In a move that surprised everyone at Microsoft's Redmond, WA, headquarters, a spokesperson for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced today that the forthcoming release of Microsoft Flight Simulator:A century Of Flight will be available only as a freeware download via the internet. Citing the escalating costs of add-on products and the recent rash of defections by freeware authors to the realm of payware vendors, the Foundation spokesperson said that Mr. Gates feels this is the least Microsoft could do for all the thousands of loyal Flght Simulator fans who have supported the product in past years. Development and distribution costs will be absorbed by the Foundation as a part of their on-going philanthropic programs. Proof of ownership of a qualifying product will be required. As with other recent Microsoft products, Product Activation will be required via internet or telephone. Product Activation and Proof of Ownership details will be included in the 2.456GB single-file download package.

hi,Right......... :-rollAndrewPS. Even if it were true it would be impossible to get since it would take days, even weeks to get it on a high speed internet connection, it would take about a year on dial up. :-lol

LOL uhhhhhhh....I wish :-lol . I don't think Microsoft is THAT nice LOL.

LOL It would be very possible to get in a short time if it was true. I recently downloaded 3 Red Hat Linux 9.0 (650MB x 3, Linux may be free to download but theres a LOT to download LOL) CD's in less than 1 day with my broadband cable connection.

:-lol :-lol :-lol :-lol :-lol :-lol :-lol :-lol :-lol :-lolAnd one - :-xxrotflmao for good measure.

Oh boy, "panama red" is back in town!

You know the usage of M$ instead of MS...Jason :-wave

.....and then Billy-Boy Gates wakes up drentched in sweat and says "Whew...what a terrible nightmare I had" Microsoft would never do something like that. They don't even make patches for their games to fix problems..let alone make a version for free.I'm still gonna get FS2004 though. :-hah

He he he.... Now THAT was funny !:_)