July 28, 20178 yr Download from PMDG directly for one simple reason, it is easier to get Service Packs from them. If you purchase a CD version, you cannot download Service Packs ... they are working to solve this problem though. Still, why deal with the hassle when you can just buy it from PMDG directly?
August 22, 20178 yr Author While this thread is a bit dated, I feel I owe a final word. After going back and forth between PMDG and iFly, I opted for the PMDG 737 NGX. First, I had to adapt my Saitek/SPAD.neXt toys, to get the (networked) controls working, get proper gauges etc., which had a few loopholes, but that's not PMDG's fault. (As a technical remark, don't forget to activate the SDK in 737NGX_Options.ini when using SPAD.next!) Now I was ready for takeoff. And this was a really positive surprise. As intricate as the simulation may be, after calling the 737 NGX, you sit on the runway, give thrust and you're up in the air. You may or may not know that feeling spending quite some money for expensive software, open it and ... being just overwhelmed and lost by buttons and features. PMDG could have well chosen a cold and dark default first start, but they wisely didn't. Now you probably won't stop at that. And here comes my next surprise; the manuals and tutorials. I've seen enough manuals where you get the bad feeling the writer only provided them as he had to. As far as I've seen the PMDG manuals are really fun to follow. The are didactic, explain even simple things, contain a lot of pictorial material and guide you step by step. I shouldn't advise again any other options (the iFly was a tight contender actually) but I think PMDG was a good decision which I'll have a lot of fun with. Thanks to all contributors in this thread. Michael Intel i7-13700K / AsRock Z790 / Crucial 32 GB DDR 5 / ASUS RTX 4080OC 16GB / BeQuiet ATX 1000W / WD m.2 NVMe 2TB (System) / WD m.2 NVMe 4 TB (MSFS) / WD HDD 10 TB / XTOP+Saitek hardware panel / LG 34UM95 3440 x 1440 / HP Reverb 1 (2160x2160 per eye) / Win 11
August 22, 20178 yr Yup, more detailed doesn't always mean harder to operate, it just means you can dive deeper when you’re ready. A sim session doesn’t always need to be a flight either, sometimes a good way to get used to a new aircraft is going from cold and dark to ready to taxi and back a few times to get used to the flow and how things work. Brian W KPAE
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