"because the scope works fine right now, nobody thought it prudent to invest the tens of thousands it would take to future-proof it."
My "appeal to authority" was in response to this comment - this department has proven its ability to manage its affairs for far longer than the lifespan of the software running their equipment.
Windows 3.1 came out in the early 90s (late 80s?). How often have the driver APIs, the electrical buses, etc changed since? Should the department have bought new equipment at every change to be "up to date"?
This department did the right thing. They invested in other equipment and kept a couple thousand dollars of spares on hand.
My "appeal to authority" was in response to this comment - this department has proven its ability to manage its affairs for far longer than the lifespan of the software running their equipment.
Windows 3.1 came out in the early 90s (late 80s?). How often have the driver APIs, the electrical buses, etc changed since? Should the department have bought new equipment at every change to be "up to date"?
This department did the right thing. They invested in other equipment and kept a couple thousand dollars of spares on hand.