On the contrary, I wouldn't be surprised if there is a continuous path from the current 3D printing technology to the eventual mass market technology. I see st

On the contrary, I wouldn't be surprised if there is a continuous path from the current 3D printing technology to the eventual mass market technology. I see strong parallels to the early history of inkjet printers. From the 1976 IBM 4640 "ink jet" to the Thinkjet took 8 years, but the technology shows a clear lineage. Inkjet printers struggled with many of the same teething issues. See this 1985 article explaining the challenges: http://www.hpl.hp.com/hpjournal/pdfs/IssuePDFs/1985-05.pdf http://www.hpl.hp.com/hpjournal/pdfs/IssuePDFs/1985-05.pdf