Actually, loaded to the top with Google Photogrammetry in my community folder, my FS2020 takes 22 minutes to load too 
… (not blaming Asobo, its only my fault).
I started with FS98, and we, spoiled kids, already had CD-ROMs…
This thread is taking me to a point where I´m seriously considering reinstalling my FS98 in a virtual XP machine, just to remember old times…
The more things change, the more things stay the same…
Nice!!!..I thought I was doing good with a 1571 drive.
Haha.
Are you sure about that? Like an old girl/boyfriend or that once cherished album, often the past should be left exactly where it is!
Regards.
Haha.
Where does the key go to wind them up?
Way way back in history, personal computers were large, expensive, and for most people very difficult and confusing to use. Apple’s strategy was that the beginning user didn’t have to read 15 manuals or learn how to code to use their machines. IBM took a different strategy. Part of their strategy was that IBM wasn’t going to build all the components inside the PC. The computer specifications were “open source” for other manufactures to create cards and add-on peripherals. However, many vendors took the available specs and built “clone” machines that were supposed to function the same as the IBM PC but available for a much lower price. One of the major challenges for clone manufactures was IBM PC compatibility. How were consumers supposed to evaluate marketing claims of the clones?
Along comes Flight Simulator for the IBM PC. It ran flawlessly exercising the CPU, memory, graphics cards, disk drives, keyboards, mice, and monitors. When consumers started buying clones, some of them bought Flight Simulator. Consumers found out quickly that many clones could not run Flight Simulator because clone compatibility was not 100% compatibility. Word quickly spread around before Internet that any clone that couldn’t run Flight Simulator was not compatible and should be avoided. It didn’t matter that the consumer wasn’t going to use Flight Simulator. They needed some assurance that a clone was compatible with the IBM PC. Flight Simulator became THE benchmark for PC compatibility testing.
Whenever new hardware was introduced, a new clone appeared on the market, a new DOS version was released, or a newer Flight Simulator was available, the first thing PC “geeks” did was to run Flight Simulator to test compatibility. Flight Simulator was an unofficial “Compatibility Certification” for clones. (“Does your machine run Flight Simulator?” “Why of course it does!”)
How the market and technology have changed! But with the August 2020 MSFS release, history is sort of repeating itself. One of the most often asked questions pre- and post-release has been “Can my CPU, graphics card, memory, and/or Internet speed or combinations of all of these run MSFS?” Next if the hardware can run MSFS, what is the graphics quality? What do I need to do or buy to improve the graphics?
There are dozens of PC games with very intensive graphics needing powerful hardware to run. However it seems like in the few months since the MSFS release, it is become THE benchmark to compare hardware performance even with its many bugs and patches. One of the first questions with the recent release of Nvidea’s upgraded GPUs was how much better does MSFS perform?
The next time your fly around in MSFS or acquire new hardware for MSFS, say a silent “Thank You” to the creators and developers of all the various Flight Simulator programs and hardware on all the different platforms for their contributions without which MSFS would never have been built. The “torch” of flight simulation has been passed to a new generation of developers and virtual pilots to continue the legacy that started over three decades ago. For the future of flight simulators, the sky is the limit.
I misplaced my 1200 baud modem, ■■■■ now what.
Over 4 decades ago, not 3. You do realise that flights sims were around years before the IBM PC was released?
But you are certainly correct with everything else. I used to do the ‘does it run Flight Simulator’ myself.
I’m a Hoarder – I still have my 75/110 baud BBC Micro Modem , and the Telnet adapter !!
I should fire that old BBC Micro back up again, if only to run Pacman !!!
I would suggest you offer a prayer of thanks. Haha.
So don’t look to hard for it! Haha.
A Rare box set of JAPAN version of MS Flight Simulator X + Acceleration.
Still in original shrink wrap. Mint: Collectors Item
The big question will be – does your Tandy still run !!!
$899 for an old Tandy – The W10 Gaming Laptop I run MSFS cost less than that !!!
N6722C,
Yes, it still runs. It is listed on eBay, the 128k model. Enormous amount of memory.
One day soon, I will get around to trying the FS1 disk.
I would recommend you try a few other Non-important Floppy Disks in the system 1st, before risking the Sub_Logic one !!!
Got to be a lost of dust in that drive after all these years !!!
N67, Great advice !
The photo you see above was taken on 11/29/80 when I was testing the unit. It was packed extremely well for many years. You can tell from the photo is looks almost new. It had the original TRS80 plastic cover that kept out almost all dust and was wrapped in blankets and kept in a cedar chest. The cover was “yellow” from age but the computer is still a very nice looking white.
I started with Sub-Logic Flightsimulator II for Commodore C-64 as well, I think this was in 1985 and I paid something like £50.00 for it !
And now 35 years later, you we paying about the same for 100 GB of MSFS !!
(and still people are complaining !!! – now its TOO Big, and takes too long to download !! )
Clipper ROFL … FoxBase was far superior from what I remember…
My first good machine was an 8086 with the 4/7 mzh turbo. 640kb of ram and a EGA card. Cost was roughly $8000 the company I worked for payed half. Oh and a huge 20 meg seagate HD as well.
Yeah but back then when you bought something It worked, no need to download endless updates that are supposed to fix stuff.
