I don't quite understand this, though. Abacus had a 787 for a few months now, maybe even more. So either they released a new version, or a seperate new product, which I can hardly imagine.

This isn't a new product as far as I can tell. Abacus certainly isn't claiming it is new, and just as you said, the identical product has been on sale for a couple years now. It looks to me like they sent Avsim a review copy or a press release in an attempt to get some advertising. I have no idea how it ended up as "Abacus Releases the Boeing 787" on the front page, but I'm sure it falls somewhere between an honest mistake and overzealous marketing.- Martin

This is not a hate fest against Abacus and I don't really understand some of the points being made to defend this add-on. It's an add-on for a flight simulator therefore it should simulate, as closely as possible, the real thing. How is it justifiable to model the interior so that it in no way either looks like or behaves like the interior of the actual aircraft? They just took existing gauges and switches and planted them in there. The default 737 is a great piece of kit for those that just want to fly, heck, the 787 (in FSX) is the 737 with strange looking wings.The Pilatus PC-12 (flight one) is just $20 for the fs9 version or $32 for the FSX version. It looks like a PC-12, as far as I know it acts like a PC-12 and it's cheaper or close enough as makes no difference than the 787. As in any business the bar is set by the best and if your not good enough to match up and you charge money for you products then folks, especially reviewers and online magazine like AVSIM, should be calling them out.If companies like Abacus had effective QC management and policy then it should never have gotten out the door, much like the A380.

Abacus is junk. You're paying Flight1/Aerosoft/Carenado prices for freeware quality (and below) software. They are trying to get a piece of the action ($$$) by doing as little as possible to release a product and charging full price for it.I could understand if this stuff was $10 for a plane but $30+ is just a ripoff. Typical of so many companies these days.I don't buy any aircraft addons until reviews are out. I've never heard any good things about abacus and I'd stay as far away from that developer as possible.Get yourself a Carenado Cessna for less than $30 and let's see abacrap come CLOSE to that quality with whatever they have.-jk

Abacus is junk. You're paying Flight1/Aerosoft/Carenado prices for freeware quality (and below) software. They are trying to get a piece of the action ($$$) by doing as little as possible to release a product and charging full price for it.I could understand if this stuff was $10 for a plane but $30+ is just a ripoff. Typical of so many companies these days.I don't buy any aircraft addons until reviews are out. I've never heard any good things about abacus and I'd stay as far away from that developer as possible.Get yourself a Carenado Cessna for less than $30 and let's see abacrap come CLOSE to that quality with whatever they have.-jk

I agree! The pricing of the 787 indicates that's not up to the standard of PMDG or LeveD aircraft. But with that price you should at least get a quality exterior and VC. Judging from the pictures the Abacus 878 is a rip-off.

Hmmm, it doesn't seem to be aimed at you but rather the entry level market... :(

Hmmm, it doesn't seem to be aimed at you but rather the entry level market... :(

That's right. I buy my FS models from Eaglesoft (Cessna Citation II, Cirrus SR22 G2, Columbia 400 FSX and the Piper Twin Comanche), Aerosoft (Beaver, Piper Cheyenne and Twin Otter), Carenado (Cessna 152, 172, U206, Mooney, Piper Cherokee and Seneca II), Flight1/LevelD, Flight1 (Pilatus PC-12, Super 80), FSD (Commander 115 TC, Piper Navajo and Piper Saratoga), PMDG 747 and MD-11 and finally the RealAir Duke and the package American Champion (Citabria, Decathlon and Scout) :(

Hmmm, it doesn't seem to be aimed at you but rather the entry level market... :(

no matter who it's aimed at it's insulting. The default 747 and 737 are more than good enough for a casual simmer to use for simulating large aircraft. I don't get how anybody could look at that product and say, "yep, good value, good bit of kit". because there is no evidence to prove that it is. Not for $30, not for free.

Something has gone wrong, somehow. Last year I was contracted to build a completely new, reasonably accurate panel and gauge system for their B787, which quite obviously does not appear in the currently available download.I'm waiting for a reply to my inquiry about this... :(

From time to time, Abacus sends out an e-mail to its customers offering a special on a package or so. This appears to have been the case.As an Abacus customer, I received an e-mail on the 787 package that has been released for some time now. This is not a new release of the Dreamliner. It appears that this was taken to be a new item for the AVSIM front page.As to the product itself, to each his own opinion, but remember that the model was reviewed and approved by Boeing, so - at least visually - the Abacus model conformed (to Boeing's satisfaction) to the 787 Dreamliner design *at the moment of model release* which was some time ago.As a matter of personal opinion, I feel it is also inaccurate to state that Abacus packages are catgegorically "inferior". Abacus does not have a staff of in-house developers, and have, at times, licensed models from some of the developers that have received accolades in this thread.

From time to time, Abacus sends out an e-mail to its customers offering a special on a package or so. This appears to have been the case.As an Abacus customer, I received an e-mail on the 787 package that has been released for some time now. This is not a new release of the Dreamliner. It appears that this was taken to be a new item for the AVSIM front page.As to the product itself, to each his own opinion, but remember that the model was reviewed and approved by Boeing, so - at least visually - the Abacus model conformed (to Boeing's satisfaction) to the 787 Dreamliner design *at the moment of model release* which was some time ago.As a matter of personal opinion, I feel it is also inaccurate to state that Abacus packages are catgegorically "inferior". Abacus does not have a staff of in-house developers, and have, at times, licensed models from some of the developers that have received accolades in this thread.

It just happened again though, There's a note of the release of ASA SP1 on the front page, but that was released almost a month ago!!

It just happened again though, There's a note of the release of ASA SP1 on the front page, but that was released almost a month ago!!

ASA sent in a news item today and it was posted on the front page.In the Abacus case, it was an e-mail to customers that was posted on the front page as a "released" model.

regarding the 787 as junk, I can only recall: One man's trash is another man's treasure. Having said that I am with a previous poster in that it is not something I would buy. Think of it as a salisbury steak at the Golden Corral as opposed to Prime Rib at Ruth's Chris.

For $30 we are in the realm of a good fidelity aircraft from a company such as Eaglesoft, so the "dollar store" analogy doesn't hold water. Abacus / Perfect Flight sell products that traditionally would have made poor freeware. And while Abacus may have made a good name for themselves with tools such as FSDS, they have whored themselves with trash like the 787 and others.No one would pay $30 at the dollar store, or for a Salisbury Steak. Companies like Perfect Flight and Abacus don't serve any other purpose but to milk as much money from the community as they can by releasing a constant stream of expensive sewage into the community.Building a 787 is not an issue. Lazily slapping together substandard products and charging a premium price for it doesn't bode well in my book. No, it doesn't have to be a PMDG level product, but at least either take some pride in your work, or charge a price more reflective of the poor quality of the product as a matter of honesty.At the end of the day, I too can fire up 3DMAX and build a pretty poor representation of an airplane, use the default gauges and sounds, slap some textures on the sides and sell it for a price. Unfortunately, honor, integrity and respect preclude me from doing so. It makes it easier to look in the mirror and shave in the morning.

regarding the 787 as junk, I can only recall: One man's trash is another man's treasure. Having said that I am with a previous poster in that it is not something I would buy. Think of it as a salisbury steak at the Golden Corral as opposed to Prime Rib at Ruth's Chris.

"Think of it as a salisbury steak at the Golden Corral as opposed to Prime Rib at Ruth's Chris."A parochial metaphor. I haven't a clue about any of that except the word 'steak :( '!

I have never purchased from Abacus and never will.