> It doesn’t necessarily have to be this way. We could develop local manufacturing techniques that could be controlled and operated by individual people. But it

> It doesn’t necessarily have to be this way. We could develop local manufacturing techniques that could be controlled and operated by individual people. But it’s hard to see how we climb down to that level from where we are. By utilizing older processes that have become more commoditized. A large part of why creating computers requires so much centralization is that the R&D (not just theoretical, but also developments in layout, lithography, air filtration, etc, etc.) necessary is expensive so development costs must be kept low through centralization to pay R&D costs back. This isn't the case for older processes who have had their R&D paid back through massive runs. This is why you have so many crowdfunded hardware platforms targeting more niche usecases that use older chipsets, boards, and processes. As usual, the answer lies in either trying to work in the current landscape to bring the change you want or to fund the creators that are doing this. I'd love to see a fab run and operated by a small company or cooperative specializing in working with more bespoke firms creating products for smaller audiences. Costs would be a bit higher as these runs would lack the economies of scale and labor centralization that occurs with current flagship chip designs, but it's a small price to pay (pun not intended) for variety.