I have looked and don't seem to be finding answers. Is PMDG going to support, currently supporting, or has already been supporting Windows 8.1(+)? I think PMDG is great. As I upgrade hardware, and more importantly, a new system wherein Windows 7 is NOT available anymore (and is not supported by Microsoft anymore), will support be provided? I want to continue to enjoy the products provided by PMDG. But, the costs to purchase won't be worth it (as an experiment to see if it WILL work or not) IF windows 8.1(+) are not supported, not to mention digital copies are NOT refundable if by experimentation, they don't work with an unsupported Windows product.

 

My general questions, where do we go from here as Windows 7 is being phased out, and later versions of Windows are being phased in? Is PMDG just going to disappear, or will later products be tailored for later versions of Windows?

 

Thanks for your time and consideration.

 

 

My general questions, where do we go from here as Windows 7 is being phased out, and later versions of Windows are being phased in? Is PMDG just going to disappear, or will later products be tailored for later versions of Windows?

 

Win 10.

 

We've never supported Win 8.1, and given the amount of issues that it had, I doubt we will and will likely just skip up to Win 10, though we are still evaluating the latter for our existing products.

Pardon my rather staunch hardline stance on upgrading to Win10 but Windows 7 will be around for a while, so what's the rush?  

 

-Jim

There is no "rush", but future planning for a replacement computer(s) (laptop or desktop). As the business model for Dell Computers, Windows 7 will not be available for purchase much longer. And currently, it costs more to buy Windows 7 than Windows 8.1 - So, as with a budget in mind for me and my family, every $100 matters with every feature offered with every new build of a computer (what processor, video, ram, hard drive/SSD, monitor, etc). What computer (and features) I purchase today will have to last for about 5 years. And since Windows 10 is being advertised that my new-born will grow up with it, this seems to be the business model of Microsoft for the future.

 

Thank you for the info. I am grateful for your time to answer. I will continue to enjoy the products by PMDG until such time I can't.

There is no "rush", but future planning for a replacement computer(s) (laptop or desktop). As the business model for Dell Computers, Windows 7 will not be available for purchase much longer. And currently, it costs more to buy Windows 7 than Windows 8.1 - So, as with a budget in mind for me and my family, every $100 matters with every feature offered with every new build of a computer (what processor, video, ram, hard drive/SSD, monitor, etc). What computer (and features) I purchase today will have to last for about 5 years. And since Windows 10 is being advertised that my new-born will grow up with it, this seems to be the business model of Microsoft for the future.

 

Thank you for the info. I am grateful for your time to answer. I will continue to enjoy the products by PMDG until such time I can't.

Oh I am all for saving money as well as making every attempt to "futureproof" in my household when it comes to tech, but tech evolves so quickly these days, even the best laid plans rarely come into fruition.  MS's plan to maintain Windows10 sounds great but only time will tell if they stick with it.  I've personally been a happy camper with Windows 7 and I don't have any plans to adopt 10 unless the majority rules form an app standpoint, to which I may be forced to, but that's a bridge I will cross when it comes.  As for your situation, and questioning OS's because you are planning a replacement, then it will take some serious thought.

 

If I may, while I used to be a faithful Dell user, I recently jumped that ship in favor of custom built machines.  Dell's quality has declined over the years, not to mention providing the consumer with limited choices of upgrades.  I could go on and on about my disappointment with Dell, but we do have many many choices of alternate vendors.  If given the choice of either 7 or 10, i would take 10 as it would already be a fresh install but the downside of course is the compatibility with whatever software you own, legacy or otherwise.  I recently bought a new machine a few months ago but intentionally chose 7 over 8.1 because everything I have for software works with 7 and I didn't want the headache of trying to fix everything, even though the vendor I bought from indicated the free upgrade to 10.

 

Take the experts from PMDG at their word about compatibility.  AFAIK, they don't have a timeline to get their products compatible with 10 so unless you are hard pressed to upgrade your OS or purchase a new machine, I'd wait a little while longer.  Just my two cents...take it or leave it.

 

-Jim

 

 

And since Windows 10 is being advertised that my new-born will grow up with it, this seems to be the business model of Microsoft for the future.

 

Hahaha... this is meant as a joke right? Just in the past seven years we've had Vista, Win 7, Win 8 and now Win 10 (which they have to give away but that's a different topic). Given Moore's Law and a half-life of anything computer of five years, I think your new-born will grow up with a variety of options.

 

Stick to Windows 7 for a few more months, use Windows 8 at your own risk (it does have its fans) and give PMDG time to evaluate Microsoft's latest. If I had to choose right now I'd pay extra for Win7.

Free security patches for Win7 until Jan. 2020.

 

Hope that helps.  

Free security patches for Win7 until Jan. 2020.

 

Hope that helps.  

And THAT is one of the primary reasons why I am sticking with 7.  I'll wait for the smoke to clear with Win 10...maybe by 2020 we'll be at Win 12? lol

 

-Jim

 

 

Free security patches for Win7 until Jan. 2020.
 
Hope that helps.  

 

Well. I don't think Microsoft is legally bound to stick with that 2020 support timeframe. They probably won't, seeing how bad they want the market to adopt Win 10 despite all the data mining on their part. Nobody in their right mind should go along with this blatant attempt at their privacy IMHO.

 

A switch to X-Plane on Linux is becoming a viable alternative.

Performance wise, is Windows 7 a better choice than Windows 8.1 ? I am running FSX:SE on a Lenovo Y50-70 laptop. This is a fresh FSX install so I wonder if continue using the stock Windows 8.1 preinstalled (which I have stripped bare to the bone) or should I wipe it out and install Windows 7 ?

 

Ricardo

Ricardo,

 

If things are running ok for you on 8.1 it's unlikely that 7 would actually perform better.

 

I do suspect Windows 10 will become our new recommended OS shortly. I've been running it since release day without any issues with respect to our stuff or FSX. The standard recommendations hold though, the biggest one being to install FSX to it's own folder outside the Program Files (x86) folder to avoid issues with system protections / UAC interfering with the read/write permissions etc. That causes most of the problems with these later OSes.

Thanks for the reply. I am running FSX:SE now the sim crashed right after an ALT-TAB keystroke. I am eligible for a Windows 10 upgrade so I ask you wheter is Windows 10 behaving consistently and if performance has suffered or not.

 

The reason I am asking that is because a good sim takes lots of time and effort to be properly set-up so I don't want to invest time on an installation and wipe it out a few days later, if you know what I mean.

 

So I have three OS options now (7, 8.1 and 10) and two FSX versions (boxed and FSX:SE) and I wonder which OS/FS versions should I use.

 

My computer specs:

 

Lenovo Y50-70 laptop:

I7-4720HQ @ 2.60 GHz

NVidia GTX960M - 4Gb DDR5

16Gb PC3-12800 (1600 MHz)

Windows 8.1-64

 

Thanks !

 

Ricardo

Just a follow-up: installed Windows 10, FSX:SE, PMDG 737NGX, PMDG 772 and some add-ons and I am pretty happy with my gear now.

 

I totally recommend a Windows 10 upgrade. 

I'm happy with Win10 for the moment, the only PMDG issue is with the 737NGX fonts on the overhead which I solved by installing the quarz font into the Windows folder.

I'm happy with Win10 for the moment, the only PMDG issue is with the 737NGX fonts on the overhead which I solved by installing the quarz font into the Windows folder.

 

More to this, if anyone wants to know how, navigate to the FONTS folder in FSX or P3D, use CTRL+A and ENTER or right-click > install, and choose to skip any already-present fonts.