To me the look of the cockpit of the Ifly "feels" more real ( look at the switches and throttle handles ), but the PMDG version will have some extra features.Also the PMDG version flies later in the day, therefore it is more dark in the cockpit. I could not find a nightshot , like Ifly has posted to compare those. You judge for yourself.... IFlyVSPMDG

I think the lighting in the iFly version looks like its got a sunroof open :) A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to look in the 737 cockpit and I have to say that the Ifly looks very simular.....Hopefully PMDG will post some extra vc shots so we can compare them better.

Just did my first full flight in the iFly 737. Here are my honest quick impressions:

• Systems: Excellent, and on par with other high end addons that I have;
• Flight dynamics: Up there with the best that I have experienced. Extremely stable, feels right... greased my first landing;
• Autopilot: Behaves as I would expect; stable and controlled - no unusual or extreme behaviour;
• Graphics/sounds: Very good. Not the best I have seen (eg, PMDG JS41 and Airbus X VCs), but very good. Sounds are solid.
• FPS: Some users, including me, are experiencing issues in the VC when the mouse pointer appears. For me it drops FPS by 6 FPS. When this issue is not occurring, I get performance comparable to the PMDG MD11 in the VC. The mouse pointer issue is being worked on by iFly. Hopefully a fix is coming. This only affects SOME users. With the 30 day refund period, it is worth taking the punt to see if this is an issue for you.
• Options/customisation: Excellent, almost to the point of being a little intimidating to me (in terms of selecting engines etc).
• Support: Second to none.
• Value for money: Excellent.

Hope this helps anyone considering buying it. If they fix the mouse pointer issue for me, this will be one of the best, if not the best, airplane in my FSX.Regards,Justin

-I am still wondering if it has the new style landing lights AKA ie Lotus L-39 sytle lights? I saw a night screen shot and it didn't have those for the Nav lights, but the landing lights were off so I couldn't tell.Sort of, but not when it comes to actually light up scenery and stuff. See the VC shots too.-Does it have a layout menu or something equivalent that has the layout options for some of the different airliners or a guide saying which airlines use which options?Yes, quite some options there and also configurable for every livery it seems.-Does it have any type of maintainence mode or track airframe/engine hours?Not as far as I saw from the first reading and flights.-How is the VC night lighting? Is everything adjustable as it should be, or is it more of a basic lighting scheme like the LDS767 has?Currently only on/off, but quite atmospheric in my eyes. (please note the above post that they are working on some improved or other lighting).Captain's view, Overhead and some overview with the landing light illumination. Don't mind the instrument settings.-VC rain drops? I saw a few videos but couldn't tell if it had them or not.Sadly not.I have to add that the sounds are pretty good. The whole rumble, the warning tones, some vibrancy. One of the very few addons without "wow" sounds (too loud engines in the cockpit), but very believable ones. And she's a real charm on hand flying, but this may belong more to the 737 itself then since the Ariane 737 was also nice in this aspect.And I'm still very happy with the fps, doing some touch&go around Aerosoft's EHAM with NL2000 right now.

Thanks for taking the time to answer all those questions and post the screen shots. I think at this time considering what I have seen in screen shots and heard in videos, as well as options currently included, I think I will just have to have for the PMDG version.I do appreciate the time you spent gathering the info and taking the screen shots.Regards

Also the PMDG version flies later in the day, therefore it is more dark in the cockpit. I could not find a nightshot , like Ifly has posted to compare those.

I think was due to either the way they were facing when they took the shot, time of day, or ENB series being used.In these pics it doesn't look as dark.

With regard to the dark/light appearance of the two (dare I say rival?) 737 cockpits from PMDG and iFly. Difficult to completely judge off two static screenies, but over and above the texture shades used, a lot of how well lit they are will depend on monitor brightness contrast settings. There is also the level of light which the simulation is supposed to be depicting. Take a look at the following link and scroll down; you will see there is a lot of variance in appearance of the panel's light levels based on where the sun is and what the camera settings were at the time (note that some of the aircraft in that pic do have the eyebrow skylights, and that has a bearing on it too):http://www.worldairroutes.com/Helios.htmlThat DVD is a good one by the way, but back to the point at hand, cockpit alcoves can be very dark on an aeroplane, especially if your pupil dilates from looking outside at the bright sky and then you look inside. But not always. So in the end, opinions on the realism of the look is going to come down to what we personally see as 'real'. The FS 3D engine doesn't light 3D objects in an especially sophisticated way when compared to more able 3D rendering techniques. We cannot saccade (look it up LOL) - as one does in a real cockpit - in order to fill in the blanks when light levels vary, meaning a decision has to be taken on what will be a good average colour for the textures employed. Opinions will differ on this, and thank god for that too because if we all thought the same thing on every matter, the world would be a very dull and one-dimensional place, if you'll pardon the pun.So I think that because there are difficulties in using a VC compared to the reality of simply reaching out and operating a switch and/or adjusting your eyes to see things better, I prefer the 'let's help you out a bit and light it up more' choice, and that would mean having something that looks pretty well lit. The fact is, that PMDG screenshot was posted under the heading of 'this is what an NG cockpit really looks like', and indeed it does. But coming back to my own preference (and this is about light levels, not modeling fidelity), I am of the opinion that whilst it is true 'no compromise' is admirable in theory, when there are limitations you have to work to, then it sometimes isn't the best way to go. Thus if it were up to me, (and this is only if that dark appearance is the average look) I'd lighten that PMDG cockpit up a bit and take usability over adherence to photographic fidelity.This is not a dig at PMDG by the way - I can't wait to check out their NG - it is simply my opinion on a practical point on using VCs in FS.Al

Are we discussing colour tones now? Well, the existence of such a discussion may show the overall high fidelity of current flight sim addons, doesn't it?I have no doubt that a PMDG NGX coming in the (enhanced) optics of the J41 will rule out the iFly in the optical evaluation. We just have to ask at what cost (financial and fps wise) it may arrive, that's all.You can evaluate yourself if this "downside" if the iFly hits your enjoyment hard or if the great value of that 55 Dollar package is the more enjoyable thing. Feel free to use the 30 day trial.

For me it was more a case of pointing out that light levels in a VC is, as are many things with flight sims, largely a matter of opinion. Even more so when it is based on using a limited selection of screenshots owing to the fact that the PMDG one isn't actually available for a proper comparison.We'll be able to do that properly when we have both of them to play with, and that'll be cool. I know a lot of people are getting partisan over the two aeroplanes, but not me, I'll get both and use both. I have three FS 747s, including the PMDG one, and they all get an outing once in a while, because they have differing merits.Al

We'll be able to do that properly when we have both of them to play with, and that'll be cool. I know a lot of people are getting partisan over the two aeroplanes, but not me, I'll get both and use both.

Will do so too, get both, including FS2Crew.Sorry, Alan, I think my colour tone question sounded more rude than it was meant to do.As said, the fact that we actually can discuss such things shows a very high sim level, right?

Oh, absolutely, and I take your point. It is remarkable to me that it doesn't seem very long ago when we were thrilled to bits if models had twelve-sided polygons for the fuselage, whereas now we whine and moan if the screws on the dashboard are the wrong colour LOLAl

One more issue in the side-by-side cockpit comparison - the iFly shot is more involving, because the aircraft is banking down to the right, so you're "pulled" into the shot. The PMDG shows the aircraft banking left, with nothing but sky in the windows. So - a photographer's perspective - the iFly shot is a bit more dynamic and carries a little emotional charge. You can almost feel the pull toward the inside of the turn. A real apples-to-apples matchup would have to include not only the same lighting but also the same perspective. Hard to judge betweeen them from these two shots. But I agree with everyone who's said we've come a long way in flight simulation if this is the kind of thing we can argue about.... :(

Yup, that is undeniably true - something I invariably have to explain to people when I train them on Photoshop and get into the rule of thirds, pulling into the shot with perspective lines from the corners etc. If I had a quid for every time I'd got into that discussion when training people on choosing and cropping pictures, I could probably afford a real NG!Al

But that blue on the PFD looks colder to me, so you actually get sucked in and kicked back out then. What? Scientific discussion? Where?Don't we all hope for some soon PMDG release then, so that the 1:1 thing can take place and the real thread wars can start?I mean, that old 'my 767 is better than yours!' thing runs since years, without losing any spin. So we now can enjoy a 737 variation on that entertaining discussion issue.'Complaining on a high level', now made possible again. :( Outcome? Personal preference will always win, even when the wallet may dictate this or that.

Some question the iFly quality - the question of performance iFly vs PMDG remains. And with those "extras", I don't believe they are gonna have it easy. Their JS41 disappointed in VC...

My first impression is, I LOVE IT!FPS are acceptable. Don't let the low fps fool you. This bird is silky smooth.

In my humble opinion, the NGX is clearly winning in the visual department. It looks two generations ahead of the iFly version. The geometry, textures, and yes even lighting is so much better. And the HGS is collimated. Even the LCDs on the NGX are way ahead of the LCDs on the iFly. PMDG actually used the right typography whereas iFly just sort of got it in the ballpark. I was seriously tempted to buy iFly's product but when comparing the two offerings, I'm willing to wait a couple weeks for the NGX and save $55.00. Honestly, I wish iFly had spent their time and talent modeling a different plane so I could send some patronage their way.