Thanks for your thought. I didn't know the poll was still open and forgot to set and expiration date, so it's closed now since I have already bought one. Price was some of the factor, but size also made part of the decision for a home hobbiest. The bench is running out of room, especially after getting the microscope.
It was more asking for opinions from people that have used both, not a competition. They are both great units. I just couldn't pass up a deal for the 34401A I made with a seller that added the bumpers, dropped the price a bit to match another post, included calibration before shipped to me, and another calibration a year after as long as I pay shipping to them. This way I can compare the cal data and see if it still drifting at all over a year of me using it. In fact the calibration done before mine when it shipped was in 2012 and it was still in spec. I was looking for an older one that hopefully stopped drifting. Being a home hobby I don't want to pay for a calibration every year, and it looks like I found one. But I will know for sure in 6 months when I send it back out to the same service center. And the GBIP works great once I found a USB adapter and is more enough for my needs. The only thing I've noticed is the rear and front ports are off a little with added resistance to the rear. But this switch is a common issue and not a big concern for me since I don't use the rear ports.
I just ordered the Rigol DP820, I like the fact I will be able to calibrate this myself with some script people have wrote and the 34401A. So now using this meter I don't have to worry so much about having to pay for calibration on other items I buy as long as I know calibration procedures are available or a script to make it go faster. The last thing on the list is a arbitrary function/signal generator. But I have time to figure that out for what I mainly tinker and work on.
Scott
Hi dears, i found this thread when i'm searching info about GREAT HP3457A ...
& so i found a competition between two GREAT instruments
(a) HP3457A
&
(b) HP34401A
I have them both at home & i use them at work (here : http://www.inrim.it/gen/index.shtml#url1)
... I think that THERE IS NO COMPETITION between (a) & (b) .... BUT if the rule is 'only one' , not even think about one minute my choice is: HP3457A !!!!
surely HP34401A is 'smaller' is newer and is 'easier to use' but ... HP3457A is more accurate .. nothing else !!!
p.s. i don't like competition ...this is ONLY my preference & use at work !!! (i.e. IF i MUST measure OUT of the laboratory sometimes i use also (b) )