3 ms·

I agree, but I think the incentives tend to push towards user hostile results. It's a small jump for the business mind to go from free cloud optional to free c

I agree, but I think the incentives tend to push towards user hostile results. It's a small jump for the business mind to go from free cloud optional to free cloud only to paid features cloud to subscription only cloud, or selling plastic to only supporting their own plastic, and so on. Web services are so cheap and profitable that it feels like every business converges towards them now. I'd really rather buy from a company that makes money directly from selling good hardware (but certainly the hardware is useless without ongoing software development, and we're back to the original issue).

drewdevault 3y ago
Mainly I think that this temptation is circumvented with strong leadership and weak investors. That big VC money is a poison, but if you don't take it then you can focus on the product without so much of the risk.
- kiba 3y ago
  AGPL cloud service would circumvent this issue rather than relying purely on strong leadership and company DNA.
  - drewdevault 3y ago
    True that!
mulmen 3y ago
> but certainly the hardware is useless without ongoing software development, and we're back to the original issue Why is this true though? Are 3D printers still evolving so quickly?
- Palomides 3y ago
  All software requires maintenance, and there are continually ongoing software-driven print speed and quality improvements. That said, I could keep using the firmware and slicer software I have now until the hardware becomes unmaintainable (probably have to run it in a VM at some point), assuming no critical safety bugs.
  - mulmen 3y ago
    The desktop software has to keep up with the shifting sands of modern operating systems. But I don’t understand why the 3D printer itself needs software maintenance. It is just executing something like GCode right? How much does that really change? > All software requires maintenance Is this a law of nature or our youthful incompetence?

drewdevault 3y ago

Mainly I think that this temptation is circumvented with strong leadership and weak investors. That big VC money is a poison, but if you don't take it then you can focus on the product without so much of the risk.

kiba 3y ago
AGPL cloud service would circumvent this issue rather than relying purely on strong leadership and company DNA.
- drewdevault 3y ago
  True that!

mulmen 3y ago

> but certainly the hardware is useless without ongoing software development, and we're back to the original issue Why is this true though? Are 3D printers still evolving so quickly?

Palomides 3y ago
All software requires maintenance, and there are continually ongoing software-driven print speed and quality improvements. That said, I could keep using the firmware and slicer software I have now until the hardware becomes unmaintainable (probably have to run it in a VM at some point), assuming no critical safety bugs.
- mulmen 3y ago
  The desktop software has to keep up with the shifting sands of modern operating systems. But I don’t understand why the 3D printer itself needs software maintenance. It is just executing something like GCode right? How much does that really change? > All software requires maintenance Is this a law of nature or our youthful incompetence?