Now that X-Plane 10 has been out for almost a month and seven “beta” releases have been distributed, I thought it would be a great time to take another look at X-Plane 10. In this multi-part series, I will share further thoughts on X-Plane 10:
- Part 1: Laminar Research Delivers a Sour Taste
- Quick tips on Getting Started with X-Plane 10, both configuration and rendering options
- The revised experience: I’ll share some screenshots and further discuss whether X-Plane is worth it after spending more time with the software on multiple platforms.
So without further ado (do you guys really read this?), Part 1:
Laminar Research Delivers a Sour Taste
In my previous post on XP 10, Initial Thoughts on X-Plane 10, I discussed how much of a nightmare the release was and how frustrating adjusting setttings could be. I ended the post by suggesting that those of us with older systems stick with X-Plane 9.7 and kept to my “do not buy” recommendation.
This post also became a place for many readers to share their experiences with X-Plane 10. It quickly became clear that I was not alone in my conclusions and many of you struggled with X-Plane 10 as well. There was some harsh criticism for Laminar Research, referring to their recent as “disappointing”.
I would like to note that to date, no one from Laminar Research has bothered to address these comments on this blog. In addition, I personally have sent three emails to Laminar Research requesting further comments. None of my inquiries have been returned. Shame…
Its Beta software!
X-Plane 10 is really beta software. Maybe I missed a memo to their consumers, but with all the hype around how great X-Plane 10 was going to be, someone forgot to stick the “beta” label on it in a place consumers can read. The X-Plane 10 release represents the worst software release in years, with so many bugs and a confusing installation (can’t use the installer on the DVD!), Laminar Research jumped the gun. Nothing says it better than pointing the seven “fixes” released since its debut. That is almost two per week!
Mac Users Beware
X-Plane 10 is not optimized for Mac. The explanation that I received on Facebook was that Macs are not optimized for gaming and this isn’t an X-Plane 10 issue, but an Apple issue. Even still, Laminar Research could have stepped up and pointed out the performance variance a little more black and white.
$80 is a rip-off!
Its $80 for crappy, beta software. While I recognize that Laminar Research has a lot of time resources invested, $80 is steep, especially for software that wouldn’t run out of the box (you must download a new installer from their website).
So, for $80, what am I getting? The latest in graphic rendering, improved ATC (?), and a few extra planes that can only on “high end” systems. The only thing is keeping me from filing a charge back with credit card company (fraud would be my reason for doing so), is that I personally jumped the gun when I ordered it even before downloading the buggy web demo.
Conclusion
Sadly, Laminar Research has left a very sour taste in my mouth from mis-leading marketing to a scalping cost for buggy, poorly checked software. From what others have said, I am not the only one. As a customer experience advocate, I proudly give Laminar Research an “F”.
My message to Austin and the rest of Laminar Research: “You boys are playing in the big league now, releasing buggy software and ignoring your customers isn’t going to get you market share. Stop and think about who is really paying your paychecks. Smart business is about the customer.”
Coming up in part 2, some quick tips on getting started with X-Plane 10, including how to get “decent” frame rates on older systems and how to configure your joystick.
Uh… This must be the most useles pice of c**** I’ve read in a long time… I can fully understand why LR do not respnd to your e-mails. Try to be a bit constructive and you might get some where. Thank google for letting me read more balanced (and actual) reviews! Also, I do really enjoy flying X-plane 10
Thank you for your comment and sharing your view. Glad that you enjoy X-Plane 10. It certainly has some awesome features if you run it on the right system and configuration.
As for constructive, that comes in part 2.
Cheers!
Your review is dead-on. I had high hopes for XP-10, but this is a seriously flawed piece of software. I’ve been struggling for 2 days to configure my Saitek yoke and I’m about ready to give up. Settings are randomly lost and the software takes an eternity to restart between crashes. Buyer beware, any positive reviews you read are suspect. XP-10 is not ready for primetime.
I downloaded the demo the other day of XP 10 and I’m not impressed. The constant crashing when trying to go into rendering menu, and trying to configure something basic like panning with my joystick hat, which should be default joystick setup is a pain. Based on their demo I will not be purchasing Xplane until it’s a more polished bit of software. It’s a shame because as a simulator it looks really good, but the bugs and poor menu setup lets it right down; it just annoys me too much any I can’t be bothered with it any more.
I like the software, don’t get me wrong it has some problems but with all the different machines out there all software is Beta. I still cannot get a good frame rate and I have a Quad Processor and a very high end graphics card. My hope is they will work out the kinks soon. I was an avid MSFS and they dropped the Sim all together so I am here for the long haul.
Great write-up and dead on. For me to run XPlane 10…I’d have to buy a whole new system. Tried to run the demo…what a waste of time. I’d stick with 9.7
Thanks for exposing what is almost censored by XP fundamentalists on the .ORG forum
I just downloaded the demo from the x-plane site and have never played a more buggy piece of software ever… I know it states that it’s a Beta release, but wtf!
For instance
My Saitek X52 Hotas which works perfectly on MSFSX is all over the place here. Assigning some of the sliders on the throttle to elevator and aileron trim results in some spectacular nose dives and blackout inducing climbs when making minor adjustments. The ’3D’ panel graphics are laughable and in some cases still have the x-plane 9 logo on the control column.
At one point I tried a night flight and on the runway ahead of me was a large aircraft doing some kind of dance, spinning and rotating all over the place..
Graphically, there is no comparison to FSX even with the rendering set to maximum. I liked the look of the demo videos, especially the traffic at night, but after wasting hours with the demo I doubt if I will be buying this release.