IMHO, now the situation is that each new model is less useful than the previous. Because one thing that makes the instrumentation equipment special is that a good knowledge about how the instrument works is required to use it successfully. Indeed, how I can trust the number if I don't know how it's obtained.
That's very obvious and in the past every instrument was accompanied by a large documentation volume, that explained not only how to operate the instrument but also provided great details about what's inside, up to the wiring diagram and BOM. Because it's all necessary for customer. Now it's considered a secret information and only the magic box is provided. That's ridiculous. After all, the illegal taxi drivers at the airport are also fiercely competing each other but they're typically smart enough to don't load the customer with their problems. If it's so confidential, the best thing the vendor shall do is to don't sell the instrument. Just keep it for himself and be happy.
Moreover, the fact that there is no widespread rebellion against this trend in the professional community suggests that now few EEs are actually interested in knowing what exactly they're doing. The majority are within a hierarchy and are doing just what they told to do. Perhaps that's OK but that makes their products not trustworthy as well.