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You are fully entitled to your opinion on this, but you are missing out on 90% of what flight simulator is capable of. While I agree wholeheartedly that you can download freeware sceneries, GA aircraft and aircraft models that are equal to the majority of payware releases, the extras are what you pay for.With things like the LDS, PSS, Flight1, PMDG and similar aircraft you aren't only paying for a visual model. You are paying for a panel that has an FMC, a working weather radar, fully integrated systems... Yes, you can program a route into the default GPS, or a different front end for it, but that does a tiny fraction of what a real system can do. With every release, the top teams are adding more functionality to their systems.I guess it depends on what you are after really. If you are happy using the functionality available on freeware panels, or fly GA, then you get to spend a lot less money than people who want those extra toys! :-hahAs for costing more than FS, that's a non-argument. I use a CAD application at work that costs

I agree with nearly all of the posting regarding variablity of payware, but website presentation should give a good indication. Presumably, poor payware can't shout about much. BTW, I'm not passing comment on any of the names mentioned and I'm not going to mention any myself.I hope you don't mind if I comment on the opening sentence. When I started doing freeware, the level of FS sophistication meant I could produce an aircraft in about 3 months. Now it takes the majority of one year. If other developers feel like me, then there is probably a general reluctance to 'give away' all of that commitment. I think that developers still love the hobby, and still want to give to the community, as the financial return as an houly rate is extremely low. There is a feeling that add-ons should cost less than FS2004 itself, but the default aircraft are quite simple, and only take advantage of a small percentage of what can be achieved in FS. If developers were in it just for the money, they wouldn't bother. The 'correct' price for a lot of add-ons should in fact be considerably higher than FS itself. Anyway, reading your post got me to thinking, and I just felt obliged to give you my opinion.nick