2 ms·

I dont think this article, which is interesting, is about what it says it is about. I don't think anyone seriously expects 3d printing to replace mass productio

I dont think this article, which is interesting, is about what it says it is about. I don't think anyone seriously expects 3d printing to replace mass production any time soon, but i do see it as part of a series of related trends: We need fewer, smaller physical things, and less stuff, to enjoy life. My new TV is has a larger screen and weighs less than its predecessor, and even so is largely redundant given i have an ipad. I used to need a laptop and a desktop computer, a games console, and so forth. Most or these now gather dust. I dont need a dedicated "movie" room, so i need less space and less furniture. And so on. When we do want things, we often want them highly customized. Consider the insane variety of phone cases selling in popup stores all over the place. I suggest to the author that anyone poo-pooing 3d printing today is in the exact same boat as, say, hot metal typesetters looking down on photo-typesetting and laser printers for their comparatively low quality back in, say, 1985. First they lost their low end customers, then all their customers, and then the people who had replaced them lost most of their customers (ok that's in progress).

derleth 14y ago
> We need fewer, smaller physical things, and less stuff, to enjoy life. This isn't an axiom. It's a personal preference. Don't imagine it applies to everyone else.
- Tloewald 14y ago
  I don't think it's an axiom, i think it's a consequence of convergence. I used to own a camera, a video camera, a personal organizer, a landline phone, a cell phone, a discman, a gameboy, etc. I now have all these things in one device that's smaller and lighter than any of them used to be.
  - derleth 14y ago
    > I used to own a camera, a video camera, a personal organizer, a landline phone, a cell phone, a discman, a gameboy, etc. I now have all these things in one device that's smaller and lighter than any of them used to be. And it isn't as good of a camera as a modern dedicated camera is. In fact, it might not even be as good as the camera you replaced it with, especially when it comes to ergonomics. Similarly, a dedicated gaming device often has better ergonomics for gaming than trying to play the same games on a phone. I understand convergence. I understand satisficing. I also understand why people still make SLRs, and it isn't just to keep dust out of the various lenses. If you really want a good camera, you aren't going to be fully satisfied with a phone that has a megapixel count. The gaming world is more fluid because games themselves can adapt to new hardware and interface styles, but specific games often really do go better when you have buttons as opposed to a touch screen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisficing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisficing And, finally, my little quirk: I refuse to believe that decluttering is a valid end in itself. Having a closet full of stuff I enjoy owning isn't a personal failing or a personality flaw.

derleth 14y ago

> We need fewer, smaller physical things, and less stuff, to enjoy life. This isn't an axiom. It's a personal preference. Don't imagine it applies to everyone else.

Tloewald 14y ago
I don't think it's an axiom, i think it's a consequence of convergence. I used to own a camera, a video camera, a personal organizer, a landline phone, a cell phone, a discman, a gameboy, etc. I now have all these things in one device that's smaller and lighter than any of them used to be.
- derleth 14y ago
  > I used to own a camera, a video camera, a personal organizer, a landline phone, a cell phone, a discman, a gameboy, etc. I now have all these things in one device that's smaller and lighter than any of them used to be. And it isn't as good of a camera as a modern dedicated camera is. In fact, it might not even be as good as the camera you replaced it with, especially when it comes to ergonomics. Similarly, a dedicated gaming device often has better ergonomics for gaming than trying to play the same games on a phone. I understand convergence. I understand satisficing. I also understand why people still make SLRs, and it isn't just to keep dust out of the various lenses. If you really want a good camera, you aren't going to be fully satisfied with a phone that has a megapixel count. The gaming world is more fluid because games themselves can adapt to new hardware and interface styles, but specific games often really do go better when you have buttons as opposed to a touch screen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisficing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisficing And, finally, my little quirk: I refuse to believe that decluttering is a valid end in itself. Having a closet full of stuff I enjoy owning isn't a personal failing or a personality flaw.