Try buying an oscilloscope - the difference between a $3,000 scope and an $8,000 scope is often just a few software toggles. It's annoying if your hardware has

Try buying an oscilloscope - the difference between a $3,000 scope and an $8,000 scope is often just a few software toggles. It's annoying if your hardware has features that you can't access, but it's more annoying if you don't have hardware at all because you can't afford the entry-level model. Disabling features allows a manufacturer to offer a broad range of products at a broad range of prices without sacrificing economies of scale, especially when there are large NRE costs to recoup.