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posted by cmn32480 on Tuesday November 03 2015, @04:03PM   Printer-friendly
from the will-it-print-money dept.

Back in June Glowforge touted itself as the Next Big Thing in 3D printing after raising $9M in series A venture money. They announced a laser cutting machine marketed for the home market, which would consist of a device about the size of a laser printer that would precision cut materials such as paper and leather, and said it would cost under $2,500. At the time of their first announcement they didn't look like they had anything more than an idea and a good sales pitch, but they've now announced that they've raised $28M in crowdsource money, which works out to something like 6000 units. They said they will start sending them out in December.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 03 2015, @09:42PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 03 2015, @09:42PM (#258154)

    What is the home market for these things anyway? I view them to be like high-end barrista machines, or bread machines, or treadmills, or a number of things that one uses the hell out of in the first month, then it sits and collects dust for the rest of its life. Unless you're setting up something like your own home stationary business. what the hell do people need something like this for? The same with 3D printers.

  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by hemocyanin on Tuesday November 03 2015, @11:07PM

    by hemocyanin (186) on Tuesday November 03 2015, @11:07PM (#258183) Journal

    I'm now 6 months into owning a 3D printer, and I've had it running 30-40 hours per week since I got it. If I had a laser cutter, I'm sure I'd be using the heck out of it too. But that's me -- this stuff is my kind of stuff because I've always been into making things. Most of my life, that drive has been pottery focused, but I remember about a dozen years ago talking to some potter friends about how I thought plastic was a hugely under-appreciated material (nobody agreed). The only thing missing from 3D printing that I'd really enjoy, is a whole lot of fire, so I've been thinking about taking up metal casting and using the printer to make positives to mold.

    Anyway, these kinds of things appeal to a limited market to be sure, and I'm also sure some people who aren't really built for it get caught up in the hype and end up with expensive paperweights. But for a small segment of the population, these tools are like crack cocaine.