>How do you know developers aren't already using methods like>what you've suggested? I mean they all beta test (at least>any that I've purchased from). The problem is that they could>have 25 testers testing for a year, and still within a day of>actually releasing the product there'd be people finding>things wrong. There's way to much variety of hardware systems>and configuration, and way to many different FS setups for>them to possibly forsee every combination. Nobody is saying>they shouldn't test the stuff before they release it. They>already do - and I'd be willing to bet they have testing>regimes setup much like what you are talking about. But if>they didn't release until they new they had perfection, they'd>never release. You are correct. Beta testing for a number of third party vendors, that I'm familiar with, is just about the same as beta testing for Microsoft. A very structured process, ranging from weeks to months, to eliminate as many bug's as possible, while improving the product at the same time. Some of these vendors go "all out", to get a great product to the customers, considering there not large software companies operating out of corporate high rise towers... :)L.Adamson

Good points. First, Ive never bought a computer without doing a LOT of research. Second, have never bought one, until the next "better" model came out, except my first. That was a Tandy Model I, and suffered through all the imperfections, mods, updates, etc... Mow, I find by waiting until the Next Model comes out, every computer I get is as good as it is going to be. AND get it for at least HALF of what new models are going for. Third, I always check for available freeware of any add-on at http://flightsim.com and here, fly it, see how much I like it, and decide if I'll continue using it enough to buy a payware edition. Many times, one made by the top designers who make freeware _satisfy_ me. Those like Mike Stone, Chuck Dome, Bill Lyons and others are excellent models. IN addition, there are many available which will _never_ be availablle in Payware. To top it off, if you like the kind of aircraft he makes Bill Lyons comes out from time to time with a payware aircraft. AND they are much less expensive, like the $12.95 I paid for his Waco, now available as freeware. Forth, I'd buy a lot more aircraft at that price, he probably felt that he was paid for his time and work, then released it afterwards as a freeware aircraft. It did not bother me that I'd paid for it, after all, I was able to fly it for a year, before anyone else. Ive had it since FS2002, and it is STILL my favorite aircraft. Fifth, before buying any payware aircraft, I watch what the new buyers are saying about it. If they say _anything_ about it, which concerns me, I wait longer. If people do not begin talking about how problems have now been fixed, I do not buy it. If those in forums which support the company or addon, are still complaining months later, I just continue flying the Freeware version of any aircraft I want. Sixth, after years of flying in real aircraft and the FS, decided that it hurt my flying enjoyment, to fly dozens of different aircraft. That I enjoyed flying only certain types, and now choose to fly only those types. Basically, my first choice for VFR is the Waco. For longer flights, over 300 miles I use an addon Kingair 300. For flights over 1000 miles, I use the Eaglesoft Citation X. bob

Well, the addons you two mentioned are virtually error free now, but you seem to forget which state some of them were in when they came out - and I don

You're right about defining bugs in a broader sense, I suppose. My old programming days just taught me that a program could be bug-free (i.e. it runs) but still produces the wrong outcome. My gripe with flight dynamics has been recently compounded when I discovered I could correct the flight faults very easily myself within the cfg file. I found Todd Goodrick's Flight Dynamics manual right here at avsim. Tweaked some moments of inertia,and voila! the plane can be flown by hand. The physics defying plane just needed some adjustments to its flap parameters which were giving it increased lift with decreasing airspeed with no corresponding change in drag. Now, if *I* can do that with no real experience, but just a little effort, why can't someone who produces the plane and then asks people to *pay* for it, do the same thing?? The total amount of time I spent, including trying to find the reference material was about 4 hours tops for both planes. Mike