Granted the price is a little high, but any instructor will tell you, he/she can tell the difference between someone on a simulator and someone who has never used one. Many people have claimed that they have been able to solo quicker using the simulator, and that it has given them good confidence..

I will agree about the peripheral vision, I find it totally useless for that. However, I have always said that the one thing that the simulator provided me was an insight as to how to use the controls so they become second nature regardless of the direction of the plane AND how sensitive they are.. Many newbies do not grasp this easily and having a medium to practice this on is great.