bkisc

Having an SSD with FSX installed on it is recommended cause it saves you loads of time when FSX needs data of its hundreds of files randomly, I think it reduces the wait time for CPU considerbly though I may be wrong here but it does smooths out scenery and weather rendering cause those files are loaded as required from the disk. I use REX Extreme so the performance difference is quite notable... including windows 7 boot times to login screen at approx 5 sec, loading FSX to selection screen in about the same time

Try Splashtop, much much better than Air Display

Nice post Robert, but I had one question in mind, XP10 would be available for Linux, Mac OS and windows, so your addons would support all operating systems ?

Martin, normally I gift games I don't play anymore, otherwise I just keep the original CDs stacked up in a box in a safe place, remembering age of empires 2, empty boxes i throw away or give to shops for display if they want,But there are softwares like DOSBOX and VirtualBOX available that let you install and play old games, some of them I still keep on my computer in a ready to play state, different thing no time for it though...

don't go with AMD for processor, my own experience with them hasn't been good and you'll find stories all over the net, suggest you go with Intel, the best you can afford, use a liquid cooling solution from Corsair, a good graphics card, and yes butter it out with load of high power RAM and a SSD. my early 2010 config of i7 920 with turbo boost enabled, ATI 5850, 6Gig RAM, 80GB intel SSD, runs NGX at maxed out sliders except the autogen at a smooth frame rates, occasionally dropping to 24 fps over dense areas,I use Real Environment Xtreme and FSX Global, for running Free Track and instructor panel, I use a netbook Acer AOD 250 and pipe the data through FSUIPC. Only wish this was also possible with NGX FMC as its computation seems to consume a bit more of what FSX can use itself but heck it's still okay :)on top of that, use wifi screen extender software for ipad like splashtop etc. to extend the screen of netbook and use touch based instructor panel, say the possibilities of fun are endless....

well I was just pondering, a real EFB would probably cost may be US$ 10K atleast, runs linux and windows simultaneously, keeps crashing sometimes on some applications, sloppy touch screen (yeah specially once you've use ipad's), it had multi touch pinch zoom before until a law suit three years back to get it removed. Now comes Apple iPad at $ 499 a piece, is more lighter, faster, smoother and capable than the real a/c EFB for its functions, technology grows amazingly fast, aside Jepp FD, its more than capable of running the additional applications a real EFB runs...

I saw one on the Captain's side, while getting on board South African Airways B737-800 from Joburg to Mauritius, look pretty cool ...

I downloaded my copy of NGX 2 days back and the installer file is still laming around my hard disk, I know its toooo much of a hard feeling to not try it but I've got a brand new plane in real life on my hands and need to get released on that first. BTW my question is, how long before my download expires, i have it downloaded already but just need this information as well. How long after buying can I wait before activating my product ? can I do that like after 2 weeks (not really going to wait this long but just wanna know) Thanks

Is it because of the continuing attacks NGX download is so slow ?? mine shows finishing in 10 hours :( any way to use a download manager like getright ? I'm waiting till 10 hours and hope this downloads ...

I think you missed the date it was posted :) Count me in PMDG, I'll pay separately to buy PMDG products for X-Plane, I'm still holding to win-woes is because of good quality Flight Simulation and Games it has... otherwise as a hobby programmer myself, I'll say microsoft will radically change the way they do things in the future (and still be a fail!) their recent products show that.

In my opinion, don't bother about updates, microsoft has this peculiar habit of updating its OS for security flaws when the first thing you notice you fire up your computer is that its trying to communicate to it's datacenter, sending something encrypted and if you block that, windows then blocks "your" internet access. I don't trust ms in a lot of things so my thought, get a good antivirus and firewall that will co exist well with your games like FSX, COD, AA etc. I use eset smart security, and save your update bandwidth and money ... Win7 Clean install without any additional software installed on my precious SSD 80 gig is whooping 15 GB, that is after I disabled hibernation and paging and removed respective .sys files. As soon as there is a good simulation available on another platform, I'm moving out. BTW will PMDG come up with NGX Xplane port ?

running 64 bit is cool, even if fsx and addon are 32 bit, everything else related to OS would run at much faster pace so your fsx would ultimately as well...

Thanks for the information :)

I remember going through this when I was doing my research on which graphics card to buy suitable for FSX about 1.5 years back keeping the NGX and my budget in mind, I read in some technical write up for project magenta 737 home sim builders that the actual fill rate of a real NG DU is equivalent to that of a modern ATI 5850, thought was believable since each of the real ones end up costing like USD 10,000. never thought about 3D capability of the real NG DU, don't think it's of any use over there.

I read it as 80 Hz vertical ( I might be wrong, broken memory ), graphics capability of each DU graphics processor equivalent to an ATI 5850 or GTX 280, but this was since 90s when NG first came out. Do enlighten if you come up with something ...

Thanks for the Zite suggestion, just installed and it's amazing ...

Is the increased control handling forces experienced during a manual reversion also felt on a force feedback joystick or controller ? that would be based on speed, as speed get higher so do forces and vice versa.

Thanks for the reply ...

Weather can be pretty strange at times, specially high level strong temperature inversions, a perfectly normal airplane at cruise can experience overspeed or stall just by entering one of them since high altitudes temperatures affects the margins in terms of speed. Can anybody throw some light ? much appreciated...

Thanks for the replies, now technically even FS9 NG was not a feature complete product but did what none other could in the best possible way. I would guess other commercial related issues would pop like had PMDG only ported the FS9 NG to run on NGX with the promise that they'll feature update the product as things got completed, it wouldn't be logical for them to price it as they would charge now. Then people would be updating their software every few months which again may or might cause issues. Now I am getting a more better picture of why "modular" approach wouldn't be a good thing to do. since the only reason for FS9 to stay on my pricey SSD is NG but anyway waiting for NGX to come out soon ...Cheers!

Hi, Just a flash of my mind, don't know how practical it would be in this scenario: now NGX was on the board for more than 3 years before it went beta, meanwhile B777 is in the queue. Now how would it be to release like say the model first with exteriors, virtual and 2-d panel and a basic but functional FMC and overhead Panel switches so people can start flying, but the complete development or feature proofing can continue and updates released as things are implemented. I think you can call it modular development cycle to bring out the complete product so folks like me can enjoy PMDG quality while not waiting for wholesome stuff to come out. I'm sure many would be more than happy to pay the full cost upfront while they're rest assured of further feature updates.B h a s k a r - K r i s h n a

Is SFP now on every airplane ? I read it was an option, airlines need to pay extra for this, 27K on a 738, winglets, carbon brakes. never thought of spoiler deployment angle, Thanks for this bit.There is no indication of tail strike in the cockpit on 737NG, it would be easily apparent as it happens from inside the cockpit through the control column or sound, if incase it is very slight then the tailskid would collapse anyway leaving the tailskid indicator stripe and pilots faces in the red. Rear Cabin crew is also supposed to confirm this with the cockpit if they hear any tail strike, On a larger plane however like the 777, an EICAS message would alert the crew. Anyways flight cannot continue. Cheers!B h a s k a r - K

may be I'm emphasizing fire hazard a bit more than I should (even though it is a very important factor), but I think I've read enough on composites to form an opinion which I believe I have a right to :) even though I'm not a engineer, please google yourself and have a read. I'll support composites anytime ...Regards,B h a s k a r

I was amazed to see that video and think it's another gimmick, now why should'nt I believe it's another ploy by aircraft aluminum manufacturers to potray that composite is a fail when it comes to aircraft structure. that video towards the end gives an example of an A340 bumping and overshooting the runway and into a ravine 30 feet deep and apparently "Aluminum" helped passengers escape the infero which subsequently engulfed the fuselage. Recently however, a crash that happened in India paints another picture, similar event causes a B738 to plunge into a valley a few hundred feet deep after being unable to stop on the runway on a hilltop, this time had the composite (if it was the case) would have cracked open and allowed the passengers to run away but instead it was the Aluminum structure which dented and bended but kept everybody inside till the fire engulfed them, this is proved in the subsequent post mortem investigation of the bodies. So most people die because of being trapped inside even though the actual crash did not kill as many as due to fire.One of the biggest killers in aircraft crashes is the resulting fire and not the crash itself, and statistics prove that, sadly people who make such reports hardly ever pursue those things.Overall I think these stories are just gossip and nothing else. B787 is a brand new beginning in a lot of things, like no bleed etc. Imagine subsequently airplanes doing sub orbital flights using scram jets, where aluminum would be too weak to handle the forces. Theory that composite would break up into super small peices, Now as I understand, composite is infact layer after layer of fibers woven together and glued together, infact they should have better resistance to impact forces than aluminum. Depending on how they are constructed would cause them to fracture differently. With Regards,B h a s k a r - K r i s h n a

Thanks for the info on Hydro series, my problem is the size of my computer, will all the stuff, it widths at about the height of 5850, length just to fit in an ATX DX58SO + SMPS, height to fit in ATX mobo exactly, all this due some limitations, I'm probably going to do a proper mod to my case to allow for the H70 (I'm liking it). All this hassle, I don't want to splurge on an Alienware or a gaming laptop, the benefits of my case, its a portable PC, fully upgradable components wise and I carry it along everywhere I go :) the only problem is Core temperatures, it runs at around 70 degrees with the stock cooler, Even though I completely remove my computers side cover and normally keep my PC powered up at all times ( to maintain thermal stabalization )Best,B h a s k a r - K r i s h n a