Since the launch of Logos 4, I've tried to write Buyer's Guides to Logos Base packages. Here are my belated opinions on Logos 6 Portfolio packages. (There are also guides for Starter, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond editions.)
Portfolio adds another 900 resources to Diamond for an extra $1,500. Most of the commentary sets that had been restricted to denominational packages have been added, including N. T. Wright's New Testament for Everyone [$149.98], Believers Church Bible Commentary [$399.95], Holman New Testament Commentary [$149.97], Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament [$229.95], Reading the New Testament Commentary [$209.95]. Language tools include HALOT [$159.95] and the Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament Bundle [$149.95]. Resources for background include Writings From the Ancient World [$355.99], Neusner's Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud Collection [$279.95], the Ugaritic Library [$429.95], Jewish Law [$299.95], and much of the Second Temple Period Collection. Church history is served by Classic Studies on the Apostolic Fathers [$249.95], and theology by Barth’s Church Dogmatics [$499.95]. The collected works of Jacob Arminius [$89.95], John Knox [$99.95] and John Owen [$299.95] are also added, and of course there are hundreds of other resources from Biblical Studies, theology, history and ministry.
Anglican Portfolio keeps only the New Testament for Everyone (though that's been present since Anglican Starter), the Lexham Discourse Bundle, and Ugaritic Library. Several language resources including Biblical Languages: Reference Grammars and Introductions [$349.95] and Moulton's Grammar of New Testament Greek [$179.95]. The International Critical Commentary Old Testament [$889.95] joins its NT counterpart, along with eight volumes of the Eerdmans Critical Commentary Series [$339.95]. The indispensable Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary [$269.95] is an excellent addition and the Encyclopedia of Christianity [$349.95] is also included. There are two large subsets of the Fathers of the Church series, covering St Augustine [$659.95] and the Latin Fathers of the Nicene Era [$579.95], which complement the Oxford History of the Christian Church [$499.95]. For ministry there are also several volumes on liturgy, and Fortress Press' Creative Pastoral Care and Counseling Series [$246.95] and Homiletics Collection [$149.95].
Reformed Portfolio retains the Ugaritic Library, Church Dogmatics and John Owen (both present since Reformed Gold), Knox (present since Diamond), HALOT and the Lexham Discourse Greek Bundle. Many volumes of modern commentaries are added, mostly Continental/European: Black's [$249.95], Continental Commentary Series [$599.95], Forms of the Old Testament Literature [$243.99], International Critical Commentary New Testament [$1,049.95], International Theological Commentary [$449.95] and the UBS Handbooks [$619.95]. There are a few resources for background study, including Gnostic & Apocryphal Studies Collection [$249.95]. Several resources from Anglican Portfolio are also in Reformed Portfolio, such as Biblical Languages: Reference Grammars and Introductions [$349.95], Moulton's Grammar of New Testament Greek [$179.95], Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary [$269.95] and Encyclopedia of Christianity [$349.95]. Finally the collected works: A. W. Pink [$249.95], Archibald Alexander [$189.95], J. C. Ryle [$249.95], James Hastings [$529.95], Loraine Boettner [$99.95], P. T. Forsyth [$119.99], Samuel Rutherford [$149.95], Thomas Boston [$199.95], Augustus Toplady [$99.95], Thomas Goodwin [$199.95], Ulrich Zwingli [$69.95] and William Shedd [$179.95]
Verdict: Portfolio is a reasonably good upgrade from Diamond, but it's not for most people. To benefit from it you really need to be a pastor-theologian with a strong interest in Bible background. Anglican Portfolio is worth getting mostly for the Fathers of the Church, ICC (Old Testament) and AYBD. If they don't appeal, then it's probably a pass. Reformed Portfolio adds value to the Reformed stream for those who want European/Continental commentaries. They and others will appreciate HALOT, AYBD and other sets, but that might not be enough to justify the $1,500 price increase from Reformed Diamond. For most users then, the advice is the same as earlier. If you have a Portfolio-sized budget you may be better off mixing and matching smaller base packages or bundles.
Want more? You can read the entire guide to 37 base packages at my website: http://www.logosbiblesoftwaretraining.com/documents/logos-6-buyers-guide/
