Thanks for the information. Sounds like FS 2004 will be worth the price
of upgrading from FS 2002.

However, the statement regarding "serious jerks and pauses while loading
data from a DVD" doesn't make sense, in my opinion. The 'downloading'
from a DVD file would almost certainly be done in batches, rather than
instantaneously and sequentially corresponding to a flight through the
area. In other words, the "batch" of data containing scenery for a
given geographical region would be downloaded to the hard drive when the
flight approached that region, and then accessed as appropriate during
the flight, using RAM, and the hard drive, and the processor. - This
technique (the concept of storing scenery data in large quantities on
relatively slow memory, and downloading portions of the data to smaller
but faster memory as needed) was described years ago with respect to
earlier computerized simulation systems. (See, for example, Patent No.
4,463,380 for an Image Processing System, which describes a simulator
system utilizing various techniques for storing images of a large
geographical area in large, relatively slow memories, and transferring
the needed portions of the data to a "fast" memory when needed during
flight through a particular region. - This patent, and many others, can,
of course, be viewed on uspto.gov/) While this system was designed years
ago, and before DVD players or PCs, the prinicples remain relevant

In other words, it doesn't make sense to dismiss precipitously the use
of DVD memory for storing large quantities of scenery data without first
considering the various techniques and programs that could be used to
process it.

Jim



Rickenbacker wrote:
Jim Cate wrote in :

What major improvements and changes are expected for FS2004? I
understand that it will include a number of new aircraft, but will

there

also be improvements in the realism and flight response, etc., and in
the resolution of the graphics?


The weather is the main attraction, but the graphics also look a bit
better and the AI is slightly less moronic. The terrain is hillier and
all those tricky little caribbean islands are now much more difficult to
land on. The new planes are really nice (well, the OLD planes I guess
), and the feeling of flight is improved, especially in turbulence.
Helicopters and gliders still get shafted though.


during "flight." Does anyone know if DVD backup scenery files are
being considered for flight simulator programs, or for other
applications?


Not likely, as the hard drive is still a lot faster when it comes to
accessing data. You'd see some pretty serious jerks and pauses while
loading scenery from a DVD I think.