Oh Keysight, please stick with the knobs and physical controls. In fact, the final thing that made Keysight win our last "what scope do we want buy" shootout was the separate knobs for each channel (and the MegaZoom instant response). We recently got a new function gen with the unified front panel you discussed and it's not the most loved instrument because the new front panel has eaten away the hard output on/off button (and the power supply makes whining noises when it's powered off) so please make wise choices about the front panels.
1000% agree with the knobs....
KEYSIGHT - PLEASE KEEP THE KNOBS!Why? (if it's not obvious) - Quick and intuitive changes of setting. If there is an operational parameter that I will change frequently, then I NEED to be able to do that quickly and easily. A two-step process is double the work it needs to be - and if you bury such a setting behind 3 or 4 button pushes, then it's that much more to do to actually change that parameter. Put a knob in front of me that only does that one thing - and I will be happy - because no matter how everything else is configured, if I want to change
that parameter, I can just go straight to the knob.
A function tree structure 10 wide and 10 deep may give you 100 discrete options - but you may have to traverse through up to 20 steps to find the one you're after ...
and that's assuming you know where to go to get to it. (The learning curve for that little exercise can be frustrating - but it is the sort of thing that will lock people into your product line ... if the interface is consistent, that is.)
For the proponents of the "clean look" front panel - don't go overboard. Sure, you can build a scope with a screen on one side and a MS "Knob" on the other and you can get it to do everything - but I won't be using it.
KEEP THE KNOBS