this hobby is almost over

[Gregg_Seipp 565]

It can certainly feel "over" sometimes but I don't think so.  The FS community is like a plant coming through pavement...it just won't go away.  And, given Prepar3d rising, new large offerings from FTX, Active Sky some of the most amazing planes being developed and enhanced from RealAir and Milviz....I actually see it the other way.  It keeps getting better.

 

Gregg

[psolk 3,037]

Absolutely correct. Read my blog's latest entry and the 2013 Stats in the Hangar Chat Forum. This hobby is far from "over". I wished I had a Euro or a Canadian Dollar for every time I have heard this over the last 18 years.

Already did, it was a great and informative post Tom and was the foundation for my comment

[spilok 1,132]

BULL----!

 

Windows 7 64 bit is available.  Check out JETLINE Systems.  They are building my 2nd computer from them in the past 5 years, and FSX has never been better.  Smooth as butter!  Seek and ye shall find.  Complaining means you haven't researched the possibilities.

 

Stan

[ultra_porthos 4]

BULL----!

 

Windows 7 64 bit is available.  Check out JETLINE Systems.  They are building my 2nd computer from them in the past 5 years, and FSX has never been better.  Smooth as butter!  Seek and ye shall find.  Complaining means you haven't researched the possibilities.

 

Stan

I looked at Jetline.  I am also looking at Xforce (guess they are geared for Xplane).  Still comparing prices and benefits

[spilok 1,132]

Technical support for LIFE often is the differentiating factor.  Jetline is in Tampa, Florida, and answers the phone quickly and talks you through ANY problem in English and they don't stop until it's SOLVED.

 

Stan

[ultra_porthos 4]

Technical support for LIFE often is the differentiating factor.  Jetline is in Tampa, Florida, and answers the phone quickly and talks you through ANY problem in English and they don't stop until it's SOLVED.

 

Stan

Lots of things to consider...I have looked at other companies also with good reps. Price for me is important as well as BBB rating.  I can handle most tech problems myself...but who knows, I am still looking.

 

But I do know I will go with Windows 7

[James Bennett 52]

Build a computer if you want FSX to run well. Then you choose hardware and software that are known to work and save yourself endless stress.

[z06z33 763]

so i am about to RMA my 2nd computer from newegg.  same problem as the first computer, some sort of driver failure every time i watch a video or try to start a flight.  i have trawled so many forums looking for a solution it's a wonder my eyes didn't fall out.  2 different brands of computer, different cards, different operating systems, different mobos.  same error.  i have to watch what i say because last time i tried to post this thread i got spanked for a common every day word (not a swear-word, a common every day word that the admin attributed a meaning to that wasn't there) that small children even use, and it was justified with sketchy amorphous logic, so you guys didn't get to see that one. if only i could tell you what it was, so we could all have a laugh.... but i digress. 

 

despite what microsoft says, it seems (through my research) that windows 8 is not compatible with fsx.  most new computers now don't offer windows 7.  with no new sim even under development, the clock is ticking.

sure a few of us have gotten lucky, and it works for those few. but you look around out there. most people can't get their sims running, and there are lots of them out there who have decided that it's just too much trouble.   i'm not sure what  computer i will end up with when i finally get one that works. but i will say this: 

 

fsx gets one shot to work properly. if it doesn't, i'm done wasting time with it. all my discs and my yoke and pedals will go right to kijiji.  it shouldn't be this hard, and frankly, i think microsoft should refund my $$

flight sim is over.  maybe it aint over for you yet, cause it works for you, but it aint gonna work on your next computer.  we had a good run for a while, but that's it.

Why don't you just build a system I built my first one when I was a kid. Building the computer is very easy. Picking the hardware though can be tricky for people who've never built one before, If you'll post a budget and what kinda stuff you want to use your system for I'm make you a build sheet and when you get the parts talk you through how to build it. It will at most take two hours to get the system built. My last system took me 45 min and that was with the installation of a liquid cpu cooler. The best part about building you own system is that you can put windows 7 on it and never have to deal with 8 again. If your not interested in building a PC why not switch to p3d V2 its fully windows 8 compatible.

[cheezyflier 1]

you know, if i knew what to pick, i would totally build one.  i tried to buy the parts to build the one i am sending back, and it came up more expensive.   i will have about $1500 to spend, all in including shipping taxes, etc. so my estimate is approx $1200 to spend on computer (parts?)

 

i think i can do it, (build one) but i don't know what is best to pick.  i want the system to run fsx well, my wife will use it for excel, word, p.p., and otherwise we play movies on it and surf the web, and use as a stereo. eventually i will use it to record/mix my music, but not right away.  i think i can get away with on board sound, initially (unless i can buy a decent soundcard  with the $$ i have.

unless it'sa neccessary, i would like to avoid overclocking, it seems to cause alot of problems for others.  i don't need to have ALL  the fxs sliders full to the right, but i want it to look nice. i don't currently use much add-on scenery, but i do like bush flying, so i am almost always within 3500' AGL  i have a yoke and pedals, will eventually buy a printer/scanner to scan photos and print docs only. i would like to have some usb ports in the front, one of them preferably usb2 because my pod gx doesn't like usb3. if you  posted a list of parts that would be a great help.  i have never buit a computer, but i have installed drives, video, sound and network cards, and ram before. i am good with my hands, and can follow instructions fairly well. thanks either way. so far, this computer thing has been a nitemare,

oh, i should prolly mention - first attempt was win 7 and nvidia card, this last one was win 8.1 and a monster amd card. the win 7 computer would not run fsx and then the whole thing just wouldn't start.  this newest attempt actually worked great at first, but after 2 weeks, it refuses to run fsx or play any videos.  and you're right, all the forums do say that fsx and windows 8 is a no go for most people.  lastly, i know of jetline, have from the beginning. considering their website lists their starting price at $1700 us, it's not an option for me.  i have $1500 all in, including shipping taxes, and anything else.

[Jetblst 23]

Well it IS kind of odd is it not?

 

We spend a ton of $$ and years out of our lives, to see how best we take a Spherical Peg (real world), then electronically smash it into a Square Hole (typical flat screen monitor) then sit back and watch pretty pictures being re-drawn right before our very eyes. Then if that wasn't enough we pop on to our favorite internet forum to argue just who has performed this insanity the best?

 

and I've shamefully loved every minute of it.  

 

Cheezy.  I would bet that many of us in here have all started at step 1.  To get a good rig or a good sim etc, is subjective at best.  For some a simple flight on their simulator around the patch as it were on an old Radio Shack Tandy, using the old flight simulator from the Sublogic days is satisfying enough.  Or to those of us who achieve maximum thrill from uber sophistication such as the rigs and sotware we have today such as PMDG, Eaglesoft, Wilco etc on and on.

 

YOU are the one who has to define FIRST what you wish to achieve and what you are willing to accept, THEN go out and build your rig according to those needs, wishes, wants, within your affordability.  

 

I've read your last here and what you are in need of is planning, and organizing.  You may not be able to afford it but really your FSX machine is BEST a dedicated machine for just that purpose.

 

If you cannot do that or wish not to, make sure in your purchase list you get AT LEAST two HDDs if you can, invest in two HDDs and one SDD. Dedicate one HDD for FSX and part of the other HDD for FSX storage.  The rest of the second HDD will be for the wife and her stuff.

 

Now, we'd all love to go out and purchase the latest and greatest but you could do well to go to your nearest Micro Center if one is around or a good computer supply store and get possibly last years processors, MOBO, RAM, ETC.  You might save a TON of money and have nearly the same results as the latest build.

 

I have had awesome results with my rig which is a little older (2 years and counting) but affordable.  I spent $900.00 bucks out the door.  You can click on My PC and see.  I am getting 30 FPS in the New York area flying a Eaglesoft Citation X 2.0 which is a glass cockpit that requires a lot of system capability.

 

How I arrived at this point was to spend a lot of time in the forums here learning the tricks.  THEE best way to do that though, and in my opinion the best way to start is to down load the FSX Basics Guide, you can get that right here on the AVSIM main page under the CONTENT drop down menu.  The procedures offered in that guide are the best tips going for most computers today. 

 

That is my two cents for what it is worth.  (probably a cent and a half adjusted for inflation) 

 

If I am misguided here let the more senior members at AVSIM here correct me.  Good Luck.  (Once you get your machine where you like it it is a wonderful thing).

[avallillo 3]

There is a bit of truth in everything that has been discussed here.  I myself had a pretty bad experience with FSX on my new Dell with Win 8, although I must be clear that the basic FSX, when installed according to some fairly simple instructions (ie, right to the C:/ rather than where Win8 wants to put it), ran fairly well.  It was the essential add-on (the LDS 767) that did not work.  So to some degree, all of this is very variable and dependent upon factors that the non computer experts are hard put to deal with.

 

My solution was to get a legal copy of Win 7/64 online (download version at that!) and do a complete clean install.  Now that takes a bit of doing, although the instructions are fairly readily available, and the end result was a well behaved FSX, FS9 and now also Xplane 10.

 

But there is another issue underneath all of this, and it is plain to see from the responses to this original post.  Our world seems to have devolved into two groups - on the one hand are the folks like me, pilots or flight enthusiasts with for all practical purposes no expert computer skills, and on the other hand the folks who were either already computer "experts" or who have developed that skill level along the way.  The former group have had neither time nor inclination to pursue another area of expertise, and just wish that flight simulation depended less on computer tweaking skills and more on just installing the software and flying!  We will probably always bemoan the need for arcane knowledge that has nothing to do with flying, and we will always be grateful for, and to some degree dependent upon, the willingness of the experts to show us the way.

 

Likewise with equipment.  Building a custom hot-rod computer is great if you can afford it, but it costs an order of magnitude more than an off-the-shelf.  Most of us will never be able to do that, so we must soldier on with what we can find that is affordable.  So bear with us if we can't follow you to that overclocked, liquid cooled wonder world! 

 

But if we want to keep this hobby going, we need to keep the knowledge price of entry as low as possible - there is enough to learn about flying itself, without wasting memory acquiring high level hardware and software skills.  Otherwise some, perhaps many, will opt out just like the originator of this thread has indicated he may do.  I hope that he does not, for we really don't want to lose even one enthusiast. 

[Q_flyer 766]

so i am about to RMA my 2nd computer from newegg.  same problem as the first computer, some sort of driver failure every time i watch a video or try to start a flight.  i have trawled so many forums looking for a solution it's a wonder my eyes didn't fall out.  2 different brands of computer, different cards, different operating systems, different mobos.  same error.  i have to watch what i say because last time i tried to post this thread i got spanked for a common every day word (not a swear-word, a common every day word that the admin attributed a meaning to that wasn't there) that small children even use, and it was justified with sketchy amorphous logic, so you guys didn't get to see that one. if only i could tell you what it was, so we could all have a laugh.... but i digress. 

 

despite what microsoft says, it seems (through my research) that windows 8 is not compatible with fsx.  most new computers now don't offer windows 7.  with no new sim even under development, the clock is ticking.

sure a few of us have gotten lucky, and it works for those few. but you look around out there. most people can't get their sims running, and there are lots of them out there who have decided that it's just too much trouble.   i'm not sure what  computer i will end up with when i finally get one that works. but i will say this: 

 

fsx gets one shot to work properly. if it doesn't, i'm done wasting time with it. all my discs and my yoke and pedals will go right to kijiji.  it shouldn't be this hard, and frankly, i think microsoft should refund my $$

flight sim is over.  maybe it aint over for you yet, cause it works for you, but it aint gonna work on your next computer.  we had a good run for a while, but that's it.

 

 

Even if a new PC comes with Win 8, it is so easy to get Win 7 64 bit and install it as the OS in your new PC.

 

I wouldn't go near Win 8, for use with FSX.

 

But your suggestion that FSX is moribund purely because FSX doesn't play nicely with Win 8 is way off.   Dozens of people here on AVSIM have recounted there issues with Win 8, whether disappearing joystick assignments or other problems. And some seem to have no issues.  But if you do have issues, and FSX is important enough to you to warrant it, (ie.. the main employment of the PC), then it's so easy to retrograde to Win 7 64 bit, and enjoy great FS performance, and a super stable OS in general.

 

Heck even I managed it. :wink:

 

"This hobby almost over?" ..... nah, with respect just one man's frustrations and lack of taking direct, focussed action to resolve them.

[davjg 32]

This hobby is far from over, I understand your frustration. Since I have gotten into this hobby, it made me learn more about computer, in fact, I even learned how to built one!!. I think if you have a passion for anything, you will learn it and get good at it. There is a lot of help in this forum that is incredible and hopefully we can help you over come it.

 

David

[Q_flyer 766]

oh, i should prolly mention - 

 

Oh and in my experience, people who use the 'word' prolly don't tend to be good at solutioning or thinking outside the box  :wink:

[KingGhidorah 209]

Oh and in my experience, people who use the 'word' prolly don't tend to be good at solutioning or thinking outside the box   :wink:

 

Solutioning?  I don't think that's a word either, so you might want to check your own creative language constructions, as you criticise others.  In English, the correct way to convey your thought is to use the phrase "Problem Solving."