Whether is was intentional or not, one of the largest benefits I can see for this "Pre-Release Demo" based on BetaX code is that - for the first time ever - ACES will have had their BetaX code tested on far more possible hardware configurations than before!

Considering the high probablity that most users of the "Pre-Release Demo" will actually press the "Send Report to Microsoft" button at least once, the resulting flood of diagnostic reports coming in should provide "Watson" a richer, more robust universe of error data from which to report...

I am personally more impressed than ever at the fortitude and determination shown by the ACES team, by being willing to endure the inevitable "criticism" that has transpired in a sincere effort to deliver a more robust and stable release product...  8)

I can't even remember the last time I sent an error report.

But I agree with you about the ACES team. They are clearly showing their determination to fix as much of the bugs as humanly possible by:

1. Releasing a demo so that we can test out our hardware without spending a dime on the final product.

2. Providing a tone a excellent graphics and new features through the videos, screenshots, articles, and now the demo.

3. Making the sim available to as many users as possible by making it work in Windows XP and DX9.

4. Allowing normal people like Robert Whitwell [the editor for the AvSim article on FSX] to come to the ACES team headquarters to test out the sim while it's still in development.

I'm pretty sure Microsoft has prepared itself for the heavy criticism and they probably have an "ACE" up their sleeves that could counter the heavy criticism.

Hoho,no one i know will do so.Coz nobodbody knows exactly what has been sended to MS.

The release of the crude demo certainly has not won over to many new simmers so far.

On the non flighsim fourms I frequent, the feedback is basically all negitive.

It they want to go mainstream with FS-10, they stil have some major work to do.

Quote:


classic microsoft.

bug report sent by flyboy
sending bug report crashes computer

MS reply
how did you send this report then

Quote:


Well, if you're all that curious, it's a simple matter to click on the "What to see what's in this report?" option...

...of course, if you ever DID look you'd likely have your eyes glaze over... 

Quote:


Sending the report didn't crash your computer, FS9 did!That's why the report was generated to begin with! 

This is the only product line I know of that people continuously bitch about, but yet continue to buy. I bet that people that complain about the demo will still buy FS10, use it, complain about it, and want a fix and a new version.

Just my thoughts