Captains-I have some good news and some bad news regarding the update that we are currently preparing for you.... First the good news:We are receiving some very helpful input from Microsoft that is helping us to identify some concrete areas where we can gain frame rates and reduce memory usage in the 737. We are both very appreciative of this help and quite honored that a few individuals there are taking time from their schedules to help us ensure that this product works as effectively as possible for you.This has led us to the bad news: I originally expected to issue our update for the airplane on 19JUL. I am moving my EFC time for this update to the time frame covered by 23-26JUL, as we do not fee we have had adequate time to test this update to ensure it does not introduce second tier problems.I am unable to provide you with a comprehensive list of "fixes included" at this stage because, while we have issued a number of fixes we have not validate all of them- and we are working from three different approaches to solving most of the problems.You'll probably see a list of fixed items go up here in 4-5 days or so when we have had a chance to validate the fixes are actually holding up under testing....I can assure you that we are working as fast and as carefully as possible- and as much as all of us would like to have the patch out to you THIS weekend, I think we would run too high a risk of missing important details if we rush.Hence- I'm pushing it back a bit.... (I warned this was a possibility a few times...so I hope this does not upset too many of you!)EDIT ADDITION: As a result of the fact that we are updating also the model itself- we have halted the issue of liveries until we know for sure what is to be affected during the update. We'll get back to you with more information later in the weekend...

PMDG: This was not totally unexpected. I appreciate the communication from you and hope for the best. My question is, is it safe to use the Alaska Airlines livery I downloaded, (but has since been removed), from your website? I want to install it, but I wonder if it was removed because it causes damage to what we have right now? Keith A. Whyte

Hi Keith,there are no problems with the livery - I have it installed and everything works fine.Cheers,Gosta.http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/images/wxrebeta.jpg

Robert,Would you consider allowing any paying customer to help test beta versions of the patch? I'd be thrilled to help if so...Ryan

Sirs,Thank you very much for this update on the patch. I'd rather have a good working product then a rushed release of the patch. May I also compliment you guys with your great external communication and customer support? Very professional, in good times and in bad times!With regards,Lennart van Opbergen,the Netherlands

Robert,Thanks for your honest, informative post on the progress of the update. I appreciate your openess in sharing the progress and issues faced by your team... It is heartening to see how the PMDG staff faces their issues and the support you all are providing us.I [im]patiently await the Alaska livery... I honestly can say that this livery is the one I wanted above all others...In case you or your staff havent yet heard from me, I enjoy your 73NG and am looking forward to the -900, in Alaska's paint of course!!!Regards,Ted Panamarioff - Kodiak, Alaska

Well, at least you all are talking to us. What is the deal with MS helping you all with the memory usage? Obviously it was not a memory leak because wouldn't that be something you all would be able to find in-house? If it is just the plane itself (and not a mem leak)that is using that much memory and causing FS to respond so slowly when loading it up, will you all have no choice but to reduce the texture sizes all over? Is that the reason for pulling the liveries because they will not work with the model that you are making changes to? Basically a less sharper looking model to save mem usage and increase framerates? It stinks we can't use it this weekend (and the weekend after I have to work both days so that one is shot as well) though. But like I said, at least your talking to us unlike that fiasco over at SSW. They are on their 4th attempt to even get the installer working and they don't say nothing as far as what is going on.

Hi,I'm happy that the big boys are helping you out for whatever reason. I'm afraid this doesn't exactly placate matters for me though - sorry.I still maintain that this work should have been done before the product was released. I really don't want to get into a fight over this statement. I have already said that I don't mind the odd bug etc etc....Ryan - we are paying customer beta testers already.Good luck with trying to make the latest target.Rich.

Robert,Many thanks for your honest appraisal of the situation. I certainly don't have a problem waiting a few more days for the patch. Better to get it right than rush it out and disappoint people.I also think it would be a good idea to issue the patch to a wider group of people to ease the workload on the current beta testers.Cheers,

>But like I said, at least your talking>to us unlike that fiasco over at SSW. They are on their 4th>attempt to even get the installer working and they don't say>nothing as far as what is going on. I think we have the patch before SSW is able to release their A310 :-hah PMDG: Thanks for the info, so we have more time to read the manuals :-)read you...Migh

Eric,Is it really necessary to keep bashing SSW? You

Hi Robert and rest of the team.Just to tell you that I admire your honesty and dedication.You must have been taken aback for a moment by the multitude of issues popping up but you have the right attitude, namely that aiming for quality weighs in heavier than releasing the patch too soon.Yes indeed this situation is not totally unexpected with a complicated product like this that aims so high and I would not be surprised if after the patch there may come a second patch if needed, so be it. It is the eventual result that counts.Yes ofcourse we all, who paid for this expensive aircraft, are a bit frustrated that we can't fly yet, or at least not without the "isues" popping up. But we will just have to be patient and wait while you guys do your thing.In the meantime do not be discouraged by captains who's impatience turns bitter and negative. Most of us are very supportive about the way you are handling this.

All those people with their unintelligibility make me so mad... :-mad"...we already are paying betatesters..." -> no I don

Hi Rob,Take your time, guys. You have potentially a first class product here, and I for one have no problem with waiting another week or whatever. After all, it's summer, and we should all be outside anyways, right? (sorry for those "down-under" :) ).I can't wait to fly this bird in FS2004. !!Thanks for keeping us informed.Bruce.

Hi all,it seems to me that there is no other way as to wait until PMDG will release their patch even it will arrive in the end of the year.I can