Windows 7 is just fine. It has some very different appearances and processes than XP or even Vista, but it works just fine. You can get into it and make it "look and feel like" XP if you wish, I've done that with my systems (plural). I have five computers, two at work and three at home, of them, one at work is XP the other is Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit with 8 gig of RAM. Very nice system, fast and reliable.

I am running Realflight G5 on one of my home PC's which is Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit and it runs fine in the standard mode (not XP mode). That machine has 4 gig of RAM installed, which really helps.

I must admit that I didn't much like Vista, but 7 seems to clear up some, many, of the issues that Vista presented when it came out. No operating system is perfect. Microsoft is soon going to drop support for XP and older systems, including Vista in favor of Windows 7.

Yeah we are forced into these new opererating systems by default when we buy new computers, but that's the way it is. You don't have to like it, just as you don't have to buy a new computer.

You might check to see if your Windows 7 computer is adequate enough for your flight simulator to run, meaning, if you have enough memory and if you have a fast enough processor. Then, check to see if the sim software will run on Windows 7 by checking with FMS. If you have an older version of Realflight, and have their USB controller, then you can get a version of G5 without the controller and save a few bucks.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXYET5

$79.99

CGr