Seeing the convention starting tomorrow, I seemed to recall a News Item posted on the front page of Avsim. Going back through the archives, I found this:More Reasons to Attend the Convention!Posted: Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 20:38If we have not yet convinced you to register and attend the AVSIM 2006 Exhibition and Convention, we hope this "tease" will at least get you to think about it a little further. We are pleased to announce that a significant announcement will be made at the Friday night Social, September 15th, at the Convention Hotel. We can't give you the details of that announcement (otherwise this would not be a "tease"), but we can tell you that attendees will immediately want to rush to their computers, cell phones, fax machines and tin cans equipped with twine, to communicate it to their friends and family around the world. Besides, you are not going to want to miss out on the hardware give aways from Microsoft and the other product give aways from exhibitors at the event. If you have not yet registered, we cannot encourage you more than to suggest that you DO want to be at the Social. Dose this have something to do with FSX or something relating to Avsim? Something else maybe? Anyone care to venture a guess?Jim

If FSX were to go gold tomorrow (not that I'm saying it will) would the lucky people at the convention be able to get their hands on a pre-release copy?

I expect...No, I DEMAND...At least one participant at the social to jump on their web-enabled cellphone and post the news, whatever it is.:)Please. For us little people who couldn't attend. :)Cheers,-Greg

My Guess: FSX is gold and the deluxe version will be provided to all participants during the convention. I predicted this one when Tom first announced a free copy of FSX to the first 400 persons who registered for the conference. This announcement does not mention the 400 "free" copies of FSX as stated in past announcements but it does restate "you are not going to want to miss out on the hardware giveaways from Microsoft and the other product giveaways from exhibitors at the event" (or words to that effect). It would have seemed appropriate to mention the "free" FSX giveaways in this news item too.See you all at the convention!Best regards,JimYoung

So does this mean the real screenshots will be posted pretty soon instead of the beta screenshots? What will the differences be between the beta and the final product?

No difference.

No difference other than bug fixes and possible (*not definate*) small performance optimizations.

Well my son Cameron and I will be on the redeye from San Fran to Dulles that time inbound for the convention, so we'll have to wait until land o'clock to find out what this exciting news will be! Maybe we will all be assimilated to Microsoft with XBox 360 controller implants and FSX software! "We are FSX, resistance is futile, you will all be assimilated and will upgrade!" :-lol Gary

>Maybe we will all be assimilated to Microsoft with>XBox 360 controller implants and FSX software! "We are FSX,>resistance is futile, you will all be assimilated and will>upgrade!" :-lol >>GarySomeones been watching the reruns of star trek on spike/g4 too. hehehttp://www.lemosnet.com/misc/gpilotsig.jpg

>My Guess: Hang on a minute! That was my guess. :-lol

>"We are FSX,>resistance is futile, you will all be assimilated and will>upgrade!" :-lol >>GaryToo Funny!!!!!!We all better be hanging around here tonite to find out, wish I was at the convention instead!Jim

>>"We are FSX,>>resistance is futile, you will all be assimilated and will>>upgrade!" :-lol >>>>Gary>>>Too Funny!!!!!!>>We all better be hanging around here tonite to find out, wish>I was at the convention instead!>>JimKind of makes me wish that I had signed up for that.

Now Tom has moved it back to Saturday night's dinner for the announcement. Perhaps for your benefit, Gary? :) I'm having trouble imagining what could be so important. It seems like we pretty much know what's in the product. Well, we find out tonight :) The social was nice last night. Fun to walk around and see all the names we see on the forum here. On to the booths today!Thomas[a href=http://www.flyingscool.com] http://www.flyingscool.com/images/Signature.jpg [/a]I like using VC's :-)

Perhaps the announcement originally advertised has be disclosed? Something we already know? Tom needs time to "develop" a new ground breaking, earth shattering, mind boggling announcement.LOL And maybe not.Bob.. :)

go check simflight.com... the news actually is already out