It's more that I always found in FSX that it was harder to gain information from them as reproduced on a monitor screen, much more 'squinty' than steam gauges, if I can use that term. Combined with the view system in FSX, it just was never an experience that I enjoyed for very long.

 

Well, yes, most of the time I was using them as popup windows, because there was no easy way to zoom in the 3D cockpit. This is easier in X-Plane -- if you can't read something well, just zoom in for a second.

For a real life comparison, the GNS 430 is quite dated.  I wanted one around 15 years ago, but it's graphics & computing power were less than a Garmin 296 portable, when the 296 was released. I had the 296, then the 496, which was replaced with a 696, and now Garmins  use the 7XX models.

The G1000, even when used for VFR, is much better than a 430.  I considered the panel mount 430 as very lacking, when it came to my 696 portable.  

 

You wouldn't actually fly a approach in IFR with a portable would you ?

You wouldn't actually fly a approach in IFR with a portable would you ?

No. It has never been legal....

 

However, before the Garmin 296, I had the latest Garmin (1997), which included approach plates & a moving map overlay. My IFR instructor (now a Delta airline pilot), was totally impressed by this machine. Legal panel mounts hadn't progressed nearly as far as the portables.  Since it became a fact, that Garmin users might use the GPS for illegal approaches, the approaches & overlays were removed.  Back in those days, end of the 90's & early 2000's, we had up linked satellite weather, before the airlines had it. 

 

These days, if a GA pilot has a newer large display moving map Garmin or comparable,  but a bare bones system for IFR, you can usually count on them looking at the GPS for a double check. Especially a synthetic vision system.