Digital goods directory - http://www.digitalgoodsdirectory.com

Editor's picks

• 

  Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Gold Edition

  Video Games (Microsoft)
  

  Rating (197 reviews):

  (4.0/5)

  

  Well-refined leader of the genre

  Flight simulation for your PC just doesn't get any better than this. Microsoft has been at this for a long time, and they make it better with every release.A few things seasoned flight simmers will know that new users will certainly WANT to know are:The system requirements to really make this software work well are dauntingly advanced. You'll need something approaching a top-level gaming machine, with a huge video card, to get the full benefit of the entire visual, audible, advanced controls experience. Got a laptop you think is pretty smokin'? Forget it.Microsoft follows every release of this product with massive service packs you must download and install, and each one takes a huge chunk out of your hard drive. Be prepared with LOTS of disk space. This particular release (meaning, the "Gold Edition") includes service packs one and two, so you won't need to download them.An internet connection is required to register the... 5/5 Jon L. Albee "Faulkner Wannabe" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews, March 20, 2009

  ---

  First time for Flight Simulator [Played Three Days Straight]

  Fun once you've downloaded the three disks. There are over 5,000 Airports, 30 planes plus three if you buy The Gold Version, and Loads of Missions to fly. My Favorite Feature is Free Play. You can take off from your Hometown Airport or any other and vist landmarks like The Egyption Pyramids, The Leaning Tower of Pisa, and Niagra Falls. You can download any plane you want online like UFO's, Futureristic Fliying Cars, and my favorite, a Thunder Bird version F-16. I love this game. Make sure you buy a controler like A Saitek X52 joystick and throttle. This game is unplay able witout one. 5/5 David C. Richey "The Geeker" (Anderson, SC USA) - See all my reviews, January 3, 2009

  ---

  Dumbed down to dumb

  As a Pilot, I bought this version because it included the G-1000 glass cockpit. The G-1000 simulator from Garmin is $119, FSX was only $34.95.So, overall, I got what I wanted. I was very disappointed that MS decided to dumb down the flight physics even more than in FS9. Lot's of silly things too: For example, the left turning tendency is pronounced in a single engine propellor aircraft. This is caused by Torque, P-Factor, Gyroscopic precession and slipstream. Why do the 2 and 4 engine Commercial Jets in FSX also require heavy right rudder on take-off? They are immune to these forces. (They don't have props!) Stalls are so subtle and gentle as to be pointless, FSX wings never drop and full recovery is possible without relieving back pressure on the stick. FSX Planes will not spin, even when forced into cross-controlled flight. It's impossible to get the spin started and spin recovery; one of the most important basic flight skills to master, is impossible to properly... 5/5 Maine AV8R (Maine, USA) - See all my reviews = Fun:, January 8, 2010

  ---

  List Price: $39.99
  

  Experience the day change from afternoon sun to evening dusk while flying at 32,000 feet

  Fly from your local airport during the winter and then experience the change as you fly from the same airport in summer

  Race alone or against friends online

  Choose from more than 80 missions that will show you the world with fun assignments from around the globe

  Keep track of how you¿ve done on each mission and improve your skill levels until your ready for the next challenge

---

• 

  Microsoft Flight Simulator X Deluxe DVD

  Video Games (Microsoft)
  

  Rating (341 reviews):

  (3.2/5)

  

  From a pilot

  I am a general aviation pilot, flying single engine fixed wing Cessna type aircraft (4 seater). Flight Simulator X gives the feeling of actually piloting a plane. The plane responds to the controls much like "the real thing".Like other reviewers, I must agree that you must have a great computer. I have a dual processor Pentium D 940 running 3.2 Ghz, 4 gb RAM, 512 mb NVIDIA graphic card. On my system, with maxed out graphics and scenery, it runs very well, with only an occasional slight bump in frame-rates. I am somewhat disappointed with the scenery, which is good in major cities, but still basic in the country-side. The terrain is good everywhere, but the structures lack detail in other than the cities. The detail on airport runways and taxiways is terrific! Aircraft list is extensive. I recommend it. 4/5 D. MCGUE (Mililani, Hawaii) - See all my reviews, October 31, 2006

  ---

  Most fun I've had on my PC in as long as I can remember

  I got my copy of this edition a week ago. The last copy of FS I owned was the 2000 version so I was about ready for an upgrade! I dropped the first DVD in and installed it; it took a good half an hour to get through all three DVD's. Then I fired it up. I was immediately prompted for what kind of user was I - novice, experienced FS user or an actual Pilot. I picked novice as I'd not played a game like this one in at least four years and needed all the help I could get. It then talked me though some basics and let me control a plane already in the air at one point and that was cool - very easy intro; I was looking at the plane from behind so no confusing instruments or what-have-you. Felt like an accomplishment!After this it suggested I go through the tutorials, and told me where to find them, and even though I was itching to just take off from a small airport very close to my home in a Cessna or something and just get flying, maybe try to find my house - I resisted the urge... 5/5 Adam Hems (Rosenberg, TX USA) - See all my reviews, November 8, 2006

  ---

  One of the best flight sims on the market

  Flight Simulator X is the newest edition and graphically the best of the flight simulators on the market. Many of the graphics has been improved since flight simulator 2004 like the ground textures. It really looks like the real world. You can even pinpoint many recognizable highways and roads from your own city. You can even see moving cars, moving gates at airports, and even moving baggage carts. The airports look much more realistic as they have real markings and even the airport tiles at the gates. Also mountain ranges look much better. Many of the mountains are sculpted to their acutal sizes and makes it very realistic. The graphics have more depth than in 2004 version and when the new Windows Vista 10 comes out, the graphics will look even more realistic than it is currently. There are also more planes in this game. Included are the usual Boeing and Cessnas, but there are also new jets like the airbus a321, and even a new glider, which is towed by another airplane. You can even... 5/5 7772001 "7772001" (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews = Fun:, October 19, 2006

  ---

  List Price: $29.99
  

  realistic graphics

  take to the skie to fly almost anywhere

  fly everything from an ultralight to a jumbo jet

---

• 

  Microsoft Flight Simulator X Standard DVD

  Video Games (Microsoft)
  

  Rating (90 reviews):

  (3.3/5)

  

  From a "Not-Hardcore-Gamer" View

  Let me get something of my chest first. I have noticed a lot of bad feedback on reviewers who give higher ratings to products that are developed by Microsoft. So just to make it clear - I am not reviewing Microsoft, I'm reviewing the simulator.So.. how fun is this game? Well it's your system that can actually answer this question. This game is amazing from my point of view. I have used everything, from FS98 to latest X-Plane.. and nothing is as good as this.The Good:- Stunning graphics. This is the most beautiful game I have ever played. From the water effects to shadows from the plane.. every effect and particle is breathtaking.- Gameplay. It is an amazing gameplay, indeed. You can now fly in any seat you like, control literally any view of the airplane, most of the cockpit controls work and function the way they are supposed to. The weather system is amazing.- Multiplayer. This one speaks for itself: FUN FUN FUN. It is very... 4/5 Spyed Reality (United States of America) - See all my reviews = Fun:, July 4, 2007

  ---

  "BEWARE" before you buy the "STANDARD" Version of FSX

  Let me start this review by saying that FSX is really a great product with much growth potential for future development. I have been using Flight Sim from the early days of the Commodore 64. I have purchased every version since it was created. Every version starts a bit rough but between updated patches and some tweaking it performs beautifully.Each version is usually a year or so ahead of existing hardware, which basically means that you will not be able to achieve the maximum performance with your one-year-old computer even if you think you got a great system. If you search the flight sim forums you will read how even those with gaming machines complain about not enough frame rates or hi resolution scenery or stutters during flying. Here is what I have:Microsoft® Windows Vista(tm) Home PremiumSystem Manufacturer Dell Inc.System Model Inspiron 531Processor AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4400+, 2310 Mhz, 2Total Physical Memory 2,045.88... 5/5 Philip E. Kiernan - See all my reviews, September 23, 2007

  ---

  An Excellent Addition to the Series

  Microsoft Flight Simulator X is the tenth editon to the Flight Simulator franchise, and it certainly delivers. Like previous installments, FSX puts you in the cockpit as a pilot for any number of aircraft, including Boeing 747s and the LearJet 45. New this year, however, is an Airbus A321 and an AirCreation Trike Ultralight (think of a waterski with wings and wheels attached). Flight Simulator 2004 had many commemorative aircraft for the one hundredth anniversary of flight, but these are gone for FSX. I wasn't really bothered by the removal, although some will be disappointed that you can't recreate the Wright Brothers' Kittyhawk flight anymore. Graphics-wise, Flight Simulator X is a great improvement over Flight Simulator 2004. You may now see animals on the ground and traffic on major highways, depending on the age and quality of your graphics card. Make sure you have a DVD-ROM drive, because FSX is a gigantic game and takes up two DVDs. In comparison, FS2004 took up... 3/5 colbra (Maryland- USA) - See all my reviews = Fun:, October 22, 2006

  ---

  List Price: $19.99
  

  1-Year Warranty

  New - Retail

---

• 

  Microsoft Flight Simulator X Acceleration Expansion

  Video Games (Microsoft)
  

  Rating (58 reviews):

  (3.3/5)

  

  Install Failure

  Expansion pack won't install - says it requires FSX to be installed first. It is. I can be flying a plane in FSX, and the Expansion Pack Installer says FSX isn't installed. The support rep did say they have been getting a lot of calls from people who are having problems installing the expansion pack...____________________Support Update: It's now December, and after a month of working directly with Microsoft Games Support, the problem appears to be caused by running 64 bit Vista Ultimate on an Intel Core 2 Quad processor. The base game, Flight Simulator X, does not install properly, and the expansion pack can't find it. I tried a single cpu system, running XP, and everything installs and runs fine, including the expansion pack.When you install FSX, if the install screen says "IDS_WELCOME" and "IDS_CONTINSTALL" you've got a problem. Another symptom of a bad install is if the Add/Remove Program screen in Control Panel says "PRODUCT_NAME" instead of "Flight... 1/5 Willy "Bill" (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews = Fun:, November 8, 2007

  ---

  Fantastic Upgrade for Flight Simulator X

  Let me begin by saying that I'm an FSX newbie. I have only the basic FSX installed and have had it for only around a month now. There's an old pilot's saying, "if God had wanted men to fly, He would have made them rich", and I'm a walking testament to the truth of that saying. I earned my license in 1987, but it was just too expensive a hobby for me to continue trying to fly. Having been playing with FSX for the past few weeks now, I'm thrilled to be back in the air! I thought that I had it pretty good before installing the acceleration pack. But that was before I had an F-18 at my beck and call. WOW!!! My installation of the acceleration pack went reasonably flawlessly and the improvement is fantastic. New aircraft, many new missions to fly, what a deal! Oh, and did I mention that... 1/5 Arkansas Traveler - See all my reviews = Fun:, October 29, 2007

  ---

  Ho Hum

  It isn't as bad as some have indicated, but unless you are dying to get an F/A-18, P-51 or another helicopter, you would probably do best to pass on this and wait for SP2 which is free.I'm not going to mention the missions because I wish MS had omitted missions from Flight Simulator X, altogether. They are too game-like for anyone who takes the word simulator seriously.Acceleration does add some minimal DX10 features, but nothing to get excited about. They call it DX10 Preview because it is a very small subset of what DX10 is capable of. 5/5 R. L. Frank - See all my reviews, November 21, 2007

  ---

  List Price: $19.99
  

---

• 

  Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas X Flight Stick

  Video Games (Thrustmaster VG)
  

  Rating (199 reviews):

  (4.5/5)

  

  A must have for armchair flight cadets!

  With Tom Clancy's HAWX on the way to the PS3 later this season, and my sudden urge to revisit Freespace 2, X-Wing, the Wing Commander games on my PC, I decided to give this joystick a shot since it was cheaper than PS3 version of the Saitek Aviator, and it's also a hands-on-the-throttle model. I am sure glad I did! This stick is awsome, I am very glad that I gave it a chance even though reviews were scarce.It has just about every button you could possibly want in a joystick, they all fell right when pressed, it's programmable, has a throttle with an alalog rocker for even more control options, and it all feels very intuitive when held. I tested it in the Windows game controller utility and everything seems to move quite precisely. Afterwards, I played Freespace 2 and the demo for the Battlestar Galactica: Beyond the Red Line mod, and it was a total blast. I was able to map the controls perfectly to all the buttons on the stick, and I was flying like an ace in no time... 5/5 Timothy G. Berntsen "Guru of geekdom" (Virginia Beach) - See all my reviews, January 20, 2009

  ---

  The Holy-Grail for Flight-Sim Joy Sticks

  This is my second one. I bought the first from Amazon last October-08. I was impressed with it's construction and overall operation ,but it had a few quirks. So I sent it back and paid the re-stock fee.I've been a Microsoft Flight Simmer for 7-8 years and I've tried and/or owned almost all the joy-sticks and yokes(with and without foot pedals)that have been marketed in this country.I have a soft spot for my Logitech 3-D Pro that has served me well for many years but I never really cared for their throttle design, and I guess thst's what attracted me to the Thrustmaster Hotas.After waiting 6-months to give the manufacturer a chance to make another production run (and hopefully overcome the faults I found on my first one) I ordered another and found that it worked... 5/5 R. Stark "kidkrats" (Pinehurst,NC.) - See all my reviews, July 15, 2009

  ---

  Best Flight Stick I've Had To Date

  My first flight stick (or joystick) was the Microsoft Force Feedback Pro which was a very good stick - it had some 'slop' in it which eventually got so bad that it was no longer tolerable. It was rugged and comfortable to use, but Microsoft quit making them & also quit supporting them in many flight Sims & newer games. I then had two Saitek Cyborg Evo Joysticks. The first one developed a problem after 11 months with little use, when it went out of calibration and the rudder output stuck in 50% left rudder position and couldn't be fixed by recalibration so it was replaced under 1-year warranty. Within 10 months switch #5 quit working on the second or replacement joystick so at this point I decided to look for a different manufacturers joystick because by now I had lost faith in Saitek being able to make a reliable joystick. I am seventy years old and I take good care of my equipment - I don't abuse my joysticks so if they don't last for me I doubt that they would last for anyone... 5/5 gump92139 - See all my reviews = Fun:, November 16, 2009

  ---

  List Price: $49.99
  

  Exclusive "MAPPING" button: all functions may be instantly switched around between each other

  Programmable: the 12 buttons and 5 axles are entirely programmable

  High-precision joystick with adjustable resistance

  Exclusive "PRESET" button": to switch, while playing, instantly from one programme to another

  Detachable, real-size, ergonomically-designed throttle control

---

• 

  Traffic X Expansion for MS Flight Simulator X

  Video Games (Just Flight)
  

  Rating (10 reviews):

  (3.2/5)

  

  Excellent add-on for the money, but needs serious work after install!!

  What do you get? This DVD-ROM installs into your FSX Simobjects Folder. You get 97, go ahead count em', 97 folders of AI Aircraft, each with up to 60 different liveries (or paint jobs) of various airlines around the world. Passenger jets, Commuter Turboprops, Cargo Carriers and even some Military Stuff. The DVD also comes with FSX Service Pack 2 (SP2), in case you don't have it already. SP2 is required prior to installation. When you run the Setup program, it will recognize if you do not have SP2, and prompt you to cancel the install of the Traffic Expansion Addon. When you do this, SP2 will install automatically. Run Setup Program again to install the Traffic Expansion Addon.Does it work? Yes. Does it work properly? No! By this I mean the aircraft.cfg (aircraft configuration) files for each of the 97 folders of new AI aircraft have serious deficiencies. The aircraft.cfg files in each folder are plain ordinary text files that you can open with wordpad or whatever. They... 3/5 J. Burinda - See all my reviews, January 17, 2010

  ---

  Just Flight - Trafic X - Great Add-on - But!

  If you read the reviews your are probably wondering Why people love this FSX Add-on or hate it. I bought this over 6 months ago and it definitly brings FSX alive, however, you must own a new machine with a upgraded Video Card, not a $100.00 upgrade but a $199.00 card at least a 8800Gt Nvidia or Better, this program uses alot of resources, and if you just have a over the counter store bought comupter you will be disappointed however, get the processer upgrade at least a Dual Core e8400 CPU and a 8800gt nvidia or better card. If you have the machice to run this add-on then its a great add-on if you don't well look for another like mytrafficx.Hope this helps...John. 5/5 John Nelson "Montana Mountain Man" (Livingston, Montana USA) - See all my reviews, February 8, 2009

  ---

  Not that bad but......

  Just a word of warning. This is a great game. But only if you plan on never removing it. Had it installed and loved it. But my frame rates dropped comming in for landings in Atlanta. I decided to remove it because that is where i usually alwyas fly into and out of. Once removed it took ALL other AI aircraft out of the game. Even tried to restore to the point before I installed it,but no luck. Ended up having to reformat my PC and put a fresh install of FSX to get them back. So like i said,a great expansion if you want it installed permanatley. 4/5 Verbon B. Davis - See all my reviews, August 29, 2009

  ---

  List Price: $34.95
  

  NEW! The all-new Follow-me car and the all-new Pushback truck let you explore the airport from the ground and even 'guide' incoming AI aircraft to their parking positions.

  NEW! 787 Dream liner with the majority of the launch customer liveries included . NEW! Airbus A350 XWB included with the majority of the known launch customers liveries .

  ! Appropriate aircraft take advantage of the advanced animations in FSX to operate with airport service vehicles.

  NEW! Graphic Departure and Arrival boards will show you the status of all incoming and outgoing flights at each airport, from 'Boarding' to 'Baggage reclaim'.

  NEW! DirectX10 compatible. TrafficX is future-proofed as far as possible for DX10 use.

---

• 

  Combat Flight Simulator 3

  Video Games (Valusoft)
  

  Rating (43 reviews):

  (3.0/5)

  

  Over Flanders Fields: Between Heaven and Hell

  I bought this for the sole purpose of playing Over Flanders Fields: Between Heaven and Hell, a World War I add-on for CFS3 available at www.overflandersfields.comDespite some known glitches like incompatibility with virus software and jittering with dual core processors (fixed with an AMD dual processor patch) CFS3 was easy to install.CFS3 is good looking and fun to fly, but due to the limitations of the flight modeling it won't completely satisfy hard core sim pilots looking for the ultimate in WWII realism. For those wanting to add-on WWII planes, scenery, airfields, etc, there are numerous mods for CFS3 available at fan sites like www.combatfs.com (you might try Mediterranean Air War or European Theatre of Operations).The Over Flanders Field: Between Heaven and Hell add-on is a fantastic addition to the game, and one of the few ways to engage in WWI era flight. The last great WWI flight sim was RedBaron3D, which never reached it's potential... 4/5 BirdDogICT (Newton, KS USA) - See all my reviews = Fun:, March 27, 2008

  ---

  Great version of the CFS series

  I was worried about getting this game after reading all sorts of reviews bashing it too pieces but I am really into the aircraft and the history so I had to have it. I have played several other WW2 sims and I really think this is the best one out of the half a dozen I've spent much time on. Its a good game. Its the only one I play now. It was a little light on missions with the stock software but there are hundreds of free downloadable missions and aircraft and add-ons just like the other CFS's and they are easy to install and fun to modify and tweek around on. Its almost infinite how far you can expand this game and for FREE to boot! I can't figure why anyone who was in to these planes and ww2 wouldn't dig it. I guess they are the guys who can afford an actual P-51 and genuine bf 109 to go dogfight their friends between round of polo and cocktails at the country club. I know I would If I had the money! Until then....this is as close as I will be able to get to pulling up the... 4/5 Wyatt Hertz "big block rock" (ohio, usa) - See all my reviews = Fun:, February 8, 2009

  ---

  Dated, but fun

  CFS3 is dated, compared to today's games, but is certainly no slouch when it comes to realism and challenge. Not for the casual gamer, CFS3 appeals to the same crowd that picks up the regular Flight Simulator series: virtual vicarious adventurers! CFS3 has a dynamic campaign that takes some getting used to but is a real gem. The combat fighting is almost too easy, once you learn to master the AI, but there are so many missions and aircraft, the replay value is extremely high. Plus, there's still the multiplayer option and there's quite the community that still plays CFS3.Of course you may find that CFS3 is the 'gateway' game that will lead you to more modern combat flight simulations like Falcon 4.0 Allied Force, Lock On, and Black Shark. But then, there's nothing wrong with a little play time! 5/5 Erik R. Pierce (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews, January 1, 2009

  ---

  List Price: $9.99
  

  In Combat Flight Simulator 3 (CFS3) you can fly for the USAAF, RAF, or the Luftwaffe in some of the most advanced and exotic aircraft of WWII.

  Play Single Missions with friends, cooperating to achieve mission goals as wingmen. Single Missions will be playable over a LAN or on the Internet.

  Fight in tactical missions in a campaign where your success or failure can move the front line, influence the quality of equipment available, and even change the outcome of the war.

  New collection of 18 aircraft

  Feel the adrenalin rush as you start strafing enemy positions at 350 mph, 600 feet above the European countryside, guns blazing and bombs blasting.

---

• 

  Saitek Pro Flight Yoke with Three-Lever Throttle (PZ44)

  CE (Saitek)
  

  Rating (199 reviews):

  (3.7/5)

  

  Phantom Key Stroke Problem Solved?

  Well I just did some research on this yoke and discovered that Sietek has resolved the phantom keystroke issue. New replacement units are shipping to all US distributers. If you happen to have a defective unit, per a post on Sietek's forum, owners are to call 310-972-9930 for return/replacement instructions. I am going to order one myself but am not sure if Amozon has the new units yet. Sietec refused to post a current serial number of the defective lot but a person on the forums said that he just got his and is working flawlessly with a serial number of SZ005111624. This person with a "good" unit purchased his thru Newegg in CA.Well I am going to place my order now and I will post an update when I get it up and running.UPDATE: I recieved the yoke and pedals three days ago and after spending an hour or so configuring the unit I fired it up. The SN# I recieved was 00492657 a call to tech support assured me that I had a unit that had the phathom key stroke... 4/5 S. Kuprianczyk - See all my reviews, January 4, 2008

  ---

  Great Feel. "Phantom Key presses" were easy to fix for me ....

  To start with, I wish I had purchased this setup much earlier. It feels so good and delivers such rock solid performance that I cannot imagine flying the civilian aircraft in FSX without it. If you want the C-172 to become as compelling as the P51 in your control, then this is the setup you'll want.But I vacillated on this purchase for some time before buying it due to all the reviews reporting phantom key presses. I didn't want to order something I'd likely have to return or exchange. Although I love flying with my CH Fighterstick , Pro Throttle and Rudders when flying warplanes or helicopters, I always felt like I was missing out on the joy of civilian flight simulation when using a stick instead of a yoke. So I finally mustered up the courage to order the Saitek Yoke in spite of the many poor reviews while holding my breath on the "pkp" issue.By the time I got mine, I had thoroughly familiarized myself with the scope of the phantom key press problem and... 5/5 RV_Pilot "anotherrvpilot" (California) - See all my reviews This review is from: Saitek Pro Flight Yoke with Three-Lever Throttle (PZ44) (Personal Computers) To start with, I wish I had purchased this setup much earlier. It feels so good and delivers such rock solid performance that I cannot imagine flying the civilian aircraft in FSX without it. If you want the C-172 to become as compelling as the P51 in your control, then this is the setup you'll want.But I vacillated on this purchase for some time before buying it due to all the reviews reporting phantom key presses. I didn't want to order something I'd likely have to return or exchange. Although I love flying with my CH Fighterstick , Pro Throttle and Rudders when flying warplanes or helicopters, I always felt like I was missing out on the joy of civilian flight simulation when using a stick instead of a yoke. So I finally mustered up the courage to order the Saitek Yoke in spite of the many poor reviews while holding my breath on the "pkp" issue.By the time I got mine, I had thoroughly familiarized myself with the scope of the phantom key press problem and... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , May 2, 2008

  ---

  Luck of the draw -- the "phantom key press " issue!

  Things just went entirely too smooth and totally glitch free which should have signaled that this in itself was not a good omen! Basically I went from the CH Products yoke, throttle quad and CH rudder pedals to the SAITEK system and even bought an extra SAITEK throttle quad to then have '6' programmable axis levers and additional buttons to program. So too, and one of the biggies, at least for me and my sim flying, the SAITEK yoke uses a METAL pitch tube for the yoke pitch control and as opposed to the CH yoke which uses a plastic shaft and hence subtle yoke movement 'sticking' no matter what lubricant I placed on the plastic shaft so I switched to SAITEK and the METAL pitch shaft on bearings. Excellent!And then ... coming into O'Hare and I hear the jet panel voice begin the "500 above" ... "400 above" ... suddenly from nowhere comes from the aircraft I was flying, "LANDING GEAR UP PLEASE!" ... say WHAT? You guessed it, the "random phantom key press" issue! SAITEK admitted... 2/5 Anthony J. Lomenzo "Doc Tony" (Fort Ann, New York) - See all my reviews, November 2, 2007

  ---

  List Price: $164.99
  

  Integrated 3-port USB 20 Hub

  XP, Vista and Windows 7 compatible

  Comes with separate three axis lever throttle

  Stainless steel yoke shaft and 2-position clamp

  Integrated 3-port USB 2.0 Hub

  POV Hat, 14 button controls, and 3-position mode switch

---

• 

  C-130 Hercules X Expansion for MS Flight Simulator X

  Video Games (Just Flight)
  

  Rating (21 reviews):

  (3.5/5)

  

  Best C-130 Experience with MSFS

  This expansion for the MS2004 and MSX is the best C-130 experience for any experienced and inexperience simulator pilot. The program is very easy to install and comes complete with a 240 page pilot's notes manual for quick reference and for expansive information about the C-130's systems, technology, and checklists.The book, [...] brings all the proceedures, take/off landing speeds, emergency proceedures, real pilots manuals (PDF) and much more.The 2004 installation comes with 3 models with 53 liveries (paint jobs). The FSX installation comes with 11 variations of models with 28 paint jobs. This installation is especially cool with the AC-130, KC-130, Blue Angels with jet assist, coast guard and the well known Lynden L-100 with 3 variations.The interior is as close to photo-realistic as your video card allows, with full virtual cabin. Every button, switch, knob, dial and guage works as in a real C-130 on the pilots, copilots, and nav's areas... 5/5 Styles (North Dakota) - See all my reviews = Fun:, November 16, 2008

  ---

  Difficult to install

  The product was difficult to install because of the copywrite protection on the installation/program disc. I had experienced some trouble with my samsung disc drive, and after buying an external sony disc drive, the problems went away like a bad dream. I complained to tech support and they replied that an update patch would fix the problem, however, I had the program installed and running by then. The sim is fantastic, a lot of fun. Worth the money. 5/5 Robert B. Powers "fordfan" (Sheffield Lake, OH USA) - See all my reviews, May 7, 2009

  ---

  C-130 FUN & EXCITMENT

  HAVE PLENTY OF SIM-AIRPLANES TO FLY, ALL EXCITING BUT THE 130 IS A BLAST, JUST FEELS AND PERFORMS LIKE THE REAL UNIT. GREAT FUN FOR THE SIM-ENTHUSIAST AND A WINNER FOR ANY WANNA-BEP.S. THE PRICE IS RIGHT TOO! 4/5 C. Frost (nevada) - See all my reviews, July 26, 2010

  ---

  List Price: $29.99
  

  Flight Simulator X Windows Vista or XP RECOMMENDED HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS: PC with 1.7 GHz equivalent or higher processor (2.5GHz for FSX), 512Mb RAM (1.0Gb for FSX), 64Mb

  Virtual Cockpit (3D) with animated controls. Authentic engine and cockpit sounds recorded from the real aircraft Accurate high quality day and night textures. Authentic smokey engine exhaust trails.

  In Flight Refuelling! Do you have the skill it takes?

---

• 

  Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight

  Video Games (Microsoft)
  

  Rating (210 reviews):

  (4.1/5)

  

  Excellent flightsim - one of the best sims on the market

  I am in love with aviation, and therefore FS has become a part of my computing experience. I purchased FS 1998, and though it was a tolerable product, I in no way felt that it was a great simulation of flight. It just didn't have the look and feel of flight. However, I was blown away by the progress made in FS 2002. Though the clouds were not always realistic (modeling gave them a two-dimension look that was disconcerting to say the least), I thought that the overall experience was pretty good.I saw FS 2004, and I thought it was probably mot much of an improvement based on reviews I had read. Let me just say that the first reviews I read were wrong. FS 2004 is a major improvement over FS 2002, and it stands as a all-time great product for aviation buffs like me.Improvements:1. Weather: for the first time, flying on FS2004 simulates almost perfectly the experience of actually flying. Clouds have the mist look when you fly through them. The weather systems... 4/5 Narut Ujnat "Exchanger1" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews, November 30, 2004

  ---

  The new state-of-the-art flight sim for PC

  My qualifications: More than 3000 hrs of real world flight time, Commercial, Instrument, Multi-Engine and Flight Instructor certificates, and an incalculable amount of my life spent "flying" every major flight sim ever made for the PC, starting with the original MS Flight Simulator on an Apple IIe in 1983. For whatever it's worth, folks, I'm an expert on this subject.FS-2004 Century of Flight is the new state of the art, the new gold standard. By itself, this software is worth going out and buying a new, hot PC just so you can fly it.If this is your first flight sim experience, you'll have fun just doing loops and looking at the pretty scenery.But here's the truth: the more aviation experience you have, the more you will appreciate this sim. Quite frankly, I can't think of a single significant element of the real-world flying experience that isn't precisely modeled and simulated in FS-2004.Want to climb in the 172 and practice NDB... 4/5 Jefferson T. Packer (Taos, NM) - See all my reviews, March 30, 2005

  ---

  Good Sim, But Remember the "Sim" Part!

  I have been using flight simulators since MS Flight Simulator 4.0, and have more diverse experience than only Microsoft's offering to call upon. While any simulator can be made quite realistic with the latest hardware and enough money, it is important to note that Microsoft's offering is no different - you cannot, as they say, make a silk purse out of a pig's ear. This means that if you're running an underpowered system, you will not be able to run the simulation optimally.Published system requirements:* Pentium 450 or greater processor* 64 MB RAM for 98/Me, 128 MB RAM for 2000/XP* 8 MB/3-D with DirectX 7.0 or later videocard* 1.8 GB hard drive spaceMy recommendation:* P4 2.x GHz processor; the faster, the better* 512MB RAM, with ideally 1GB under the hood* 128MB / 256MB AGP video card that pushes TONS of pixels - the more, the better* At least 5GB free hard drive... 5/5 C. Pilson (United States) - See all my reviews, December 14, 2004

  ---

  List Price: $19.99
  

  Dynamic weather system based on realistic atmospheric physics, with true three-dimensional clouds that form and dissipate

  For 1 or more players over LAN or Internet

  Enhanced interactive air traffic control (ATC), including traffic at all airports around the world

  Worldwide scenery with accurate 3D terrain and auto-gen objects that fill in the world with appropriate buildings and vegetation

  Improved support for 3D graphics hardware acceleration in multiple windows and across multiple monitors

---