bry14661

just curious if i should purchase the G4 now or if there is something better coming very soon. PRIMARY use is helis but i love everything else it has for planes and the weird ****. anybody have the inside info? and if its good to get the G4 is there anyplace selling it for cheaper?

krayzc-RCU

My Feedback: (31)

yeah it coming life is not about waiting get G-4

da Rock

Whenever G5 gets here, G4 will still work.

Guys are still using G2, aren't they? And G3. And G3.5.

I'm still driving my car and there has been a new version sold every year since I bought it. It still hauls butt with it's 260hp, and still gets 30mpg if I don't ask it to haul butt. And for sure, if I was walking now, I'd buy a car. The best I could afford. And one that's fun to drive. You don't have a sim? You walkin' too?

When they start advertising G5, THEN it'd be time to worry about it.

The Hedgehog

I think you have a couple years, go for it

(ahem look into phoenix too, better heli sim cough) I have both, but either is great.

VictoryRoll

My Feedback: (2)

The thing is, Bry14661, why would you wait? Do you want to use a sim, now? Or do you want to sit and wait to use one? Seems kinda like "Put something off til tomorrow??" mentality. Why not just get the latest an greatest and live with that and don't fret about whether a r/c sim. is going to be outdated in a year or so.. Seems life has more important questions and problems than sim software being outdated.

Just take the plunge and use it... it has helped me tremebdously in many areas that I would not have expected.

Hope that helps!??

Don

johndou

Well, based on the history of RealFlight I'd expect to see G5 by Christmas time this year.

They released G2 in 2000, then G3 in 2004 (4 years between version upgrades); then in 2006 G3.5 was released as a free ungrade (2 years between version upgrades!); less then a year later in 2007 they released G4 (less then 1 year between version upgrades!!).

So, based on that history, and assuming that RealFlight has been selling just as fast and hot as they can produce it (based on KnifeEdge's, Tower Hobbies and RealFlight's comments), I see no reason NOT to expect another upgrade to come out for the Christmas rush.

But, then again assuming that sales have not been as stellar as they've been reporting (which is why they're releasing the Add-Ons for free) it could be awhile before we see another version upgrade ... It just all depends on whether or not RealFlight (GreatPlanes) thinks they can make more money by releasing a new version upgrade or not.

Personally, I think they released G4 too soon and shot themselves in the foot, and sales have been poor (contrary to what they've reported). So, I don't think they'll be doing that again. But, I've been known to be wrong before and as you can see based on their version release history I'm probably wrong this time too.

In either case - buying RealFlight is a gamble. You could easily be excluded from any future Expansion Packs or upgrades by not having the latest version. Like all of the owners of G2 faced when G3.0 was released - and all of the owners of G3.5 are facing now. No more new Expansion Packs will be available, it hasn't been upgraded since the release of G4 and it still has bugs and issues. When they release new versions every year why would you want to buy that kind of problem?

mydartswinger

What's to say they won't do what they did with G3 and bring in a G4.5 as well? If that is the case, it will likely be a free update for G4 users, the same as G3.5 was for G3 users. Also, if this is the case, that will put off G5 by about another year or so based on their previous record.

If you're not concerned about expansion packs, you'll be fine going for G4. I have G3.5, and when I had an issue with graphics about 2 months or so ago (after G4 release), they had no problem sending me a free copy of G3.5 (I bought it as G3.5, came to me as G3, sent me the G3.5 discs). Support is still there for G3.5 users, so I would expect that support will be there for G4 users when G4.5 or G5 does come out.

If expansions are your thing, you'll still be OK with G4, as Knife Edge (developers of RealFlight) forums have a swap page section for users to create and upload their own aircraft to be downloaded for free. G3.5 "Swaps" are still active with new aircraft, so I would expect the same for users of G4 when G4.5 or G5 comes out.

Hope this helps.

flyX

You're not limited to just waiting for someone to upload a scenery.
You can import pano up the wazoo or create your own sceneries.
RF has the most user friendly as for as sceneries set up or creations.
Maybe the G5 will have eaier model creation funtions...that should cuz a few clitches.lol
This way you don't need to have a PHD in PC graphics or animation to create a model.

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

If I were to get a copy of G4, does anyone know if my Interlink controller (I bought it for use with my G2) would work on that, or do I need to get another controller...

I know that I can use a 'real' tx, but don't want to go that way..

Thanks,

Bob

da Rock

G4 comes with a controller. It's also an adapter so that you can use your RC TX with the sim. The RealFlight sims work only with their supplied Interlink controllers. It's their software copyright protection.

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

OK, so you're saying that I have to buy the controller regardless, because there is no way to buy G4 without a controller...

I'll stick with G2 then... from my estimation, it would cost me about about $380 to buy the software and the 5 upgrade disks....

Thanks for the input.

Bob

johndou

By "upgrade disks" can I assume you're talking about the Add-Ons (for G2)? If so, KnifeEdge (the software developer for RealFlight) is converting those for use with G4 and releasing them to G4 owners for free. So far they've released Add-Ons 1, 2 and 3.

If by "upgrade disks" you're referring to the Expansion Packs, then yes, they will cost you an additional $29.99 each ($32.99 if you buy them from Tower Hobbies).

As far as "upgrades" they're also free. Just visit the KnifeEdge site to upgrade your Software to the latest version - G4 has been upgraded 5 times since it's release - 4.00.037; 4.00.044; 4.00.051; 4.00.052 and 4.00.054. Upon registration of your software it is upgraded to the latest version. But, you should check in with the KnifeEdge site every once in awhile to upgrade your software after the initial registration.

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

Thanks!! I downloaded the demo, but it would only let me play the Simulator using the keyboard. It wouldn't recognize my Interlink controller...

OK, on another note, has anyone made any use of some function that was supposedly built into G3 and G4 where you can take a 360 degree panorama of your field and import it into RealFlight? What is your opinion of it?

Bob