Microsoft Flight Simulator X Standard DVD Reviews

• Unable to install

  
  By ADHELNKV9ZDXV on 2006-10-29
  I am sure that Flight Simulator X has supurb graphics. I only wish I could see them! Unfortunately, I purchased Flight Simulator X with the naive expectation that Microsoft would have a completely engineered product. This was not the case. When I attempted to install Flight Sim X on my PC under Windows XP, I discovered that the installation would not start automatically and when I attempted to start the installation Manually by using Windows XP Install New Software, there were no accessible files on the DVD.
  
  I attempted to contact Microsofts Thechnical Support and found that unless I had the product ID, which was only available after installation, the only contact possible was by paying a fee of $35! OK, I paid the $35. I posed my problem in an email which was then dispatched to Tech Support. The response I received suggested that I try uninstall all application software that might use the DVD drive. They also suggested installing on a different computer. I tried uninstalling all of my graphics applications. The results were the same. No installation was possible. I then tried installing Flight Sim X on my wife's PC. Again no installation was possible. I posted this information back to Tech Support as a reply to the message they had sent to me. I have not received any response. I also feel that it is outrageous that they charge $35 when their product fails. It also seems that if they are going to charge $35 for this service, they should provide a more competent and helpful response.
  
  Ron Zane
  
  

• OK, but CAUTION: DVD ONLY

  
  By A1B3GNO9C8YX0N on 2006-10-30
  Note that this comes on 2 DVDs, not on CD-ROMs as the tech details say. If you do not have a DVD reader in your machine you will not be able to install this game. As a side note, it also has Microsoft's "registration" copy protection just like Windows XP.
  
  

• An Excellent Addition to the Series

  
  By A3UGCR5YY8ZUUC on 2006-10-23
  Microsoft Flight Simulator X is the tenth editon to the Flight Simulator franchise, and it certainly delivers. Like previous installments, FSX puts you in the cockpit as a pilot for any number of aircraft, including Boeing 747s and the LearJet 45. New this year, however, is an Airbus A321 and an AirCreation Trike Ultralight (think of a waterski with wings and wheels attached). Flight Simulator 2004 had many commemorative aircraft for the one hundredth anniversary of flight, but these are gone for FSX. I wasn't really bothered by the removal, although some will be disappointed that you can't recreate the Wright Brothers' Kittyhawk flight anymore.
  
  Graphics-wise, Flight Simulator X is a great improvement over Flight Simulator 2004. You may now see animals on the ground and traffic on major highways, depending on the age and quality of your graphics card. Make sure you have a DVD-ROM drive, because FSX is a gigantic game and takes up two DVDs. In comparison, FS2004 took up the equivalent of about half of a single-sided DVD.
  
  One can make almost any decision they want in Flight Simulator X, from using the provided Air Traffic Control feature to choosing to make your experience as realistic as possible. Veteran FS gamers will feel instantly at home with FSX, mostly because the general look and feel remains untouched. Its only flaw is that it is not fully enjoyable unless you spend an extra twenty dollars or so for a joystick. Even so, you can still use a keyboard and mouse to control the plane. As a side note, the deluxe DVD is not much of an improvement over the standard version. Really, the only added feature is more aircraft.
  
  Since it also is compatible with Windows Vista (provided you have met all of the requirements), I recommend that you go out and buy it today for yourself or an aspiring pilot.
  
  

• PC/Registry Cleanup & Runs Fine

  
  By A1ZWEIU6QAPMC9 on 2006-12-03
  Before I purchased Standard FSX, I downloaded and ran the trial version. Like others that have posted, I was very disappointed in the performance. At first I was thinking it was my graphics card (ATI Radeon X800XL, 256MB) so I ran the game with Task Manager Performance Monitor displayed. I discovered that my CPU was max'ing. This didn't make sense because I felt that I had plenty of processing power (Pentium D 2.80GHz, 512 RAM) and the game was not consuming more than 40% of the memory. So I loaded a second clean install of XP and loaded only my drivers and then the game. Bingo! The game ran great.
  
  I can still overpower my CPU if I run the graphics detail to full on all settings (and it looks damn good when I do) but running at the default settings or a little higher is not a problem.
  
  I appreciate the ability to adjust individual graphics settings. This allows me to distribute the power to graphics which are of the most importance to my desired gaming experience.
  
  On a side note, after I loaded a clean version of XP and verified the game ran properly, I then began to load my other applications into the new OS load. BTW - I have most of the apps loaded again. The one app that had the most negative performance impact was Norton Internet Security. I use McAfee now and keep it at minimum settings.
  
  Most importantly, I discovered my system registry had tons of old entries from previous installed drivers and apps. Once I installed a clean OS, my boot time decreased by 50% and other applications ran much faster.
  
  I blame the performance problem on me not keeping my system and registry clean.
  
  Then I purchased the Standard version of FSX and installed it. I think this game is fantastic. The experience is challenging and educational. I enjoy flying over areas that I have visited in real life and seeing the details the developers put into recreated real-world locations.
  
  Intel recently announced their quad-core processors. At some point in the future, I will upgrade. I am thrill to know when my system is upgraded; my FSX experience will take advantage of that upgrade and provide an ongoing better experience. Since the game has very detailed adjustments so you can run it on slower machines, in my opinion, it makes the game future-ready so you can play now and enhance later. Others may disagree with this line of thinking.
  
  Cleaning your system may also solve the installation issue that some are experiencing. This sounds like driver issues. However I don't know for certain because I didn't have that issue with my install.
  
  I hope this information is helpful to others.
  
  

• "BEWARE" before you buy the "STANDARD" Version of FSX

  
  By A37VMWDFY8BZSJ on 2007-09-23
  Let me start this review by saying that FSX is really a great product with much growth potential for future development. I have been using Flight Sim from the early days of the Commodore 64. I have purchased every version since it was created. Every version starts a bit rough but between updated patches and some tweaking it performs beautifully.
  Each version is usually a year or so ahead of existing hardware, which basically means that you will not be able to achieve the maximum performance with your one-year-old computer even if you think you got a great system. If you search the flight sim forums you will read how even those with gaming machines complain about not enough frame rates or hi resolution scenery or stutters during flying. Here is what I have:
  Microsoft® Windows Vista(tm) Home Premium
  System Manufacturer Dell Inc.
  System Model Inspiron 531
  Processor AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4400+, 2310 Mhz, 2
  Total Physical Memory 2,045.88 MB
  Available Physical Memory 1.33 GB
  Total Virtual Memory 4.21 GB
  Available Virtual Memory 3.53 GB
  Page File Space 2.29 GB
  Video Card NVIDIA GeForce 6200 LE
  SATA 260 Gig Hard Drive
  If I set all display sliders to Medium High I get very smooth frame rates of 20-25 FPS with very nice scenery resolution. If I put all sliders to Ultra High my machine almost comes to a stand still. This really is normal for Flight Sim. So unless you have a computer twice as powerful as mine do not expect maximum performance from this sim. At that level it would be like you were flying in the real world.
  .....................
  You might ask if I am so satisfied with FSX why do I give it only 3 stars.
  Allow me to explain as best I can. Microsoft has done something that I find a bit upsetting. I have been playing with adding scenery and aircraft to Flight Sim for years. I have Flight Simulator Design Studio Ver 3.5 and EZ-Scenery both programs I paid for and that was OK since they are great programs for enhancing the scenery in Flight Sim. I also use lots of other freeware utilizes to help in modeling scenery. All these programs rely on a set of Microsoft development tools called SDK. You really do not need to know what the details of these are other than you need them on your computer to use all these other modeling programs. Up until now these tools SDK were free from Microsoft except with FSX. I purchased the "STANDARD" version with out even considering this issue of obtaining the SDK tools for FSX; I just assumed the "DELUXE" version was more expensive because it had more Aircraft and more Airports with greater detail. Infact if you read what the difference id between the two that is exactly the impression you get.
  I installed the STANDARD version with no problem than started to use my other software for adding and modifying scenery and lo and behold. The programs asked where FSX SDK tools were.
  Well I did not know so I researched the subject and was told it was on Disk one and had to be installed separately. So I looked on disk one and no SDK tools. Than I found out it ONLY COME ON THE DELUXE VERSION.
  No problem I said, just go to Microsoft's web site and download the FSX SDK just like I have done with previous versions. Now I find out that you cannot get this set of tools unless you buy the "DELUXE" version. So no what. I now need to get the DELUXE VERSION. You can download the PATCH for SDK but not the original set of tools.
  If you do plan on modeling and modifying the scenery of FSX DO NOT BUY THE STANDARD VERSION. If any one out there can show me I am in error please do. But so far I have found 12 incidences of other persons buying the STANDARD version and finding out they should have bought the "DELUXE" version because they needed the FSX SDK for their other designing software.
  Personally I think this is one big rip off from Microsoft but I did buy the DELUXE version even though I had initially purchased the STANDARD version and will use FSX because it is in fact a good product. Because I think this was a deliberated deception to force users to buy the deluxe version instead of the standard version I can only give three stars.
  
  
  
  
• Buyer beware
  By A56HXFPP8GUCS on 2006-10-21
  Like most avid sim fans. I eagerly awaited this release. Strong word of caution. My own stupidity for not realizing this, but this game is not available in CD-ROM. So if you pc does not have a DVD drive, you are out of luck. I purchased mine at Walmart, because the description on what was required stated CD-ROM drive. Sure the box clearly states DVD, and I should have caught that, but I just could not bring myself to think that the genuises at Microsoft assumed everyone has a DVD drive in their pc right. Anyway, the catch 22 is that once you open the software, the retailer will not take it back, so your are stuck with a useless $50.00 game you can not use. To be fair, I did finally find a number at Microsoft to call for product returns and got an authorization to return it and in about a month I might get my money back. Buyer beware, don't be as dumb as me. If you only have a CD drive, you are out of luck on this game, Microsoft don't think you are worth their trouble.
  
  
• Disappointed
  By A26HH9NOUUP4UY on 2006-11-12
  My computer meets or exceeds the requirements advertised by Microsoft for this game to function. However, it barely functions at all. With detail controls set to minimum in settings, the game still is very slow and intermittent in the refresh rate. Flight Sim 2004 worked much better in my system.
  
  Several other friends are having the same problem, so I see this game as not a very good show for Microsoft.
  
  
• From a "Not-Hardcore-Gamer" View
  By A1HOHT2598S31V on 2007-07-04
  Let me get something of my chest first. I have noticed a lot of bad feedback on reviewers who give higher ratings to products that are developed by Microsoft. So just to make it clear - I am not reviewing Microsoft, I'm reviewing the simulator.
  
  So.. how fun is this game? Well it's your system that can actually answer this question. This game is amazing from my point of view. I have used everything, from FS98 to latest X-Plane.. and nothing is as good as this.
  
  The Good:
  
  - Stunning graphics. This is the most beautiful game I have ever played. From the water effects to shadows from the plane.. every effect and particle is breathtaking.
  
  - Gameplay. It is an amazing gameplay, indeed. You can now fly in any seat you like, control literally any view of the airplane, most of the cockpit controls work and function the way they are supposed to. The weather system is amazing.
  
  - Multiplayer. This one speaks for itself: FUN FUN FUN. It is very entertaining since you get to see people from all over the world. However, there are few cons.. like the Bad ATC guys who often mislead you and cause you to crash etc. It was foggy, so I depended on A/P. I was told to turn 074R, which I did. I heard the ILS Frequency so I put it on APP but ultimately, I was put into wrong direction and as much as APP fought to align me to the right direction (while keeping up with sped and altitude) i still landed in the ocean.. and of course crashed (since you're not able to actually land on water in this game). Of course, there are plenty of pefect ATC's out there but even with few that are not as good it's still VERY fun to play. Try it and see for yourself.
  
  The Bad:
  
  - ATC. ATC has not changed much from FS2004 other than a new "window" that it displays in. Still no ability to declare an emergency which is sort of a disappoint since you ARE able to set engines to fail or to run out of fuel (or both). So.. if your engines die out on you don't you think you deserve a right to report the situation to ATC? LOL
  
  - Crash dynamics. If you're hoping to be able to crash your plane into a mountain and see a giant explosion and earthquakes then I have to disappoint you. While I almost never crash in Flight Sims I still wish there were better crashing dynamics to make it more realistic. For example, if I land heavily on my nose I'd love to see my plane's nose gear to fail and act like it would in physics.
  
  Also, why can't we have the ability to land on water? Boeing 737 CAN do that (if propely executed). Here, no matter what amazing pilot you are.. as soon as you touch the water - you crash. Oh well. It's a very small thing but I wish it was improved a bit.
  
  The Ugly:
  
  - System requirements. I agree with what many reviewers said - this game depends more on CPU than it does on video card. This game will most likely NOT work at the Max settings if you have a brand-name PC (eMachines, HP, Dell).
  
  When I first installed the game I had AMD Sempron 3300 (2.01GHz); 2GB DDR, Radeon X1650 Pro with 512MB. I ran the CanYouRunIT tool from System Requirements Lab.. the report said that I exceed RECOMMENDED requirements and should have a great experience with the game. I didn't really believe that since I have a 3rd class CPU but I played FS2004 and HL2 on the HIGHEST settings with absolutely NO lags so I thought it would work fine.
  
  I was.. wrong. The game was not playable unless I set all of the aircraft, transport and texture settings to Minnimum Low. It lagged horribly on my native resolution of 1680x1050 32 which I had to put into 1440x900 16bit.
  
  I purchased a new video card which is Geforce GTX 8800 with 740mb of RAM and can now play without any lags on my native resolution with settings set to Medium High but still not maxed out. Why? Because this game needs CPU. In this case, the CPU is the heart not the video card. If you buy it make sure to get the SP1 for this ASAP.. there are few performance updates which could be crucial if your video card or CPU isn't the best.
  
  So to wrap up - I highly recommend this simulator to any Aerolover as myself. But make sure you have a GOOD CPU and card. If you have them you'll find yourself spending hours and hours flying above gorgeous landscapes, commmunicating with people all over the world, surviving a dead engine and/or faulty mechanics and generally having fun. This amazing software is both entertaining and educational.
  
  
• hardware requirements
  By A2EQAOS240XM0L on 2007-01-16
  i received fsx as a gift for christmas. i've owned fs2002 and fs2004, and am relatively familiar with the game. first of all, as clearly stated in the product title and specs, the game comes on dvd format only. i had no problems installing it on my dell dimension 4800 (P4-3.2, 2GB ram, ATI 9800PRO). however, the new FSX is definitely a beast. with all the quality settings turned down and running at 1024x768x16, i got < 15 fps so the gameplay was unacceptably choppy. i have read that with all the settings turned down you should get similar performance as fs2004.
  
  i was disappointed by the performance and contemplated returning the game. but what microsoft has done here is produced a next generation flight simulator. did we really want another fs2004? i tried the game on another system which had an ATI X1650XT, which is relatively old, but a lot newer than my 9800PRO. the game ran well with medium settings at 1024x768 (>30fps), acceptable at 1280x1024, and barely playable at 1600x1200.
  
  i ended up building a new system (it was overdue anyway), and have been playing on an 8800GTS, which gives 25-35 fps at 1600x1200x32 with the highest quality settings. there are a couple guides on the internet that provide tips/tweaks for increasing performance, particularly on older systems. here is one of them:
  
  http://ops.precisionmanuals.com/wiki/Talk:FSX_FPS_Guide
  
  i have to say that the graphics are phenomenal. microsoft intends on releasing a direct x 10 patch in the next few months, which should improve the quality and performance even more on vista.
  
  as far as game play, i haven't noticed any major changes. the full set of lessons from fs2004 still exist, but now there are missions you can fly for practice. i don't recall how detailed the pilot record tracking was in fs2004, but it is awesome in fsx--tracking landings, hours, and certifications/awards from completing lessons and missions. the introduction of multiplayer play in fsx has been quite fun as well.
  
  i highly recommend this game, with the caveat that you should test the demo (free download from microsoft's site) to see how well it performs. this game is a beast and requires a nice system with a nice graphics card, but you won't be disappointed in the results!
  
  
• Beware - Install problems and $35 support
  By A2M9ZPLEJOUN6X on 2006-11-30
  Looks like MS still need to work out bugs in the DVD install process. I have the random Error 1335 cabinet file problem while many others have similarly frustrating install issues. The biggest kick is that there is no support unless you have successfully installed the game. There seems to be no work around, either the game installs or it just won't on your system. I had to return my copy and label it defective. I stick to FS9 and wait till MS gets its DVD bugs out.
  
  
• Get the Deluxe version instead.
  By AMWL7XIWIPXEZ on 2007-05-28
  It costs more, but you get so much more in the way of backgrounds, planes, animations, the lot.
  
  
  As for user complaints of the product key, I hope Microsoft fixes them. I've had no problem with mine, but have read reports of people with legitimate copies having activation problems. :(
  
  
• Wasted Money
  By A1W1VTJ5U60MIJ on 2006-11-27
  I have a system that exceeds all requirements for the game, I am running Windows XP SP2, the system is updated regularly. My DVD-RW functions flawlessly.
  I cannot get this game to install. I keep getting the 1607 error message inspite of addressing all issues raised....
  
  Seems like X10 isn't quite ready for prime time.
  
  
• Gotta have Vista
  By AGGOINMAU59AE on 2007-06-27
  I have a pretty nice rig the only thing its really lacking is Vista. Though this FSX has a DX9.X version; it looks horrible. A Vista/DX10 enabled system is almost required. I recommend this for the flight sim freak, it's as good as MSFS has ever been but for the player who wants shiny graphics as well as gameplay, make sure you are using Vista the graphics without it are just not up to snuff.
  
  
• 2 years before its time
  By A2P52TMNNS765M on 2007-01-01
  This product is a hog. Unbelivable that Microsoft would release a product like this. Seems like it's designed to make you upgrade to a new computer and Vista. Even if you meet the "minimum requirements", the program takes an incredible amount of time to load and you can't use settings that take advantage of the graphics potential. I had a fairly new XP system, but had to get a new high speed hard disk drive and DVD drive to try to use this hog, and still was dissatisfied. My son was intrigued at first, but dropped it quick to go back to his PlayStation. Read the other reviews...I recommend you avoid this and use older versions like they say. This product is a ripoff.
  
  
• Microsoft Flight Sim-X Buyer Jitters
  By A1TWF1U3KV7A4X on 2006-12-08
  Well, I've reviewed FS-X through others on this site and through the sample downloads from the Microsoft FSX site. Conclusion: I have the computing power but not the masochism required to buy a product that sounds so user-unfriendly.
  Just for fun I went to the MS site and tried to send an email to one of the gaming mavens there and tell them how reluctant I was to buy FS-X and that having worked in high-tech in Silicon Valley for 20 years, I was astounded at how difficult they've made things for the FS-X buyer/user. If we tried to sell a software product this way, we would have never gotten the application out of Beta.
  Guess what? You just can't send an opinion email to them unless you can supply a product code from what you've already bought. Translation: they don't want to hear from potential buyers. If you doubt this, give it a try yourself.
  Has any of their marketing staff ever bothered to come to Amazon and see how this product is being trashed?
  Ah, FS2004! Boots up, runs, shuts down so easily. And I can use Flight Deck III so well. Dare I try the great, new FS-X after all of these poor folks have been had? Do I concern myself that my computer doesn't have a DVD driver, so maybe I'll have to go through the buy/install hassle to get FS-X to load? And dare I ignore the hair-pulling of buyers who had to search for solutions to their graphics/driver/processor problems? Sorry, Mr. Gates. I'll pass.
  
  
  
• Very Disappointed
  By A3RWXJ4M4IQ527 on 2006-11-21
  Like many other reviewers, I have a brand new (only 2 months old) PC with dual core processors, 2GB RAM, 256MB NVIDIA video card, etc. etc. which easily exceeds the system requirements published on the software. I installed the game and was very disappointed at how poor it ran. I also have FS2004, which runs extremelyl well, vs the sick and sad performance of FSX10. If you share these sentiments, please write a review and hopefully Microsoft will address this problem, since only .001% of the population will have a PC which can be suitable for this game.
  
  
• GOOD LUCK ON GRAPHICS
  By ALOFGXZI68PI4 on 2006-11-22
  I purchased Micro. Flight Sim X with great expectaions of improvements from the 2004 version. Install was flawless, other than activation. I was VERY disappointed at the performance. Im not sure what kind of system is needed to play this game with decent graphics, but I can't find one. I have 2 high powered machines (Intel D core, 2GB Ram, PCIExp 256MB video). I can currently play pretty much any game on the market with no problems and good performance with decent frames rate. THIS SIM is BAD. I had to jack down all the settings to make it perform even so-so. Flight graphics very choppy and sluggish. Turning performance settings WAY down helps, but does not completly cure the issues. I installed it on a gamer friends system, with the same results. He actually has a very expensive video card, with same results. Both of our systems WELL EXCEED requirements for the SIM. Buyer Beware..
  
  
• I hope Microsoft developed this sim for future systems...
  By A16VTLFW084IR1 on 2006-11-29
  I read a review in PC Gamer saying that this game was released a year too soon. And I have to tell you, they were right on the money. I have what I consider a mid-level gamer's rig (3.2 Ghz processor, 256 MB graphics card, and 1 gig of RAM), and still I receive graphic "glitches" when I run this game. Beware: If you just meet the system requirements to run this sim, be prepare to turn all the graphical "goodies" off. From what I've seen, this sim is a system hog. On the plus side, I'm impressed with the sheer number of airports available. And the real-time weather feature seems like a nice touch. Lets hope when I upgrade my graphics card, ram, and my OS to Vista, this game shows its true potential.
  
  
• Another Non Installed Flight Sim - Catch 22 Microsoft V. 3.0
  By ALRKFU9W6BKUM on 2007-04-12
  Well Maybe I should run around the living room Flapping my Arms and saying Zoooom like i did when i was a kid...
  Bought it, tried to load it, hit the catch 22...You can't load disc 2 because you are using dvd software that writes dvd's however you can't load it without dvd software. Spoke With Microsoft in Mumbi for about an hour and he could't figure it out so he sends me new disc's but they don't work cause of the software conflict. So you unload the DVD software and the thing says "Hey, I won't run without dvd software". Big duel core computer with 2gig memory etc. I will figure this out eventually or returm my purchase to Amazon. Then I will try to use the Microsoft Money software.
  
  
• You've got to be kidding!
  By A231WCP2JNW1X6 on 2007-05-08
  Microsoft, the supposed master of software, cannot design a game that will install on modern systems with DVD burning capabilities and movie making programs?!?!?!?! Will not install. Additionally, system requirements to really play the game are off the charts... I'm really supposed to spend thousands on the newest hardware (and lots of it) and then use the computer solely for this program only!? You've got to be kidding! Microsoft laid a very big egg on this one. Do not buy!
  
  
• Disappointed 2
  By A18955SQO7763N on 2006-11-27
  Against my better judgement I ignored the reviews and purchased this game. It turns out most folks were right. While I didn't have any problems installing the game it takes several minutes to load up and get flying each time. I've never heard my hard drive crunch so much as it does while this is running!
  
  I bought the logitech joystick but if I had it to do over again I would have gotten the Xbox 360 controller for Windows (much less bulky).
  
  I'm a real Cessna pilot and I don't find the flight characteristics to be realistic but then again it is a game!
  
  
  
  
• Will not install
  By A2MWSJFPWYQ4PW on 2006-12-30
  DVD # 1 seems to be installing smoothly, but then will not read DVD #2. Have tried several times, including after re-booting the pc. My pc is a Dell 3.4 GHz, with 2GB of RAM and a 256MB video card.
  
  This is going back.
  
  
• would be best on duo processor
  By A2SJYD2F9DTYU1 on 2007-01-18
  This version will take up an extreme amount of hard drive space but is the BEST flight sim yet. Unless you have a duo processor expect to do a little extra tweaking to find the best combination of graphics vs. speed. Still, this is a lot of fun. I enjoy flying the float plane out of Juneau harbor at sunset. Spectacular.
  
  
• Overdone and Overblown
  By A2FYRTOJE0LLYK on 2007-03-05
  I bought this sim within a week of it coming out in October of 2006. I had heard all the hype about the improved graphics, the new look and the "living world." All of that was true. The graphics are outstanding if you park your plane and just look around, or enjoy the detail of the instrument panel.
  
  I also heard about it being hard to run on low end systems. I figured (wrongly) that my system with an AMD 64 3700+ with 2GB of RAM and an nVidea Geforce 7600GS with 512MB of dedicated RAM should operate the program at a reasonable rate. I can run the program with all of the sliders set to near minimum, but not much higher. Even then I can only get a somewhat jerky 18 frames per second.
  
  Another problem I had was the program has always been unstable. It would crash more often than I did. I have dubbed it the Windows 95 of Flight Simulators. I should note that I had installed a new hard drive and had a fresh install of Windows XP just prior to loading Flight Simulator X.
  
  On the good side, the terrain mapping is excellent. I flew a Mooney over an area of Northern California and was amazed at how the terrain mapping reminded me of a trip I took in a truck through the area 18 years earlier. It was actually refreshing and confirming my memories of that trip. It is considerably superior to FS 9.
  
  After running the program for the last three months, I have finally given up on it. I uninstalled it and dusted off and installed Flight Simulator 2004 A Century of Flight. With my computer I can set all of the graphics sliders to near maximum and although the colors aren't quite as vivid, it looks more real and more detailed at low altitudes than FS X could ever be on my computer.
  
  Final word; if you have FS 9 don't waste your money on FS X. If you are looking to upgrade from an earlier version, buy FS 9 instead. It is selling at about $20 now, and well worth it. If you are willing to fork out the $2000 or so necessary to have a computer capable of running this massive program, them maybe FS X is for you.
  
  
  
  
  
• Product Key registration Insanity
  By A33H8SU4WZ0EAS on 2007-05-12
  After installation, taking about 30 minutes, MSFS X Deluxe Edition started and asked for product key.
  
  The Product Key that is printed on a bright yellow tag is easy to find and to read.
  
  The product key was not recoginzed after at least 10 attempts to enter the Product Key:
  
  THEN after attempting to uninstall, errors occured and now it will not repair, uninstall, or install.
  
  I did get to run it in trial mode the first time with all settings to maximum and it looks very good, but for all the insanity with the completely malfuntioning registration process and poor support I'd rather use X-Plane 8.
  
  
• Excellent Flight Sim, works exceptionally well
  By A6FWYT03R2X64 on 2007-05-14
  Microsoft's Flight Simulator X may be the best Flight Simulator currently on the market. With it's awesome graphics and unique structure, it is taking the gaming industry by storm. The only drawback would be the Two-Disk DVD set. Many computer users, expecially those who use notebooks, do not have a DVD-Drive avaliable. Apart from this, it is a great game. I have two computers, an Hewlett-Packard Desktop with an AMD Turion 64 Processor and 1024MB of memory, and a 100GB hard drive. It is running on Windows XP Media Center SP2. It works well, but works even better on my notebook. The notebook is a Gateway with an AMD Turion 64 Processor and 1024MB of memory, and an 80GB hard drive. It is also running on Windows XP Media Center SP2.
  
  The gameplay is great. Many different views to enhance your flying experience. Solo play and Online play are both excellent, but, as a warning, do not try Online play with Dial Up. Broadband is recommended, as it gathers many packets online, and Dial Up cannot recieve them fast enough, so you will experience a high rate of Latency, or Lag.
  
  All in all, if you are looking for an exceptionally fun and enjoyable flying game, this is the one to grab. Five stars easy.
  
  
• Great for the price
  By A21T7DWL1DMKWM on 2007-09-15
  I've used MS FS on and off since the 1980's. It truly has come a long way.
  
  I initially read a lot about how FSX requires a 'super computer' to run acceptably so I didn't bother purchasing it since my PC is a circa 2004 P4 3.2GHz, 1GB RAM with an AGP NVIDIA GeForce 6800GT (not a bad machine really, but no 'super computer'). When I received FSX for Christmas last year, I went ahead and installed it expecting the worst. Much to my surprise, FSX performed rather well. No, I can't put all the display settings close to max but even at the lower settings, FSX looks better than FS9.
  
  For me, at least for now, it's about perceived frame rates and not actual frame rates. If I can fly an airplane smoothly, with little or no apparent hesitation, then I am pretty happy. And FSX flies pretty smoothly for me in enough situations to keep me coming back. Perfect? No. Good enough for now? Yes.
  
  That's the key thing: situational awareness. If I try flying from JFK with AI traffic cranked up to 100% and higher display settings, I'm probably not going to get flyable results. However, if I fly from Tromso or Bodo Norway I can crank the traffic up (because there are few AI flights), and even adjust a few scenery sliders to the right and things run relatively smoothly. I have found flying around islands such as Hawaii or into Princess Juliana to be quite pleasant experiences. I can't say for certain, but the service pack may have helped things a bit.
  
  I still have a lot to explore with FSX but at this point I think I have identified some major culprits that seem to affect performance for me: sea traffic, high water effects, highly complex scenery areas (large cities for example) and high AI traffic. But these are easily avoided and the sim still looks and feels great in a lot of areas. As long as you are willing to adjust display settings depending on where you are and what the situation is (weather, daytime, nighttime), I think you'll get a lot of satisfaction from FSX even on an older machine like mine.
  
  Microsoft still makes fairly lousy default aircraft, although things have improved this time around. The C172 isn't bad if you want to learn about flying or just want to tool around in a half-way decent GA aircraft. And the Bell helicopter can be a lot of fun. The Beaver seems decent. The Baron and CRJ can sorta get you by until you pick up a decent add-on aircraft such as Eaglesoft's Citation II.
  
  MS still has a ways to go in terms of ATC though. ATC can be kind of nice at times, it can more or less do an IFR flight plan and it's cool just to have radio chatter and hear surrounding AI traffic, and to hear somebody say `cleared for takeoff' or `cleared to land', but in general ATC apparently has little clue about aircraft spacing, standard procedures, terrain awareness, etc.
  
  MS has done a decent job of creating the feeling of flight for less than $50 on a home computer. That's amazing! They have managed to create a fairly nice world to explore (much depends on where you are: some places are stunning, some are very unconvincing). Once they manage to get some more real-world logic built into the ATC system and improve some game enhancements(camera options, though improved, still leave a lot to be desired, the weather system could be better and more robust) FS will be worthy of the highest accolades. For now, it's a very nice sim that can provide a pretty realistic experience for those wishing to experience flight. And for the price, it's amazing.
  
  
  
• You need a high end computer
  By AF8VL8EEYXUOG on 2006-11-11
  I have an Athlon 4.2+ dual core, 1 GB RAM , Graphic card Radeon X1300 512MB. This flight simulation is a good one, but you need an expensive computer. Unfortunetely, I won't see the cool graphics in my computer.
  
  cnr -- adrian
  
  
• Fly the Laggy Skies
  By A17C7WCB8A2PH0 on 2007-01-09
  I've flown every version of Microsoft Flight Simulator since before it was the Microsoft Flight Simulator.
  
  Microsoft Flight Simulator 10 (MSX) is the latest version in this long line and it is, for the most part, very good.
  
  The look and feel is top notch. The play of light, the textures, the whole visual package is unequaled. The flight dynamics are extremely good and matches most of my flight experience except for the stomach whoop-de-doos when the wind bounces you around.
  
  On the downside, the menus are simply terrible. Its never a good thing when the user interface style changes from menu to menu. Its never a good thing to when you encounter several menu who's end effect is exactly the same, but function is completely different manners.
  
  Microsoft has a well established style of menu that we have, for better or worse, has become second nature to all of us. So why they chose to not stick with this in favor of what feels very kloogy and mishmashed.
  
  The program really falls apart when swapping between menu screens and modes. If it were just a tick slower and I would be considering boxing it back up and returning it. In this day and age there is no excuse for this much overhead swapping between modes.
  
  My next problem with MSX is one I've been having with MS in general. To get the most out of MSX you will need a bleeding edge computer. HUGE memories, HUGE storage, HUGE video cards. The program tries to tailor itself to the machine it is being installed on, but my experience in installing it on my own machine and helping other install it is that the automatic tailoring is off, on the high side. Each case I needed to go in and tune down the graphics and such to get the program to run properly.
  
  This program is really only for the die-hard SimAviator who is determined enough to fly the virtual skies to go through the hoops to make the program run properly.
  
  
• Great simulator, but you'd better have GREAT hardware
  By A265S2Z6U63RBU on 2007-11-20
  Loads of fun and amazingly realistic IF....you have the hardware. I have a core 2 duo 2.14MHZ, a 7900 graphics card with 512mb of memory, 2GB of 800mhz memory, a fairy high-end motherboard and this simulator runs fairly well. It still can't run at highest settings without slowing down to an unusable crawl, so don't even bother to order it if you have anything less than the above. This is the ONLY application that ever made me feel my computer was seriously underpowered. But I don't play high-end games, either, I'm sure if I did I'd have the same experience.
  So if you have the stuff, go for it. It's great.
  
  

• Microsoft Flight Simulator X For Pilots Real World Training
• Microsoft Flight Simulator as a Training Aid: A Guide for Pilots, Instructors, and Virtual Aviators
• Space Shuttle Expansion for Flight Simulator X
• Legacy - Executive Jet for Flight Simulator X
• FlyingClub X Expansion for MS Flight Simulator X/2004 DVD

• Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Joystick (963290-0403)
• Logitech Attack 3 Joystick
• Microsoft Flight Simulator X Acceleration Expansion
• CH Products Flight Sim Yoke USB ( 200-615 )
• Microsoft Flight Simulator X For Pilots Real World Training