.

In my opinion, Logos is superior by far because it has far more resources available, and that outweighs any of the "tools" - whatever that may be.

Just my opinion. Feel free to disagree.

DMB

Feel free to disagree. Well, OK. I agree the two programs deliver in the same ballpark. It's the rest of what you said that is curious. I guess maybe you're speaking from a pastoral perspective (in which case I'd agree!).