Ok, I am usually not a big complainer, but the Avsim review of this product is total nonsense. This is probably the worst review of the worst add-on that has ever been produced for FS9.Every single panel of this package does not look even remotely like an Airbus cockpit. I won't even start what is all wrong with the 2D panel. The MDCU, FMC, EFIS, etc. - NOTHING is really in the correct place, nor even attempts to depict reality. I understand that Abacus is catering to the casual, non-hardcore simmer, but they didn't even TRY to make it look like an Airbus. It could be any fantasy plane, but not an Airbus. The 2D panels look WORSE than any FS5.1 panel from 10 years ago. The overhead panel is probably even worse? What is that supposed to be?"About the interiors, he says, "the interior modeling of the Airbus fleet is done in a manner that provides realism and functionality without torturing the frame rates."You have to be kidding me. The cabin does not have any textures at all and looking at the screenshot really just made me laugh. Of course, it'll not kill any frame rates. I can just as well create a gMax block and sell it as a Gulfstream with a freeware FMC hoping that I would get the "frame-rate friendly" positive thumbs up."What you are actually getting in the VC's is a level of detail that far exceeds the default aircraft."What? What "default aircraft"? The VC also doesn't have any textures at all and is simply an "block" with gauges slapped onto it. Those words right next to the FS5.1-like screenshot really made the vein in my neck pop. This really must have been written by someone with a vision problem or someone who has never owned any 3rd party addon for FS9.Even in the final comments, no word or indication that this is truly one of the worst add-ons that have ever been created for FS9. "The panel lacks depth" - what is that supposed to mean? I am sorry, but this product would maybe get 1-1.5 previous Avsim stars in my book, yet the reviewer praises the product like he's on the payroll of Abacus and wants me to purchase this package.Are we all afraid of negativity nowadays and cannot say out loud that a product is crap? I cannot find anything that really states all the thing that are wrong with this package.Yea, it's cheap and you get all the Airbus variants in one package, but that's it. To even start talking about quality with this package is an insult for all developers of high-quality add-ons.Sure, some of you will say "Here we go again. Another review and *hup* criticm right away again", but this really makes me (yet again) doubt of the quality of the Avsim reviews. I totally understand that this review only depicts the personal impression of the reviewer, but I am also sure that many will agree that this review does not even attempts to shed any negative light on this product.Yet, it is obviously a truly bad, bad product, which you can get in a quality that even more "exceeds the quality" of the Abacus product. And, oh, I can get it for FREE in the Avsim library from IFDG and various add-on panels.Bah.Pat(Edit for added content)

The thing is, if you just combine the iFDG A320 with Eric Marciano's latest FS2004 A320 panel, and add to the iFDG A320 one of the fine FS2004 A320 soundsets as well (all of these files are FREEWARE), you'll come up with a package that is LEAPS AND BOUNDS better than this crappy Abacus package....:-rollWith all due respect to Brian Fletcher, I do honestly think that his Abacus "Fly the Airbus" review, as well his recent Commercial Level Simulations A300-600R review, are all quite "off-beat", if you get my drift....Cheers,

I see no problem with the review. When you pick up this package, you know exactly what you're getting. There is no deceit here. Feel free to move on and buy something to your liking. Abacus doesn't claim that this is "an authentic, super-duper highly realistic, only for the SERIOUS fligthsimmer" package. I don't know how this kind of snobbish attitude crept its way into flight simming. Be grateful for the millions of casual sim-gamers. Without them, there wouldn't be an FSX.ricardo

I think is what is catching everyone's attention, and mine, is the low quality models here. Im all for the iFDG/freeware sounds here at avsim/Eric's panel. Atleast his panel represents an airbus aircraft using the bus' style gauges. Abacus never has been a good aircraft developer IMHO. I think their Airbus package makes my opinion more factual than opinionated.Ahh well... people buy what they want :) Just know what your buying before you make that transaction. Take it easy fella's! :-wave

My problem is that the reviewer exacly claims that and wants us make-believe that it would be this package, which (quote) "far exceeds the default aircraft" and in the same breath shows us this horrible non-AA'd screenshot of the A319 that looks like a sprite from the PacMan age. "Yes, I would like to see some improvement on the panels, but I still find them all to be very close to the current cycle of technology that Flight Simulator aircraft are currently in."It would call this deceipt. This is simply not true.Pat

While what Pat said was kinda harsh, you're missing the point, Ricardo: this Abacus "Fly the Airbus" package is one of many payware packages that are out in the internet which are generally regarded as exceptionally low-quality. Just compare the iFDG A320 package that I just described in my previous post with this Abacus package and you'll immediately see what I mean.I just cringe when I see a Boeing-style PFD and ND installed in a freeware Airbus panel, so imagine how I feel when I see the same error repeated in a payware panel. The aircraft models that are in the Abacus package also look rather funky, I might add....No, I'm not saying that I'd like to see the aircraft in the Abacus package to be "an authentic, super-duper highly realistic, only for the SERIOUS flightsimmer" kind of aircraft, but to simply be a group of aircraft that try to mimic the look and functionality of the Airbus aircraft in a fairly realistic manner.Of course, this is just my humble opinion!!!! :-hahCheers,

I guess the glare shield in the Abacus product kinda angles away like the real world Airbus cockpit does. ;-)C'mon, everyone knows that the name "Abacus" relates directly to "Microsoft Flight Simulator Aircraft" just like a white can with black lettering that says "BEER" relates to a glass of Guinness. Everyone knows what the name "Abacus" means to flight simmers. It really shouldn't suprise you.

Reviewed by: Brian Fletcher AVSIM Staff ReviewerEditor: Both the insult and the language used is inappropiate and offensive. Use of either again shall result in your departure from the forums.Screenshot is (Freeware)Shoking

I guess what i think is that when you come to a reputable site such as avsim you expect good in depth reviews just like if you go to car and driver and want to know what they think about a car. its gotten to the point i dont read avsim reviews anymore as they dont pass on the information i would expect from a quality site that i think this is. I hope that like in other media formats that the reviews are seen by a editor first. Just from the screen shots i know this product is not for me and i wont bother buying it but thanks for the review. I dont think its a snobbish attitude i think some people are stating the facts and some dont like it. When it comes to people selling products they have to take the reviews that go with them good or bad, now i am going to go to another site and look up a review on a moniter i want before i go spend my hard earned money. :) just because someone has a opion there is no need for personal attacks if someone emails me about a paint i did and tells me its worthless i take that information in and look at what i did wrong. and go from there :) happy flyingshane

My favorite

I don't know, I think it's a toss-up between my two favorite.I can't decide between the plush seating in this fantastic cabin:http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/137970.jpgOr the truly advanced cockpit features of this Airbus. I mean, you can't beat the FMC here, check it out, "LOAD AN FS FLIGHTPLAN", combined with the stellar EADI/EHSI circa FS2000 it's difficult to determine which is a better represenation of this software package.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/137972.jpg

lol, those are killer screenshots.billg

My problem is not the poor quality of the product. We all know that and it has been beaten to death. My problem is the review itself.An online magazine should, especially a popular site like Avsim, should apply the same standards to their reviews than any other print magazine. A review in this form and with this poor quality (especially of the screenshots) would never be published in any print magazine and obviously cannot have been endorsed by the "editor in chief".An editorial review is supposed to depict "what's in the package" - test a package entensively and then objectively reflect the findings in the review. Yes, a reviewe should praise innovative achievements and high quality, but it should also scold backward trends and poor quality. I don't see this in here at all. While I see a lot or praise, I do not see any criticism at all, yet everyone else can see from the screenshots that this is a shoddy product.This site is mainly for the flightsim enthousiast and hardcore simmer, not the average "default FS9 gamer" who is happy what's in the FS9 package and the quality/ratings of a review should reflect that.I could compare this review directly to the PSS Airbus package and the review wants me to believe that the Abacus package is on-par with the PSS product, which is of course nonsense.Pat

I do not agree with Sr.Pat comment when he writes that: "This site is mainly for the flightsim enthusiast and hardcore simmer, not the average "default FS9 gamer" who is happy what's in the FS9 package.Pat : Nobody is borned a "Hard Core Simmer". One has to fly the FSxxx defaults, initially the GA's, before becoming an enthusiast (reading a lot at the forums, joining a VA, etc) before becoming a Hard Core Simmer. And BTW not everybody has the time to go through very lengthy manuals before mastering a complex a/craft like Level D, Pmdg 737/747. I think ditibutors/sellers of shareware and available freeware stuff caters to all "fans".I do agree however with Pat's statement that:"The problem is not the quality of this particular product.The problem is WITH the REVIEW ITSELF.The quality/ratings of a review should reflect that.For instance Aerosoft Airbus series more or less cover the same ground as this Abacus product, but the quality is miles ahead of Abacus's. In my opinion The Abacus Airbuses should had been somewhat compared with those of Aerosoft, I would not go so high as to compare it to the PSS's.Both have FMC that read FP from FS9 making it simpler for the average simmer, textures look better, and VC are more like the PSS (in the case of Aerosoft).Edmundo CardenasCaracas, Venezuela

I pretty much agree with everything being said here too! The reviewer is at fault in this review, but from the way I see it, it's down to a lack of even basic knowledge of the subject matter! Whilst the soundset 'may' be good, and the aircraft may fly 'well', there's never once a mention of whether the Abacus Airbus models the Fly By Wire system used in the REAL thing, and always commented upon with the established competitor Airbus models for FS9! Nor is there any comment that the autopilot/MCDU/FMC used by Abacus LOOKS nothing like the ones found on the real aircraft; it's as though he isn't AWARE that it's wrong!The panel bitmaps are reasonably well drawn, but the gauge placement is very wrong, and simply of a poor fit in many places. Even the landing gear controls are in totally the wrong place; infact, in VC view, you get TWO of them....one for the pilot,and one for the co-pilot - isn't HE special...!!!I don't normally join in these 'review complaints' threads, but this time I feel it right because.....AVSIM is an excellent resource, and whillst I'm no aviation expert, since using MS Flight Sim a few years back, I have learned SO much from this site alone; from well written reviews, to well informed posts here in the forum, and for that, I thank everyone from whom I have taken a little knowledge :) However, if this type of review continues to prevail, where's that going to lead the new simmers looking for answers and info? They will get mis-information instead!Please, if you're going to write a review of a product for FS, know a little about the REAL counterpart so that the review may be based on real observation! Honestly, any 'newbie' buying this Abacus package based on this review will be thinking that it's an accurate representation of the real thing and will probably wonder, upon using it, what all the fuss is about; why, all these Airbus thingies are no different to a Boeing 737, albiet with a blue dashboard, whereas, in reality, the Airbus IS an amazing piece of kit, and totally different to most 'standard' Boeings; in the same ways that a Mercedes differs from a motorbike, yet if this chap wrote the relevant review, you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise.... :)OK, that's my little say on the matter!