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Notification of what products are available via update vs. re-download?


Rob Ainscough

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I noticed in the "update" threads like this: 

 

there is no mention of whether or not a product is to be updated via the AS updater or via a re-download?

 

In addition, would like to request that updated version full version "current" installers be made available in our account download section ... especially of the older installers caused any issues.

 

And finally, PLEASE, PLEASE ... begging now ... provide some ability to search my downloads (I have a lot of them which I think is a good thing, no?)

 

And it's been a few years now, why do we still have two separate locations for downloading our purchased products?  I thought these were going to be combined eventually?

 

As it stands now, I'd rather go to SimMarket to buy Aerosoft products just because they provide a good search feature for my existing purchases.

 

I know I've requested this before and I got brushed off, fair enough ... but it's pushed me aware from purchasing from Aerosoft.

 

Cheers, Rob.

 

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Rob,

 

I'm sure Mathijs will weight in here, but until then...

 

I noticed in the "update" threads like this (link to Geneva Scenery Update), there is no mention of whether or not a product is to be updated via the AS updater or via a re-download?

 

If you'll start the AS Updater, you'll find that there is a notice that there is an update for the scenery in question.  Mathijs post was just another means to let people know as many people don't use the ASUpdater to check for updates.

 

In addition, would like to request that updated version full version "current" installers be made available in our account download section ... especially of the older installers caused any issues.

 

We do indeed to this, but not for each update.  Reason?  It's expensive and time consuming to create new installers and we do everything we possibly can to keep our prices low.  But we do in fact update installers from time to time, especially when there is a large/complex update.

 

And finally, PLEASE, PLEASE ... begging now ... provide some ability to search my downloads (I have a lot of them which I think is a good thing, no?)

 

Granted. Open your downloads in your shop account, select Control-F on your keyboard, and search for whatever you wish.  It will immediately find the download in the list.  Other than that, we are looking at the possibility of adding a search function, but we recently upgraded our backend software to a far more complex system so it's going to take some time to do.

 

And it's been a few years now, why do we still have two separate locations for downloading our purchased products?  I thought these were going to be combined eventually?

 

I've never heard that we were looking to do this, but that doesn't mean it's not on the drawing board or even in the pipeline, but remember that we have one the largest customer databases in all of flight sim and we've been around for well over 20 years, so that would take the movement and conversion of a rather incredible amount of data.  But nothing is impossible!

 

As it stands now, I'd rather go to SimMarket to buy Aerosoft products just because they provide a good search feature for my existing purchases.

 

Speaking on a personal basis as a friend of yours, I am indeed sorry to hear this. But if this is really and truly THAT big a deal for you, then you'll have to do what you have to do.  I do however believe that we provide the best value especially where service and support is involved.  But again, I'm very sorry you feel this way.

 

I know I've requested this before and I got brushed off, fair enough ... but it's pushed me aware from purchasing from Aerosoft.

 

I didn't see your other request for this, and I have no idea how long or short ago it was.  But I am sorry you felt brushed off by whomever answered your request, but I'm sure whomever it did so was honest with you.  I'd rather have someone speak to me honestly and sincerely even if it's not the answer I was hoping for.

 

Good things take time, and our entire team (developers, IT department, sales department and support department) are all working in overdrive preparing for the next big step in the flight sim community, so I think it's safe to that we have many improvements planned but given our existing workload they will take time.

 

Best wishes, and safe travels back from the UK.

 

 

Yours very truly,

 

Dave Hodges

Aerosoft

 

 

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  • Deputy Sheriffs
13 hours ago, DaveCT2003 said:

And finally, PLEASE, PLEASE ... begging now ... provide some ability to search my downloads (I have a lot of them which I think is a good thing, no?)

 

Granted. Open your downloads in your shop account, select Control-F on your keyboard, and search for whatever you wish.  It will immediately find the download in the list.  Other than that, we are looking at the possibility of adding a search function, but we recently upgraded our backend software to a far more complex system so it's going to take some time to do.

... or use the dropdownlist on top:

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Thanks for the response gents, but you're not really solving my issue to my satisfaction and was aware of the work-arounds. 

 

Ctrl + F doesn't work ... it will not search my list of purchases, only what's active on the page.  

 

Type sensitive dropDownList will quickly forget after about 2 keystrokes so if I type in "Ha" and pause for a fraction of second and then type "m", I don't get "Hamburg" I get "Madeira" ... it's a frustrating experience and as I pointed out doesn't show my "older download orders".  I get the feeling "older downloads orders" button is going to remain for years and never get combined into my actual full list of items I've bought ... how many years since the transitions, 2 years or more?

 

Other oddities like under "My account" there is a "Orders" and a "Instant Downloads" ... why both?   What would be more efficient and better for both myself and Aerosoft sales is an intelligent search so that if I type in "LPMA" (and I'm logged into my account), rather than bringing me to the "sales" page for Madeira with option to "Add to Cart" even though I've already purchased the product ... if found, it would bring me to my Product already purchased page, if not in my purchases, then bring me to the "sales" page for Madeira.

 

Please keep in mind, I'm trying to make this easier for me to want to buy from Aerosoft store and not go elsewhere ... I buy A LOT of products from Aerosoft.

 

Still in US Dave, long story, flight cancellations in Iceland and very poor support/rerouting, but will be back out in UK Feb 24-Mar 5.

 

Cheers, Rob.

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6 minutes ago, Rob Ainscough said:

Ctrl + F doesn't work ... it will not search my list of purchases, only what's active on the page.  

 

Not sure why, it works fine for me.  What I do under Downloads (not Old Downloads) is select "All" from the drop down box and then Control-F for my search.  As Otto mentioned, under Old Downloads it's merely a drop down box.  I can do a recording of this if it helps my friend.

 

The reason for both is that we moved to a new backend system a while back ago, so all orders that occurred on the new system are shown under Downlaod and anything that was ordered before the new system CURRENTLY shows up under the old downloads.  I have a meeting coming up with the Boss, and I'll check to see what the decision was regarding old orders (if we're moving them to the new system or what).

 

11 minutes ago, Rob Ainscough said:

Please keep in mind, I'm trying to make this easier for me to want to buy from Aerosoft store and not go elsewhere ... I buy A LOT of products from Aerosoft.

 

I hear you my friend, and we LOVE advice, especially from knowledable people like you!  Give me some time to get some answers and I'll get back with you.

12 minutes ago, Rob Ainscough said:

Still in US Dave, long story, flight cancellations in Iceland and very poor support/rerouting, but will be back out in UK Feb 24-Mar 5.

 

Back in my military days we lost an engine in between Iceland and the UK and raced to beat a blizzard while making out way to Kef.  We lost the race, had to do a radar guided precision approach to essentially the wrong runway due to the high cross wind and one of our 4 engines being out. Fun times.  It was the dead of winter and we couldn't leave, so I didn't get to see anything of Iceland, but I can say I've been there!  LOL!  When you get back airborne, safe travels my friend.

 

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  • Deputy Sheriffs
23 hours ago, DaveCT2003 said:

 

It was the dead of winter and we couldn't leave, so I didn't get to see anything of Iceland, but I can say I've been there!  LOL!  When you get back airborne, safe travels my friend.

 

My only time there (but hopefully not my last) was a short turn but in much more pleasant circumstances. When I was active as an FAA inspector in the Gulfstream, an operator in Cleveland wanted European operating authority from the FAA for a G-II and so needed what's called a proving flight to demonstrate to us they could safely operate it in the North Atlantic tracks with a different nav system than they previously demonstrated. Since they had already done a proving flight to Scotland in some lessor aircraft, we decided that if they could find Iceland, that would suffice instead of going all the way over and back. For a challenge, I tasked them to go into Reykjavik (BIKF) instead of Kef. Great trip, albeit with some adventure along the way, like the flaps freezing in the up position and requiring the whole runway and overrun to stop with max braking, landing 5 minutes after curfew and talking the tower out of a fine, and forgetting the AFM back at home plate and so faxing the whole thing to the hotel in BIKF. The weather was good, though, and the day we spent waiting for the AFM to be printed out on that slick fax paper everyone used to use gave us a chance to see the city. I asked for the faxes to be left on the many rolls instead of cut page by page to make it easier to find pages we needed. Paging through piles of that slick paper to find a particular page would have used another day. I and the other inspector on the trip were willing to wait, but the operator didn't want to. Pity.

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Wow, some great adventures around KEF and Iceland ... I wish I had at least been able to do the flight, sadly high winds cancelled the flight ... I guess they must have been really high winds as I understand it the Iceland Air pilots are pretty proficient in bad weather. 

 

Faxing an AFM ... isn't that like 1000's of pages?  Oye!

 

Cheers, Rob.

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  • Deputy Sheriffs

For something like the G-II, it sure was. It was the FO that forgot the AFM, so he got to babysit the fax machine in the hotel and scrounge up the fax paper while we checked out the sights. I heard he literally bought every roll in the city, which of course is also the capital, so created a temporarily shortage until more could be shipped in.

 

Anyway, back on topic. You've raised a great point here Rob. Sometimes you get so close to something that you don't think about the customer experience, especially for new folks. Thanks for raising this question.

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