...if I want my sim to talk to EPIC and WideFS, I need the payware version. Doesn't work without it in my case.

Ray:"you've only taken your speculation and have tried to establish it as fact... without basis."It's NOT without basis. Did you READ the posts on their forum, and cross-posted to Pete's support forum, when he made the decision to start charging? Richard

Would you call Linus Torvald mean-spirited for publishing Linux, an alternative to Unix, and now starting to encroach on the Windows OS Market? It is surely having an impact on Microsoft's and SCO's bottom line to be sure... It's free, and aimed directly at Microsoft's and SCO's profit margin... What you percieve as mean-spirited I see as innovative and revolutionary.

Did you post a request for help on the suport forum? There's no reason why WideFS should need a registered FSUIPC version.

Yes, in fact I did read them. I still don't understand why Peter's FSUIPC has to be the only accepted 'standard' in the FS community. Most new ventures are borne from the dissatisfaction of current standards.

Add EPICUSB to the mix...

With FDSConnection, there is also a kind of missing variable mapping functionality. With FSUIPC, you can call a variable offset by passing in a hex number 0xYYYY and a length, hash it out and you've got a variable. With FDSConnection, you can do the same thing, but the mapping of the variables to 0xYYYY commands is more limited as they haven't delved as deep into FS as FSUIPC has (in as many years in development as it has been, thats not surprising). Most, if not all of the same offsets work for FDSConnection as FSUIPC (thus using the FSUIPC SDK is easy), but stuff like the TCAS Tables is only FSUIPC, scripting of the weather engine, interfacing with certain parts of the sim are only features of FSUIPC that FDSConnection doesn't have access to.The reason FDSConnection is such a viable alternative is the fact that its free, HAS access to all FS offsets by default (and with manipulation that I've done, access to read token information from FS - stuff that isn't mapped to an offset but in the token.h file for the FS2004 gauge SDK and explained in the tokens.doc file) and has a freeware application that allows its data to pass across a network for FREE.The only issues I know of about FDSConnection is a speed of information, but I'm using a setup for my software suite that is pushing that speed limit out of minds way.

I just wanted to get my word in here on this as well. I think the people that make PM are completely out of their minds. Near $800 for the complete Boeing package? Are you kidding me?!All I've heard is that it does indeed work, has bugs, and doesn't get updated that often. That sure does make me want to rush out and buy it. Even if they had the best service and updated it all of the time I still think $800 is a retarded amount of money to charge for software like this.If they weren't so d4mn greedy and charged maybe $80-$100 for it they'd probably sell a whole lot more copies.I for one will never, ever, spend that kind of money on Project Magenta. I hope more people do the same and support some of the other packages that come out. Just because they're the only ones they think they can just rip people off.I guess it really makes me bitter when I see people taking advantage of people when they know those people have no other real choice. I put PM in the same category as cable companies and phone companies a long while ago when people had no choice. "Why are we ripping people off? Because we can!!"

When it comes to bashing products, I got to stick my nose in it.If you don't have the product, DON'T SLAM IT!Project Magenta's products are TOTALLY professional and there isn't anything like it, for the price, in the world. Regarding bugs.... of course there are bugs, what do you expect when a product continues to evolve. Bugs are fixed within hours or days, Enricho works nonstop, if there is a bug. Support is unlimited.As it has been said "HERE" before, you get what you pay for. I truly believe, when it comes to Project Magenta's products, for the price, I got the better deal. I've had PM Products for three years, and obviously, I'm a SATISFIED customer!

Well, I didn't slam the product itself. I was slamming it's price tag. I'm sure they've done a good job with it. I would have bought it myself already if it were priced appropriatly. I can't think of any software that costs near that much unless it's software that will help make you money in some fashion like some business or stock software. Most of us aren't into it to make money with our cockpits. They're just for fun. To me it just seems that the price is set at a point due to the fact that he knows people have no other alternatives at the moment. I guess I just can't see any justification for the price.What I did say however was that all I've ever seen from others is that it has bugs and that they don't update it very often. This isn't my opinion by any means since I don't own it; it's just what I've read from others. I don't see very many posts raving about it and how it's the greatest software.It's also pretty easy for you to say those things since you own it and probably bought it when it was around $100 three years ago. Shell out another $700 for it today and then tell me how you feel about it. Would you still feel it's worth it just the same as you do today? If so, where do you draw the line? What if it cost $1200?

With all due respect.... I don't think you know what your talking about.With "New and Improved", as always, eventually, comes with a higher price.Regarding software priceing... outside the realm of Flight Simulation, I know of many software packages that are in the $25k, $50k, $100k, 1 million or more, and most of these programs do not offer as much as what is offered in our hobby. I know of one Health care program, that tracks the scheduling patients for surgery, and tracks costs of items used. $2.5 million, and $25K a year for support. Have you checked out Jeppesen prices for the there chart services? ... as another example. I can go on and on with examples...The bottom line... It's your choice, of what product you want and how much you want to spend. Don't bring your frustrations of what you can and cannot afford here. If you find a product that is equivalent or better with lower or same price, and you want to share that information..... This is the place, and it will be appreciated. "Constructive" criticism is ALWAYS appreciated.

It's all cool. I guess if I were argue those points that you made, healthcare products are clearly on another level. People's lives depend on it. Same with Jeppesen's stuff. Price is justified there. This is a fun/hobby thing. No money is being made from it, peoples lives don't depend on it, from what I can see it's completely just for fun.I guess if this software was being sold to people that make real flight sims where real pilots would train against it then I could see the price justification. It is being used by people struggling to make a cockpit simulator in their homes/garages/warehouses.Point taken from all of you, and I hope you guys see my points. :-)Thanks for listening.

As a programmer, allow me to dissagree with you.The Health care program that you use as an example cannot be compared with software like Project Magenta, or any other 'game' software.Can you imagine what will happen in case of wrong scheduling or mixing up the patients for their surgery? What the hospitals, and NOT an individual as in PM's case, pay is for the assurance that nothing like that will happen and it case it happens, heads will roll.With PM the worse case is to get a wrong FD output or a wrong dehaviour of the a/c, in which case you have the ability to fly it manually.Appart from the autopilot and simulating AFDS modes, PM is nothing more than a graphics display of the instruments.And as a graphics display, it's overpriced. I don't doubt that PM is excellent, does it's job right, with whatever bugs, but still, it's a graphics display!FreeFD does exactly the same thing for free! What does PM give you more? More aircraft types, compared to the one type FreeFD gives us, support and future updates.STILL, $500 is way too much for some graphic displays software.That's Enrico's choice, it's well respected, but you have to allow people to express their opinions. It's not an argument of what one can affort or not. It's how anyone evaluates the cost against the functionality. If you feel that a piece of software (any kind) is worth to spend $1000, $1k, or $10K it's up to you, to your needs and how you evaluate that software.Personally, and it's my own opinion, I agree that the PM software is overpriced for what it gives. Even WindowsXP which certainly provides whole lot more than PM does, cost under $200 !!! It's because there is no competition (yet) to the field that PM is producing software for, and when there is a monopoly, prices are high.What we are saying is that this kind of software should be sold at prices near or under $100. With lower prices come more sales, so more income. On course, the author could come up with something like:$100 for the software pack , free 3 months support, and if you wish after that to get support that would be an additional $25 per year or if you want to upgrade to a newer version that would cost this much or get this discount.That's the way MS does it with FS anyway!!! Don't we pay for each software upgrade???George DorkofikisAthens, Greecehttp://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/betaimg.jpg

As an Ex-programmer, you still don't know what your talking about. The Surgery program I'm referring to has no effect on the patient outcome nor does it contain patient health related information. It is a database of scheduling, items used for billing purposes, and tracking costs. And Mr. Dorkofikis, as a programmer, you know the cost's that are involved in developing a program such as PM's, and the cost that is involved for support. You of all people should know better!Gee.... may be Disney World should reduce their $75 ticket a day price, because, it's just having fun.

I certainly know the cost behind developing software.Again, the Health care software should not be compared to software like PM. It's far more complicated, as you know.What are we talking about? If you haven't figured it out yet, there's no point continuing the 'argument'.Oh, and as for Disney World, indeed I think $75 is way too expensive!Again, it's expensive for ME, it's ME that I think it's expensive for what I will get in return. If I made $1m per month I sure wouldn't care much!!!George DorkofikisAthens, Greecehttp://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/betaimg.jpg