I was going to post the same basic sentiment earlier. I have a lab full of
"future proof" instruments that are now obsolete. Not worthless, but also
no longer supported by the manufacturer.

The sales and marketing guys will always play up the "future proof" aspect
of their toys but the reality is they have no clue whether the company will
actually support or extend that product. Past performance of a company
isn't all that great a predictor anymore either.

I always tell those who ask my advice about technology based instruments
(test equipment, computers, etc.) to just buy the very best you can afford
right now that meets all your current needs.

Matt Pobursky
Maximum Performance Systems

On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 11:28:33 +0100, Alan B. Pearce wrote:
>>> $30k is plenty enough for any serious 32 bit logic analyser. For an
>>> ARM9, 1Gsps is more than enough. For the faster FPGA on the market
>>> must be a better one.
>>>
>>
>> It is not so easy to be future proof. The FPGA side is a concern.
>>
> My experience is that you cannot future proof your instruments. I have
> seen it so many times with PROM programmers - "this instrument is
> software upgradable to future proof against upcoming products, the only
> programmer you will ever need"  -oh yeah, within a couple of years you
> cannot get upgrades because things have gone ways they didn't expect, or
> new technologies have come out the they cannot handle ...
>
> The same thing happens with logic analyzers and micro development
> systems. Anyone still using an HP 64000 system? They were designed to be
> the alpha and omega of development systems, but I don't know that they
> got past 8086 and 68k systems.
>
> The same seem to go with all other instruments. Even though you are
> spending $30k, it needs to be written off over about 3 years, as by then
> it will no longer be state of the art, just ordinary performance for an
> instrument in its class.
>
> All you can do is purchase against current testing requirements
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