Look up "Capacity On Demand" or iCOD on the web. IBM did it with their main frames and it was rumored that DEC did it with VAX microcode. Hardware costs mouse nuts now so the value add has to be functionality or capacity. -----Original Message----- From: Mike Harrison Sent: Jun 13, 2005 11:51 AM To: PICLIST@MIT.EDU Subject: [EE]:HP 6000 scopes with crippleware.... Just been looking at the new HP 6000 series scopes. Very nice kit but something bugs me about the upgrade path.... The DSO6034A has 4 analogue channels and lists at $7229. The MSO60634A adds 16 digital channels and lists at $9029 However looking at the detail, the DSO version has all the hardware of the MSO version, but the functionality is disabled in the software. You can upgrade the DSO to the MSO for $1800, for which you get a cable and a licence code. OK, you may argue that you're getting additional functionality. But $1800 for a cable doesn't exactly give a warm happy feeling of having got good value.... At least the upgrade cost is the same as the price difference between the models. However if you look at the memory options, you see that when you buy either of these scopes, you are actually buying 8M of memory, however only 1M of it is enabled. To "Upgrade", you need to pay $495 or $995 to upgrade to 2 or 8M respectively. You have already bought 8M of memory but are being asked to pay $999 for permission to use hardware you already own.. (I see this as different to the MSO upgrade, as there is no additional software involved.) Maybe I'm just thinking in an old fashioned way but this strikes me as a bit of a rip-off.... Comments...? -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist