Questions for Peter Dowson

[Ron Gass]

Peter,

I am very interested in obtaining your program "FSUIPC". I notice it cost $20.00 "without VAT". What does this mean? I wish to keep my cost to a minimum, as I live in Canada and the currency conversion is quite significant.

I am also concerned about how long you intend to keep the program compatible with future versions of flight simulator. I do not wish to purchase the program if it's not going to be of use to me in two years (when I figure FS2006 might come out).

My homemade cockpit is nowhere near completion. I wish to install your program on my home computer, as well as my cockpit's computer. Is there anything that prevents me from installing your software on two different computers? Do I really need to buy the program twice?

Thank you!

Ron Gass

[Pete Dowson]

I notice it cost $20.00 "without VAT". What does this mean?

I think it says 20 Euros, not Dollars. VAT is the "Value Added Tax" compulsory for EEC purchasers -- it varies from country to country in the EEC but I think because SimMarket is based in Germany it will be the German rate of 16%.

I wish to keep my cost to a minimum, as I live in Canada and the currency conversion is quite significant.

You won't be liable to VAT then, as Canada is not in the EEC and I don't think it even has an application in, like so many others currently do! :)

These queries would be better addressed to http://www.simmarket.com who deal with all this stuff. I am concerned with programming and technical support.

I am also concerned about how long you intend to keep the program compatible with future versions of flight simulator. I do not wish to purchase the program if it's not going to be of use to me in two years (when I figure FS2006 might come out).

Do NOT buy it then. There is no way I am going to be committed to making an FS2006 version after all the pain I went through for this one. And in any case, even if I do make one I would not expect to give away the FS2006 version just because you paid 20Euros for this. Are you getting a free copy of FS2006 when it comes out? If it does comes about I would expect FSUIPC version 4 to be priced similarly to the current one, plus inflation.

My homemade cockpit is nowhere near completion. I wish to install your program on my home computer, as well as my cockpit's computer. Is there anything that prevents me from installing your software on two different computers? Do I really need to buy the program twice?

No, I do not agree with that sort of restriction. The license is yours, not your computer's. You can use it on as many computers as you like -- not that it is relevant now we know you won't be buying it in any case, eh? :wink:

Regards,

Pete

[Ron Gass]

Peter, I found your reply to have a rather unfriendly tone. I suggest you read over your words carefully and think of ways you could sound more "customer friendly".

I'm sure your program is very special. Good luck with it.

Ron Gass

[Pete Dowson]

Peter, I found your reply to have a rather unfriendly tone. I suggest you read over your words carefully and think of ways you could sound more "customer friendly".

I'm sorry if you felt that way. Would you rather I lied to you and promised things I may not be able or want to deliver? I was just being honest and straight-forward, stating things as they are. If you consider that unfriendly perhaps you prefer salesmen to technicians? If so, this most certainly isn't the place, sorry.

Oh, and you aren't a customer anyway, are you? Not even potentially :)

Regards,

Pete

[Nortie]

Would you rather I lied to you and promised things I may not be able or want to deliver?

pay special attention to the "want", seems to me that with a comment like that your in this for yourself and whatever ya can get out of the flightsim comunity. Sorry but like you..just telling it like I see it

Oh, and you aren't a customer anyway, are you? Not even potentially

Maybe he's not a customer and even if he was I bet he isn't now. He's not the ONLY person that reads this forum though and I would suspect the arrogance and attiude you have started to show will turn more then just one off doing buisness with you. Customer Service Pete..its the name of the game.

If you consider that unfriendly perhaps you prefer salesmen to technicians?

Ya seem to want to make $$ of this as ya took it from freeware to payware so hang-up the tech hat and put on the learning hat and maybe take a sales course to learn how to effectivley deal with customers. Word of mouth advertising can either bury ya are make ya succed and we all know that word travels FAST in the FS community.

In closing Pete I'm sure you re getting tired of ppl complaining that ya took a very needed freeware addon AFTER we had all become dependant on it and made it payware. But thats part of doing Buisness the way you have Pete take the good with the bad. But being a buisness man myself I also know that arrogance and attitude will cost ya. Remember the old saying Pete, "Treat others like you yourself would expect to be treated."

[Pete Dowson]

pay special attention to the "want", seems to me that with a comment like that your in this for yourself and whatever ya can get out of the flightsim comunity. Sorry but like you..just telling it like I see it

Well you may think that, and you are of course entitled to your opinion, but you apparently don't know much about my history in the field, nor have you looked at the extent of my contribution over the last 10 years or more.

Out of all that, I have only started earning a little in the last six months, yet in that time I have suffered tremendous abuse because of it. It has been the worst time of my life. It is this which makes me think I may not "want" toapart from the sheer time involved and the total lack of cooperation from Microsoft. In the 6 months Beta period from February to July 2003, the FS2004 release date, I spent at least 2000 hours on FSUIPC alone, and probably nearer 3000 altogether. Even since FS2004 release it has been a full time job. I would dearly like a life as well, and it would be nice to actually fly the simulator occasionally in other than brief test modes.

Ya seem to want to make $$ of this as ya took it from freeware to payware the addon is made so hangup the tech hat and put on the learning hat and maybe take a sales course to learn how to effectivley deal with customers. Word of mouth advertising can either bury ya are make ya succed and we all know that word travels FAST in the FS community.

I don't want any advertising, thank you, and I only wanted to earn enough to allow me to actually continue after my other sources of income dried up suddenly. I can chuck all this in and earn money other ways, and I must say that it is tempting to do that with such attacks as yours starting up again. :cry:

In closing Pete I'm sure you re getting tired of ppl complaining that ya took a very needed freeware addon AFTER we had all become dependant on it and made it payware.

That is plainly not true, as you really ought to know. The main function of FSUIPC, as an interface for applications, is still free for freeware programs, and in that sense it is in EXACTLY the same boat as its predecessor FS6IPC was -- Adam allowed free use for freeware and charged commercial developers a license, just as I do. The USER license for FSUIPC is just for the extra user facilities which in no way can be considered essential and which certainly weren't supplied by FS6IPC.

Please get your facts right before trying to be nasty and unfriendly.

Thanks,

Pete

[Nortie]

That is plain nonsense as you ought to know. The main function of FSUIPC, as an interface for applications, is still free for freeware programs, and in that sense it is in EXACTLY the same boat as its predecessor FS6IPC was

If thats the case why can't lock and unlock my panel windows as I use to do before..or why can't I map my controls for reverse thrust as I did before...I don't see how either of those two properties of your program are dependant on other payware addon's.

Well you may think that, and you are of course entitled to you opinion, but you apparently don't know much about my history in the field, nor have you looked at the extent of my contribution over the last 10 years or more.

Again ya asuume Pete and ya know what that does. I have been around the flightsim scene at least as long as you and I think you also need to get YOUR facts straight 'fore ya make comments I know your contruibuion and am not trying to belittle that what I'm saying is lose the attitude we don't need it and ya don't need the crap that comes with it. If your gonna be in a buisness as ya are then ya gotta expect the good with the bad. I see you mention ya make very little..Imagine how much ya could make if ya where polite and respectful to ALL ppl..as anyone who uses FS is a potential customer for you.

Out of all that, I have only started earning a little in the last six months, yet in that time I have suffered tremendous abuse because of it.

You expected something different, ya take, as I said, an addon we in the community have used for quite awhile now and start charging for it...I mean really Pete ya seem like a very smart and mature person, I can't beleive ya expected different. Ya make it so we depend on it that we can't use most pay addon's without it and then ya start charging us for it.. come on Pete ya gotta expect ppl are going to respond to that and not always in agreement with you.

Please get your facts right before trying to be so nastly and unfriendly

I don't see any errorious facts as most is opinion...but Pete ya make $$ off both ends.. the addon producer who ya charge to connect to your little dll and the FS user to have full use of it as well.

Nasty? Unfriendly ? Well now isn't that the pot calling the kettle black...some advise.. get off your high horse and act with some respect Pete.. don't bite the hand that ya want to feed you..that being the Flightsim Community. Stop with the "woo is me" so ya have had a tough time since ya made your Modules Payware get over it..and STOP taking it out on everyone. maybe another old saying might lend you some help " Can't stand the heat stay outta the kitchen" or in a buisness sence., "If ya can't run with the big dog's maybe ya need to stay on the porch" In essence buisness is buisness and ya made that choice when ya took this module and started charging for it. Either do buisness or don't but ya can't have it both ways.

Your product isn't unreplaceable..

If I did buisness like you I wouldn't have one..something maybe for you to think about. You say that you don't make much..maybe its your lack of respect for the customers in your potential market for your product that is holding you back.

[tuomas]

Free software is a great thing. But the decision to make something free or even share the sourcecode etc are completely the decision of the author.

If you want a free software solution for your simulation needs, please join the FlightGear project (http://www.flightgear.org) and contribute, they have a completely free, open source flight simulator that is progressing pretty nicely. And they are happy to have your help. There is no big budget to pay the people, they do it from the love into aviation and programming.

But basically this is an issue with anything that becomes very very popular like FSUIPC, or Squawkbox 3 for example (even before the release ) - the author notices an ever increasing demand for the support and feature requests etc. Which is great of course, I bet most software authors enjoy seeing their code being widely used. But the enthusiastic user group has grown, a lot of "clueless" users joined, needing more spoon-feeding to get their stuff working, more feature requests, more bug reports, more this and more that. It takes *time*, unbelieveable amounts of time. Pete was (and probably still is) doing FSUIPC fulltime. Would you do your job for free?

While it is good to have free software I am in no position to tell anyone what they do wiht their code and time. Whatever I write myself is on my control. I think FSUIPC is worth its price - I remember paying for FS2004 as well. The home cockpit stuff is costing a lot more anyway, the 20 euros goes fast when you need a sheet of plywood..

Of course I am hoping there is something to support FS2006 or whatever when time comes for that, but heck. I am building a simulator myself. If needed, I will be running FS2004 on it until there is something that interfaces the hardware to the sofrware. There's always FS2002 + the free FSUIPC to use. For the home cockpit, especially for IFR training and such the scenery is just extra eyecandy anyway.

I just wanted to tell Pete that whatever you want to put into FSUIPC we appreciate it a lot. It has been such an incredible piece of software, making stuff like this possible:

Tuomas

[Pete Dowson]

If thats the case why can't lock and unlock my panel windows as I use to do before..or why can't I map my controls for reverse thrust as I did before...I don't see how either of those two properties of your program are dependant on other addon's.

They are additional user facilities provided by FSUIPC over and above the original freeware purpose of FS6IPC, and neither are in any way essential.

what I'm saying is lose the attitude we don't need it and ya don't need the crap that comes with it. If your gonna be in a buisness as ya are then ya gotta expect the good with the bad.

It is attitudes like yours I'd dearly like to lose, but they are following me even now it seems. I'm sorry, but you don't need to read my replies. I try to keep them factual but you don't like the facts, so I'm sorry, but you'll need to go elsewhere.

I see you mention ya make very little

I did not actually say that, you are misreading things. It's a "little" considering how much work over how much time. Check the context.

I can't beleive ya expected different.

Yes, indeed, I'm a fool. I'm afraid that I did have too much faith and respect for the Flight Sim community. If I'd had known how it was going to turn out I would probably have not started on FSUIPC 3 back in February 2003. I should have realised how base human behaviour so affects the folks I believed in when the voluntary contribution scheme I set up to try to finance my way to FSUIPC release flopped so dismally.

Your product isn't unreplaceable.

Good! I really am looking forward to the day when I can stop developing it. I am looking forward to being able to spend some time flying, and maybe also get on with my model railway as I've been promising myself for several years. This was supposed to be a hobby. I didn't want it to be a business and I still don't want it to be. When I get my full pension started, probably April 2005, then I will have the option.

Anyway, enough is enough. This forum is for technical support. If you want to send me more personal comments please use the private channels so I can delete them. I don't like deleting things here at all, it smacks of censorship which I hate.

Regards,

Pete

[Frank.O]

Pete,

I just want to say: Don't let that bring you down.

I'm not english so I may have missed something but I even didn't see what made the author of this thread think youn were unfriendly. I my opinion there was no such attitude in your reply. I have contacted you several times over the years, also by email before this forum existed, to seek some advice for my problems and I always received a friendly and helpful answer within a very short time.

When you decided to make FSUIPC payware I well understood your reasons for doing so and I also know that you tried hard to avoid going payware.

Keep up your work as long as you can (I would be very happy if there were versions of FSUIPC and PFC for FS10, and I would sureley buy them) but if sometime you have had enough of that all I can understand that as well.

Friendly regards,

Frank

[Nortie]

so be it..I consider myself censored I mean why reply in an adult way when ya have the power to stifle your critics

Good Show Pete..nice to see the REAL you.

[Pete Dowson]

so be it..I consider myself censored I mean why reply in an adult way when ya have the power to stifle your critics

You didn't read what I said. I said I would not delete anything here. I hate censorship. I just don't think it is appropriate to continue. You are evidently entrnched in your views and I don't see any point in extending this futile exchange, that's all. It helps no one and just wastes time.

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

I'm not english so I may have missed something but I even didn't see what made the author of this thread think youn were unfriendly. I my opinion there was no such attitude in your reply.

Nor do I, but I think folks who write to me or about me in this way have fixed ideas about all this in the first place, so they read things into it which aren't really there. I think this came out in some of the later comments the gentleman made.

I should be immune by now after all I went through in the early days of FS2004, but I'm not it seems. It is still very upsetting, and effectively turns me off further development for a while. It is a good job I am going on holiday soon, hopefully I'll come back with renewed enthusiasm! :)

Incidentally, I myself have a lot invested in FSUIPC and the other things I make -- my own cockpit endeavours would also be useless without them. So unless FS2006 is a turkey there would still be some strong motivation for producing updates for FS2006 and so on, as they are needed. It's just that I don't want it to be a commitment. I don't want to make promises which may not be fulfilled, for whatever the reason.

The same flexibility applies to the commercial side. Maybe FSUIPC 4, if and when it exists, will be free to existing subscribers, maybe it won't, maybe there'll be a discount, maybe it will be complete freeware again. It would be nice if I can afford the latter -- and that probably depends upon how my pension arrangements pan out next year. But taking my pension so early (I will be 62 when FS2006 is released) makes that a little doubtful. Whatever, I don't think I should try to "sell" FSUIPC to anyone with promises of a llifetime extending into FS2006 or beyond, and I think it just a little unreasonable of prospective customers wanting to make this a condition of sale.

As others have said, there are alternative interfaces being produced and no doubt those will improve with time, so they'll help alleviate the pressure. If I can fit in time to do FS2006 versions and fly and indulge in other hobbies and family matters, I will be happy about it.

Thanks very much for your support!

Best regards,

Pete

[Highvolt]

Your product isn't unreplaceable.. .

Yeah Right.. you probably think about the product from flightdecksoftware, right ? Well, think again. All it is, is some advanced gauge, that let you read some tokenvariables. Check the source too, it's opensource now.

Sure, everyone and everything is replaceble. Are you going to write fsuipc ? Are you going to find a guy who wants to spend 8 hours a day for at least 6 months to write a FREE software package ? Because FSUIPC is FREE for all noncommercial programs that wants to interface with it.

If some gauge doesnt work, point the finger at the author of the gauge, not on Pete!

I paid for his software, and i get some pretty good support for it. And with support, i dont mean the newbie - "i can't get this xxx program to work questions" (that are probably already answered if you dig in the forums.) I mean questions for programmers who are actually using the SDK's

Hell, if he tripples his price, i wouldnt even care. The man answers my questions 5 minutes after i posted them on the forum,.. at 2am at night !!

So to all you fagets who think he's a little 'rude', F*** OFF !

(sorry to censor that one pete, i know you don't like it :lol: )

Kind Regards,

Wim

[RichD]

Excuse me but, there is nothing wrong with somebody trying to make a $/£ here and there, after all, we all have to live.

Ok Pete isn't at the for front of tech support, and like the man said, he spend's more time on FSUIPC than he would like, but come on. There are professional add-ons about where the tech support is nothing but a piss take. (Sorry monitors) And that includeds Microsoft. Notice no updates for FS2k2 and probably the same for FS9. But do you contact them and complain? Most just accept it and buy the latest version.

Atleast Pete takes the time out to reply to questions put to him. In all his replies, he has maintained a high standard and been polite, including this post and I raise my hat to him, as there have been some really difficult customers.

Basically, if you don't want to buy/download his FSUIPC then don't, after all, Microsoft say its as real as it get, so you shouldn't have any problems?

[scotsflyer]

I experienced a hard drive crash; how do I reinstall FSUIPC4 with out cost?? Thanks

[zswobbie1]

Hi Pete,

With distress, I read what is being posted here.

You are a saint to put up with the abuse here.

On behalf of all of us that support you & how you have contributed to this amazing hobby of ours, with your time, effort & putting up with those that dont really bother to read your documentation, that is probably the best in the industry, I apologise for all that has been going on to 'knock' you & your product.

 

Thank you for giving (well, offering) the most essential add-on to any of the sims, the time & effort you take to keep it updated, your 'ear' to what your supporters/customers chat about & the patience for those that actually READ the manuals.

 

Kind Regards,

Robin

[peterk54]

Dear Pete

Dear All

 

I'm really sorry to just overfly after some messages the topic.

I was a publisher for FS as well. We stopped because of these discussions. And so far, I do not know anybody becoming really rich selling FS-addons.

 

Pete, your piece of software does allow thousands of simmers to have even more fun then with the low priced basic programm.

Congratulations ! Stop arguing, the never will understand your points, and please don't stop because of such threads...

 

Where the hell went any manners and respect these days ? 

Why it is smart today to try pay nothing for somebody else's labour ?

And what is so trendy by hitting some keystrokes from far away and shit on somebody ? Appreciation of others and others efforts  ...

I'm wondering that not a selfie is attached ...

 

20 CD for a hobby, come on, please ! 

 

Best regards

Peter

[pschlute]

I am sure Pete has forgotten all about these "knocking" posts in the intervening 11 years !!

[mgh]

Pete

I admire your restaint in dealing with people who don't how to make a foreign purchase, and also foolish expect any supplier will still be in business in 2 years time in this climate

(incidentally, since 1 January 2015 in the EU VAT is based on the customers country and not that of the seller  for telecommunications, broadcasting & electronic services - including downloads.)
 

[gfd]

Hey Ron,

 

FYI...when you purchase from simmarket, you will get the VAT exempt price. It will be calculated at checkout time. You'll pay about 30 bucks.

 

Re FSUIPC, it will be one of the most inexpensive and comprehensive addons you will buy. I find it indispensable. I have used it now for ~3 years. Over that time it has been updated at least 8 times at no additional expense to me. If the program has to be rewritten to support some new simulator, then that's not too bad. Perhaps there will be an upgrade price. Even if not, you could save the cost of the software by forgoing your Tim Horton's coffee for a week, eh? :)

 

Peter Dowson has been at this a long time. I've had my ears boxed a couple of times. As a fellow Canadian, I can tell you that there is no intent to harm on Dowson's part. He just tells it like it is. There are very few places you will go and find almost immediate response to your queries, as you would here.

 

I am not an FSUIPC/Dowson fan boy. I am giving you my take.

 

Graham

[Ian P]

As Peter pointed out a few posts ago... This thread is almost 11 years old. ;)

 

Ian P.

[Claude Troncy]

Lost in translation... if only it were possible ... :)

Bonne Année to everybody.

 

Best regards

Claude

[vbegin7]

Hello,

Pete im Vince and i had a question about the modules within FSX since i have created a program i have wondered how to add the instance or program under my "Addons" within FSX if you could help me with this it would be much appreciated.

 

Sincerely,

Vince B.

[Pete Dowson]

You need to refer to the SimConnect documentation in the FSX SDK.

 

Pete