Alan,
Just like you I have been flying a C172 for a year now but have also spent quite some time with the infamous Flight Simulators.
Without getting into the whole "its really realistic bs" etc. I would suggest that you check out
PMDG Simulations and look at their 744 which will be the closest you will get to the simulation of a 744 on your PC(either FS9 or FSX). If you spend some time and effort with reading the AOM, you will definitely learn many interesting things.
Now regarding X-plane i aree with Intruder
2. Bad simulation.
especially when looking at the aircraft and how poorly they have been modeled.
Here one of my screenshots to give you an idea of the far better PMDG 744:
You should definitely search around on the PPRuNe forums as you will find many good topics regarding the 744 specifically as there are plenty here, lucky enough to fly the real thing.
So finding answers to some of your questions wont be hard.
You may also want to check out:
SmartCockpit - Airline training guides, Aviation, Operations, Safety
Good luck with your PPL.
Now back to the real world
