SirStiggie

Thanks for you response! All info is helpful. Performance seems to be a common thread for many replies so that will be the first thing I'll tackle. I've downloaded the FSX demo and will play with that till I get my DVD's. Hopefully, that will help prepare me figure out what settings will work best so I don't waste time when I get the full version.

<p> I currently use a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro joystick for flight. Hopefully, it has enough buttons (12) to cover the critical functions in FSX. It has a throttle lever and the stick controls the rudder as well as the elevator and ailerons. The video card in my laptop has 1GB dedicated RAM and shares 1GB with the system (12GB). Sounds like that could be a challenge. Thanks for the info. :)

"Flight Simulator Gold Edition includes the Deluxe Edition and the Acceleration Expansion Pack in one bundle." Microsoft

Wow, I didn't expect all these responses. Thanks a bunch for all the suggestions, I'd definitely tackle configuring my PC first so I can figure out how high to run the settings without affecting performance. I don't have any specific kind of flying I like the most though trying to achieve a specific objective in missions is always enjoyable. I do like playing with multi-engine aircraft and I also like random weather changes for the challenge. The primary reason for biting the bullet and buying FSX was the limited flight area and the lack of cockpits for a number of aircraft. I'm hoping I won't be disappointed with the graphics in FSX as Flight renders scenery nicely indeed. I'm looking forward to Alaska. Would you say scenery in FSX is better, worse, or just different from Flight? BTW, the hardware I'm running it on is a Lenovo laptop with an Intel i5 quad-core @ 1.8GHz, 12GB of RAM, and an nVidia Quadra FX-880 GPU with 2GB of video RAM.

Right. Are there other service packs that are not included in FSX Gold?

I've been playing around with MS Flight since it was released and decided to order FSX as (1) I hate planes without VC and (2) I love multi-engine aircraft. Any suggestions and what I should do first after its installed?