It's about time someone else saw what a ripoff these people are.  I am finished with Abacus.  As long as GMAX is free, no one needs them anyway.

Lets be honest guys, a three year old with an Etch-A-Sketch could do better aircraft design

As reply's go that is pretty much a load of bullplop (as Col Potter used to say in MASH).  I made the 'mistake' of downloading the updated FSUIPC at about the same time I got FD3 so, needless to say, nothing worked; I was forced to register FSUIPC (mind you, does have some advantages) and FD3 worked fine with the new version, my version of Arrcab seemed to be fine without their so-called updates!

As for their comments about the changes to the aircraft, hand's up who uses the default planes; thought so!  There are any number of decent naval aircraft out there (thank you Dean Reimer et al), I've even been known to fly off the DSB Typhoon - Royal Navy repaint to follow!

Has anybody tried to use the existing program with FS2004?

Now, now, now....no need for giving anyone any illegal ideas.  lol

Abacus is just too expensive.As BMan said,their utilities are good but not their aircraft.Some freeware models are better than theirs.

PSW

I guess I am seriously screwed. I downloaded Abacus' Premier Cessna 310 (Sky King) today and tried to put it (stupidly) into FS2004, just to see if it would work, and if I liked it. I got the unusuable red sreen, so I went to remove it. Now FS2004 doen't work at all! I even did a clean reinstall in a new folder and it still crashes after saying it can't initialize the Abacus Cessna 310! How is that even possible? Anybody have any ideas how I can fix this? Thanks,
Randy Allamon

I bought their Gee Bee a few weeks before FS2004 came out.  It won't work in the new sim, so I sent an e-mail asking when it'll be updated.  Their reply was 'The original designer doesn't work with us anymore, so we can't upgrade it.'  Pretty unproffesional if you ask me.

I agree with you Felix, except for two reasons.  First, while FSDS craft are not working in FS 2004, there was and is not a notice telling me this.  Second, if you are going to sell a plane, you had better darn well support it.  If you are no longer in contact with the designer, you have no business selling his work in the first place.  Redesigning the plane in FSDS2 would not be all that hard (from what I have seen with my tinkering) and the texture files could have been re-used. 

I am not bitching about the money I spent.  It was only $10.00 and sometimes I still fly FS 2002 and will until the patch for Emma Field comes out.  Like I said,  I just think they're unprofessional.

i dont really know what to add but, i can see both sides of the argument here.
they once tried to get me to 'sell' my h-60's to them but erik and I decided against that. for our own reasons and in that, it seems, that with the advent of gmax and 2002\ fs9 the abacus aircraft just arent cutting it.

simply put, I loved them in fs2000.
but not 2002 and certainly not fs9.

anyhow, why is it Felix always manages to say the thing everyone else is trying to say and wrap stuff up? psychic or something lol? magical powers.. 

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THAT TO! 

haha the post went from extreme aggression to everything being sorted out and explained in full.. thanks felix lol

Dan, where is your English Electric Lightning?  I looked for it and couldn't find it...

I have a project that is almost complete. Most of you have already heard about.

Once the full package is complete and released, there is a good chance that Abacus might try to make a deal with me because the model will have extreme detail.

If that ever happens, I will take my nice little third finger on my right hand and flip it at Abacus. If you know what I mean.

I want to release the model as freeware because I want a lot of people to have fun. And why should anyone have to pay money to a 2-bit company [or any company] just to have fun?

I just want my model to become the most detailed model in the FS world since the Jaguar [for FS2002].

You can't repaint anything on any plane that isn't already a texture. It all depends on how the original designer made the plane.

I fail to understand the heat against payware...then again I've yet to see a payware designer holding a gun to someone's head to extort money.

If you don't like Abacus' (or any other payware)...don't buy it.

Well I can almost agree with the authors comments, this being the first time I saw this topic. Abacus can be a pain in the ass every once in awhile. But atleast they try to do right with you in the end.

Here is my experience ordering the upgrade disk from them through the mail.

Dec. 8 - placed order
Dec13 - finally acknowledged my sales receipt and claimed to have shipped it to me.
Dec.30 - got another email that they have sent it to me after my recent complaints of not receiving it.
Jan.13- Still haven't received it, asked for the shipping tracking number, none giving said it went through the USPS. So they said they would send another 2night UPS delivery.
Jan.17 - Still haven't seen it, They sent it to an old address I had with them and not even to the address I provided to them with my order.
Jan.19 - Went to the UPS in the middle of no where that took me 2 hours to find. When I got it they shipped the wrong damn disk, they sent the original FD3. Now you tell me why would I ask for an upgrade copy of the original disk!
Jan 21 - After complaining they sent me an overnight delivery to my door and corrected the order and shipping address problem. I finally got the disk and they sent me a $10 certificate and a mouse pad to smooth things over with me. How business like  !

All in all after my first catapult launch in the new F14! My anger turned into a nice big grin of satisfaction. But I am still pissed at Abacus for not getting it right the first time! They should have just refunded my money and giving me a free addon coupon, then I would have been happy! That's good business!

well I must admit, after many emails I finally got my free update for FS9.

So I guess all is not lost 

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Just one question though, did you already own a copy of the FS2002 version before you bought the Fs2004 version !

if so I don't think you lucked out my freind you got robbed, but saved yourself a headache getting a free upgrade!

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There's no such thing as bad publicity.  The mere fact that this thread has been active for almost six months attests to that.

And the name "Abacus" has been mentioned ever since.  Sure, there will be a few people who are turned off by this thread, but there are far more who have never heard of Abacus, and have now.  And eventually, they'll forget about the thread, and they'll only remember the name.  Marketing 101. 

maybe so but i dont think the idea of the thread was to down abacus in the first place; merely to state thier customer support level..
.. and how its now been sorted.

thy end lol.
dano.