Well, it's hardly suprising as I think that FS2004 probably reached the limit of what is possible with PC, monitor, and "micky mouse" set of flying controls.
I have watched computer flight simulation since the original wire graphic one which ran on the old Apple ][ way back in 1980. In those days the cost of such a computer (6502 CPU, 16K of RAM and a cassette tape for softwre loading) was prohibitively expensive for the average U.K. enthusiast - before the days of the Sinclair Spectrum! Since then we have had the Microsoft Flight Simulator which was based on "FS2" for the Apple ][ and started life on a 360K disc. Since the earliest days I have seen it produce very rapid progress in many aspects of flight training and as it has become more sophisticated (as the power of PCs has iincreased) it has become an ever more useful tool in this application. These days with the myriad of 3rd. party addons available, it is also useful with some aspects of type rating training and I know that the Military have not been slow to appreciate its usefulness for the unique training that they need to provide.
Unfortunately, software houses have to make a regular income and modify and develop their products so as to maintain demand. Microsoft are now desparate to sell copies of Office 2007 so have designed it to produce .docx files. This is instead of their standard .doc files which just about everybody uses and this is to try and make all the excellent wordprocessing software they have written before the 2007 version obsolete! This sort of trick is not possible with FS software so, as far as Microsoft are concerned, this software has reached the end of its useful life. No doubt, before long, it will enter the category of "Abandonware" and hopefully be freely available for copying to continue its valuable role in the pilot training field as well as all its other gaming applications.
P.P.
Last edited by P.Pilcher; 27th January 2009 at 14:55.
Reason: Typos