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Comment by analognoise | Hacker News Reader

Fyi: The printer is $130,000.

I'm not saying it isn't great, but it's not exactly for home use. Or if it IS for your home, you have an amazing home, can I please come live with you and use your printer?

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I've often thought that a new version of the Copy Shop (e.g. Kinkos) would probably be a better start for mass 3D printing because the machine could be much better than the home model and people really don't need to use it that frequently yet. $130,000 might be good enough for that use.

A rapid prototype version of Kinkos. I love the idea, I wonder how much copies would have to cost to make it economical to buy something like this.

More likely a machine shop would expand their capability by adding one of these.

I've seen multiple UPS Stores with 3D printers on-site. (Granted I do live in the SF Bay Area.)

Agreed - and I think it will stay that way. Right now most people find it too much expense and trouble to keep a photo-quality color (2D) inkjet at home, and would rather pay per-photo at Kinkos/Walgreens. I don't see any signs of this changing.

I think 3D printers will go the same way. How many little plastic parts does the average consumer ever want to print? Probably not enough, and not rapidly enough, to justify a big purchase, when they can pay per-item at a (physical or online) Kinkos equivalent and get a higher-quality part printed on a machine like this.

Are you paying for the resolution or the new tech?

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