For any of these budget scopes, I'd like to see a comparison showing how they display a complex or unstable signal, compared to how an analogue scope or a better DSO with an intensity graded display would show it. Maybe compare the same signal displayed on a Rigol 2000 series, which is about the lowest cost scope I'd personally regard as suitable for frustration-free lab use. To be really thorough, compare with the MSOX3054A as well, just to highlight what (if anything) a top of the line scope would be able to add under the circumstances.
It's all well and good showing nice clean, stable waveforms from a signal generator, but that's not the sort of thing I usually probe. I want to see how often a chip select goes active, or measure the time between a trigger pulse and an ultrasonic burst, or look at the timing jitter on an SPDIF signal.
Moreover, I want these things to be clear by looking at the screen, not by resorting to years of experience in how to set up a scope to best show one particular effect most clearly. These are entry-level scopes, most likely to be used by people who just don't have that experience, and who are most likely to be confused or misled.
I agree, they are used to meaure signals, so that is what they should do, the sad thing most reviews are about what they can do in theory and not how well they do that. A compare to a high end scope is not a bad compare, it is a way of showing how well or bad the others are. Like hooking up a multimeter to a clibrator or comparing it to a 3458. This has nothing to do with the useless tight ass expression bang for bucks. Bang for bucks is only usefull if you know the bang and its worth the buck, in other worde, is it usefull or useless.
If the timebase is stated 2% but meaures 5 % off, that can be a poblem and then you waisted money, if 5 % is OK by you, then it could be a bang for bucks, but if these things are not tested you do not know and can not tell is the bang is worth the box and you only give it a " value " based on nice olors, knobs, giftbox, build quality ( you can build a bad design still very nice and solid, but performance still sucks ! )
The multimeter shootout was fun, lots of info about the beeper, fuses, sturdy cases ect but what does that meter do on DC with ripple, on a AC signal with offset, on changing dutycycle, under temperature, with a half full battery, how accurate is it, and over time.
It is nice probes look OK, but looks are not everything, the probes from a Keithley 2000 looks like old fasioned, no fancy adapters, just wire and hardplastic classic probes. dave would say nah, and trow them over his shouldeR, but they are exellentvand well thought but without a fancy high tech look and feel. Some very nice looking cheap pobes have almost no copper inside and a > 1 Ohm resistance.
I have seen groundclips from scope probes just pressfit to the crock without removing the plastic, or a multimeter that used a resistive voltage devider from the battery as a Vref. Ect.
So the new moto should be not ; lets take it appart after verification of proper operation within specs