I've been a developer/coder for almost 40 years (NASA, Intelsat, DOD, and others), and you sure don't speak for me! 'Fact', indeed...DJ

>Why,..? Well,..for me I couldn

Ahh, Randy, you're getting too calm in your old ageBest,Clayhttp://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F...ers/Dopke01.jpgClayton T. Dopke (Clay)Major, USAF (retired)"Drac"

Bill Gates gives 95% of his wealth to charity around the world.. He could monopolize every one and everything to make that money for all I care.:)Manny

Dear Jeff, Well thought out and excellent reply.Clayhttp://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F...ers/Dopke01.jpgClayton T. Dopke (Clay)Major, USAF (retired)"Drac"

Probably a bridge too far in the original post but not entirely without merit. However the predictable reposts from the Microsoftaphiles in this thread are also over the top. Microsoft is a near monopoly and behaves the way all monopolies do - no surprises there. Stifling innovation? Well Microsoft's strident opposition to the open source software community is one a clear example of this. This is their choice, they could choose to behave otherwise and the world would be a better place.My 2 cents worth.Bruceb

I agree, he's not the typical billionaire flaunting his money with jets and cars and boats. A very well grounded man who gives billions back to those in need.Microsoft is a business and businesses at all levels compete by any means possible, it's a matter of survival. Look at IBM, a giant in the computer world until they decided the PC would never become popular. It's taken them nearly two decadeds to recover from that misstep. Say what you will about Microsoft, they know how to survive. Windows lack of security? Yes, but since nearly the whole world uses Windows, why would anyone waste time hacking Macintosh systems or Linux, though I heard Apple had to release a security update recently. The one drawback to being number one is that everyone wants to bring you down, if Apple ever achieves that status watch the hacking flood gates open.As far as FSX is concerned, maybe all the talk about inferior progression and poor performance is the reason they've never released a demo or public beta before FSX. I'm wondering if they are regretting the decision to go against instinct this time around. Until the final release of FSX is on my desktop I'll reserve judgement.Ian.

>Stifling innovation? Well>Microsoft's strident opposition to the open source software>community is one a clear example of this. No, sorry but this is not a good example. How do they oppose it? Do they picket their offices or bribe their workers? Do they jamm their internet connections? Do they bully them in any way? None of this kind. At my work we pretty much run Linux exclusively and we don't see Microsoft agents knocking on our door. Microsoft is not standing in a way of anybody writing a superior flight simulation software. This Dallas company (forgot its name) did not need Microsoft to turn out a very good simulator called Fly!2k, X-Plane is doing fine regardless what Microsft is doing, demise of Sierra was not Microsoft related. If you have a good product you will be recognized .. if not then what is left is blaming Microsoft for all your ills, to cover up all you shortcomings. Silly people is all I can say.Michael J.http://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/for...argo_hauler.gifhttp://sales.hifisim.com/pub-download/asv6-banner-beta.jpg

All I can say SK is after reading your indepth opinion I regret having preordered FSX. I so wish I had waited and bought it at Walmart instead.

>> ...and it's optimized for their hardware.<< Ivan, I hope you don't mind if I question that bit? Many of us have hi-end DX9 display adapters and FS9 nevertheless puts a lot of strain on the CPU because it doesn't make much use of our GPU's features... I'm looking forward to an app which does! ;-) Kind regards Jaap

Its not illegal to be a monopoly. Its what you do as a monopoly that makes certain things illegal. Just FYI

To the original post-You have the right to your own opionion, no matter how informed or uninformed it is. However, to state that Wal-Mart has run all the small time businesses out of business, I have one thing to say:Capitalistic, Free-Market Society. That's what we live in, and I love it. To say that Wal-Mart is running everyone out of business is just foolishness and shows a sincere lack of how business works. The small-time competitors (unfortunately) does not have the financial ability to compete as well as Wal-Mart. That's not a crime, but the thought that Wal-Mart is bad (and MS as well) is just liberal hogwash. "Oh, the little man cant get a leg up...oh the man keeps putting us down..."Micro Soft has a great product and unfortunately for the end-users there's no real competitor. Yes, I own a copy of X-Plane and dont care for it, but I can say that many love it although I dont. It still leaves a lot to be desired, as MS FS does.The same goes for those who call MS FS series just a game-that's a bunch of hogwash too. If it's just a 'game' and not one part of it can be considered valuable for real-world training, then I guess those big 20 million dollar boxes built by CAE, FSI, and others are just games too.My rant for the day.

Well you are entitled to your opinion but I respecfully disagree based on the experience of my son who knows from the inside on what it takes be a free software developer(Samba)and deal with Microsoft. It is not pretty believe me! Ask anyone involved with the European Union Microsoft antitrust case. Anyway this all getting a bit removed from flight sim matters all I was trying to suggest is that while the original poster got a bit carried away with his rhetoric he did make some worthwhile points.Bruceb

"The same goes for those who call MS FS series just a game-that's a bunch of hogwash too."I don't agree. MSFS IS a game - but with a high educational value.Walter

>Well you are entitled to your opinion but I respecfully>disagree based on the experience of my son who knows from the>inside on what it takes be a free software>developer(Samba)and deal with Microsoft. It is not pretty>believe me! Ask anyone involved with the European Union>Microsoft antitrust case. Anyway this all getting a bit>removed from flight sim matters all I was trying to suggest is>that while the original poster got a bit carried away with his>rhetoric he did make some worthwhile points.>>BrucebI'm assuming since it's SAMBA that MS is probably arguing that they're infringing on their copyright, which is probably true seeing as how SAMBA is a hacked reverse engineering of the Windows File and Print Sharing protocol...