You have way more than 60 days with X-Plane, since the demo has no expiration limits.

 

If 15 minutes are really not enough to try some particular feature, you can always save the situation, close X-Plane and reload the saved situation.

Seriously?

Bear in mind also that the demo will not let you go anywhere else outside of Seattle. It's enough to fly around a little in a Cessna to see what the scenery looks like (although don't expect all airports to look as nice as KSEA does).

In my mind, the demo isn't really that useful. I'm not saying it isn't a nice thing to offer, it's just that it's never going to clinch a purchase decision for anyone by itself.

 

I think that  useful thing the demo can do is show a potential user whether their computer is capable of running vanilla X-Plane (or freeware-enhanced X-Plane if one wishes, but that would require learning, downloading, and installation, something the average user of a time-limited demo is not going to do).

 

I actually think that a better demo might be to give a time-unlimited trial area, such as 50 mi radius around Seattle, or perhaps a lesser known locale. That way, you'd encourage people to start with a little 'free' area, enhance via freeware scenery (heck, even payware scenery) and aircraft all they want, and while a very small percentage might be satisfied with that, I'm guessing a larger percentage would end up turning their knowledge and time investment in that 'free' region into a full X-Plane purchase. 

 

Meanwhile, I think almost every single other means of visibility - screenshots, videos, releases of aircraft people want, etc - are more successful in garnering sales than that demo.

 

Just my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions. :wink:

 

 

Meanwhile, I think almost every single other means of visibility - screenshots, videos, releases of aircraft people want, etc - are more successful in garnering sales than that demo.
 

 

Totally agree!

YouTube videos are what sell games for me now. I generally take official videos and trailers with a pinch of salt, but the best way to judge a game before you own it is to watch other people playing it (and seeing the problems and/or fun they have). There are lots and lots of videos of X-Plane and a lot of them will show you more than the 15 minute demo ever could.

Pretty much ^this.

But at least there is a demo, as limited as it may be. I think it's most useful for people running laptops or non high-end systems in order to get an impression about the performance with different rendering options.

In my mind, the demo isn't really that useful. I'm not saying it isn't a nice thing to offer, it's just that it's never going to clinch a purchase decision for anyone by itself.

 

I think that  useful thing the demo can do is show a potential user whether their computer is capable of running vanilla X-Plane (or freeware-enhanced X-Plane if one wishes, but that would require learning, downloading, and installation, something the average user of a time-limited demo is not going to do).

 

I actually think that a better demo might be to give a time-unlimited trial area, such as 50 mi radius around Seattle, or perhaps a lesser known locale. That way, you'd encourage people to start with a little 'free' area, enhance via freeware scenery (heck, even payware scenery) and aircraft all they want, and while a very small percentage might be satisfied with that, I'm guessing a larger percentage would end up turning their knowledge and time investment in that 'free' region into a full X-Plane purchase. 

 

Meanwhile, I think almost every single other means of visibility - screenshots, videos, releases of aircraft people want, etc - are more successful in garnering sales than that demo.

 

Just my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions. :wink:

 

The 15 minute demo always felt to me like a car salesman that will let you drive the car you are interested in  around the dealership parking lot, but would not let you take it out on the road. I bet I have deleted that X plane demo at least 5 times in the last decade, after downloading it, and having the 15 minutes expire. Has to be one of the worst marketing decisions ever. 

The 15 minute demo always felt to me like a car salesman that will let you drive the car you are interested in  around the dealership parking lot, but would not let you take it out on the road. I bet I have deleted that X plane demo at least 5 times in the last decade, after downloading it, and having the 15 minutes expire. Has to be one of the worst marketing decisions ever. 

Just wait on steam for one of the many sales. You can get x-plane there regulary for around 30$.  That is something that people willingly spent on payware airports. It's not like there is a big investment and i think everybody has sunk more money into crap addons before that

As I said, just save the situation and restart X-Plane. Takes less than 60 seconds with an SSD. But maybe if one isn't bothered to do something like that, is not that much interested in the product in the first place.

1 -  Put the demo on pause for setup. It will still be there for next time.

 

2 - Buy X-Plane, download some of the excellent freeware, donate to the developers, and don't expect high quality freeware forever.

 

3-  Remember it's a flight simulator, and don't get the notion that you've somehow moved higher up the aviation scale, by giving up those other sims.  Just use them all. 

 

4-  X-Plane is worth it. 

YouTube videos are what sell games for me now. I generally take official videos and trailers with a pinch of salt, but the best way to judge a game before you own it is to watch other people playing it (and seeing the problems and/or fun they have). There are lots and lots of videos of X-Plane and a lot of them will show you more than the 15 minute demo ever could.

Just about everything I've downloaded lately, freeware or payware, is thanks to You tube type videos. 

 

 

As I said, just save the situation and restart X-Plane. Takes less than 60 seconds with an SSD. But maybe if one isn't bothered to do something like that, is not that much interested in the product in the first place.

 

That's completely doable, and definitely advisable should one want to get more time out of the demo experience. But my point is that the demo experience in and of itself is rather uninspiring - XP (just like every other platform) needs a variety of additions in the way of scenery addons and environmental tweaks to really begin reaching it's true potential.

 

Personally, since I've never been adverse to having more than one flight simulation platform installed, I had tried out the demo on a few different occasions. I even went a bit farther and checked out a few freeware aircraft in the demo as well. But nothing ever really inspired me to purchase based on the demo alone.

 

What made me purchase was seeing some of the images people were producing with HD Mesh and RTH, combined with the knowledge that OSM data for my area is quite good. That inspired me to learn, which in turn inspired me to purchase.

How long is/was the demo version of FSX or P3D without actually purchasing the product?

How long is/was the demo version of FSX or P3D without actually purchasing the product?

 

Don't think FSX has a demo and P3D doesn't have a demo but you can return it after 60 days if you are not satisfied.

Don't think FSX has a demo and P3D doesn't have a demo but you can return it after 60 days if you are not satisfied.

FSX does have a demo actually: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5154

For me I am spending more time in XPlane. but will keep FSX have far too many good planes in there to let it go.