The workflow on the shaper origin is extremely nice, --- apply tape, swing it around to capture the environment, load svg and position. If you need a regula

The workflow on the shaper origin is extremely nice, --- apply tape, swing it around to capture the environment, load svg and position. If you need a regular spacing grid, you just press a few buttons and ram the tool into three non-colinear points on the edge of your object. You can cut objects in place, including irregularly shaped stuff you'd need to disassemble to put on your gantry. That comes up frequently for engraving but it's not exclusive to it. The whole device is basically the size of a sewing machine. Yet it can cut parts that won't fit on an gantry you're able to fit in your garage. It's quite tedious for repeated work. So I think it's really more in the class of manual power tools than in the same class as a CNC setup. As far as accuracy goes, the tracking tape eliminates some source of errors. Say your clamping is not 100% and the part shifts slightly while being worked-- tape the part moves with it and all is still happy. Of course, it introduces some of its own problems too. So in summary: 1. Very small device, yet can work with arbitrarily large pieces. 2. Good workflow means very fast setup suitable for one offs. 3. Works in situ, especially useful for engraving things in place. I imagine that if it weren't a bit pricey that many people who do CNC woodworking would also have a shaper origin like device-- much like you probably have a skillsaw in spite of owning a CNC router. Plus the simplicity of setup and the size makes it attractive to anyone who only wants a tiny amount of CNC for precision engraving, hole positioning, or cutting an inset for a hinge... and would never own a CNC gantry.