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by recurrie 4912 days ago
I happened to be reading Make magazine's 3d printing guide, and I was struck the similarity to late 70s/early 80s personal computers. Lots of different technologies. Kits. (Mostly) terrible cases, even wooden ones. All sorts of "solution looking for problem" kinds of examples - 3d printing a coat hook is the "key all your recipes into a computer" of this decade.

To outsiders, 1970s computing looked like a bunch of kooky hobbyists, and it wasn't far off. I think in 10 or 20 years, 3d printing is going to be the solution to lots of problems we haven't considered yet.
1 comments
thrownaway2424 4912 days ago
The difference is that 3D printing is already 20 years old. It's maturing a bit more slowly than did software.
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frabcus 4912 days ago
That's very misleading. In the late 1970s computers were already 30 years old.

Yes, the "PC" was new. And that's the whole point - we now have cheap (but rubbish) desktop 3D printers. It's the equivalent of the transition from mainframe to minicomputer to PC.

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nickpinkston 4912 days ago
While you're right that both were old technologies. 3DP is noticeably slower in many variables. If we look at the "quality" of output from the mainframes -> Apple II, we see that the calculations would of course be the same and the programming largely the same - the discrete nature of programming being what it is.

However, the dimension of cost for 3DP (which is what the personal 3D printer movement is excited about) is only one dimension of many, and I'd argue not the biggest limitation.

3DP materials and process quality have certainly improved over time, but all of the current technologies are dead-ends in regards to competing with traditional processes - i.e. FDM/SLA/ProJet/PolyJet don't physically seem able, ever, to produce parts as nice as injection molding can for a myriad of reasons - even without cost as a concern. The situation for SLM/ProMetal processes is little better.

Perhaps the recent investment in 3DP will increase R&D spend on quality, but it doesn't seem to be the case if you look at the major or "maker" players.

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