I'm really excited about what one can learn here. For instance that 'x.y digits' has not to do with log(counts) but with digits! That's super-mega-cool because 7 segment LEDs (plus drivers) are dirt-cheap, cheaper by order of magnitude than the "famous standard HP3458".
Exciting proposition: Just glue 3 4.5 digit cheapo-meters to each other and have a 12 digits DMM (modest version), resp. a 13.5 digit one (marketing version)! Yay!
Or that a 1.2 mio counts meter actually is a 2.4 mio counts meter because it has the 1.2 mio counts twice, once positive and once negative Yeah, yeah, I know, you still get only 6 digits plus an imaginary 0.5 but let's not be picky. After all *no* '8.5 digits' DMM, not a single one I know of, actually has 300 mio (and a bit) counts and, in fact, the "famous standard HP3458" doesn't even have half of what real 8.5 digits would require.
And before anyone dares to talk about precision and accuracy, let me clearly state that those are not important. It's all about resolution, linearity, and ... wait a second and let me have a look at the HPilentsight marketing blabla ...
Now, yes, yes, I'll admit it, the word 'measuring' has (or once had?) a clear and concise meaning, and yes, that meaning was not "crudely guesstimate", but still, remember it's all about [insert HPilentsight marketing blurb like 'linearity']!
Whut? Precision and accuracy, pardon, of course I mean 'uncertainty', are 6.5 digits only (on a good day) at best? True, yes, but still: I call that heresy!
And now if you'll excuse me, someone needs to add some display digits to a 5.5 digit multimeter. After all, we'll need no less than a 10.5 digits DMM to verify that 9.5 digits DMM once it exists!