*On my soapbox*
Waste of time for me to reply to you on this, but you don't have any clue what you are talking about. R&S has been in business longer than any of the brands you mention above, even HP. The RTB2000 is a R&S product through and through - using R&S designed ASICs, new SW, etc. Is the Hameg team involved? Yep. But they made great scopes before and now they have the full benefit of the R&S legacy to work with (not to mention groups from both teams worked on this, including people that have designed some of the highest performing RF gear in the world).
And to your point about Rigol/Siglent/GW/Hantek/whomever - I have no problems with them. But they aren't innovators. You might complain that we (Tek/Keysight/LeCroy/R&S) charge a lot for our options, but that helps to fund true product innovation. R&S was the first company to bring 1M wfms/s to market, the first with a digital trigger, the first with a reasonably priced 10-bit ADC, the first with graticule markings, etc, etc. I could go on and on for Tek/Keysight/LeCroy too. All have had many firsts (where you do you think your serial decode and triggering came from - not the "B Brands"). Eventually those things may be copied by the "B Brands" and people will benefit when they buy them at cheap prices. But don't confuse copying with true product innovation (and I'll admit - price engineering is an innovation, but it would be a sad day if that was the only place people innovated - you'd never see anything new).
So keep trolling the Tek/Keysight/LeCroy/R&S threads
*Off my soapbox.*
-Rich
Rich,
I appreciate your candor, although I'm sure many will find it arrogant.... But it does show exactly what I have problem with: apparently there exist premium brands club that seems to think they are above the market rules.... You seem to confuse certain terms, and also what you are talking about... Big brands are comparing products between themselves, position them on market, and do all kinds of strategic things in their fight for market position... So some of the thinking seeps into vocabulary of people that should deal with customers... And there is a complete disconnect...
And since you were honest so will I be.. And blunt, maybe...
Customers don't care what do you think, and how great you think your equipment is... In one hand they have a list of specs that instrument should be able to do for them to do their job. In other hand they have small paper with budget. They also have certain expectations for support structure. If they find instrument that fills the need for half the price, they will go for it.
B- brands are eating into your market from lover end... And slowly getting better and better.. For many people they might just be good enough, for simple things they do..
Not everybody does signal integrity checks on USB3 bus.. And RTB series is not for that market either..
Your company actually own the brand that was ONLY high quality affordable alternative to them (HAMEG) and then you increased prices...
Which is OK, it is corporate decision to work on higher profit products.. That is fine, it's company's prerogative..
But then you go off the cliff with whining about glorious past, and innovation, and how customers disrespect you comparing your products with others you consider unworthy...
Yeah, tough luck... We don't care...
It goes like this:
1. There were many great companies that went bust because they did mistakes.. They were well respected but they misread market and didn't sell enough. They don't exist anymore and nobody cares.. Welcome to capitalism.
2. Innovation... LOL, I love when marketing goes crazy with a phrase and think that it means something to us... Quick explanation: It is called R&D, research and development of new products that are hopefully better or somehow more desirable than products from competition..
It is not something that makes you special. It is normal part of how market works (again, capitalism) and it is COST OF BUSINESS. YOUR cost of business.
3. If somebody stole your trade secrets, patents etc, by all means sue them. That's stealing.
Whining " we were the first to do this and that.." is just pathetic. Well, you're not anymore.. And aren't you ashamed that you're making Mixed signal scope... Because that innovation came from HP if I remember right, not R&S or HAMEG.. In that regard you're same as chinese brands..
But wait, you didn't steal from HP. Your company "got inspiration" from their idea, and developed their own platform, with lot of hard work... And did fantastic, commendable job.
And nobody said that Hameg "stole the idea". They were ecstatic they will be able to afford great instrument..
If Chinese companies stole your code that's stealing. But if they "got inspired" by your products, and then did their own honest R/D work, and made a product based on their own hard work, you can't complain. It it is what all companies do. It is what your company does. Unless it is ok for German or USA company to do so, only Chinese can't do it....
Double standards ??
Again I have great respect for your company, I own Hameg equipment, and would like to be able to own more... But it's not very likely with current pricing policy, sorry..
Best regards,
Sinisa