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Comment by ClassyJacket | Hacker News Reader

I'm so happy Bambu is getting what's coming to them after screwing us so badly <3

What did they do?

They are locking down their software so you have to use it

https://hackaday.com/2025/01/17/new-bambu-lab-firmware-updat... has a summary that caught me up. I feel like it must be missing some of the story though.

They used a plugin to communicate print jobs (and other integrations), so that third party software could be used pretty seamlessly. Now they're moving to a new authentication model, and will be requiring users to send files to a separate print app. (Bambu Connect) It adds friction to the process, especially for those who were looking to run print jobs at scale, using "print farm" software or building their own solutions.

I do wonder how much friction it'll really add, since the slicers can send the data to Connect via a protocol handler.

It also means that Connect could act as a farm / queueing system as well, more like a print driver vs. individual printer support within the app.

Its pretty much this, nothing seems to be blocking any third party slicer like Orca from working with bambu printers as they are now.. just the print button would now send the file to Bambu Connect, where you would most likely only press an extra button..

Getting info from the printer or AMS? MQTT still works. They specifically said they are not touching that.

Sadly the usual groups of people are screaming, and the open printer people are laughing. But at worst.. this is just friction.

Anyone pointing this out seems to get downvoted. But its all there in the bambu press statement and subsequent pages. Those that are upset seemed to have not read those, and instead just read or watched something inflammatory.

Did you happen to see this? Interesting development, they are basically going to keep the current wide-open-barely-auth'd state and call it a developer mode. And submitted a PR to make Orca Slicer work with the new auth: https://blog.bambulab.com/updates-and-third-party-integratio...

And yeah, I'm realizing that about the downvotes. It's sad the state of things, but SKY-IS-FALLING-GET-PITCHFORKS wins the day over technical analysis, even on purportedly technical forums. But alas, that's an aside.

I'm really looking forward to this rolling out, as I want to monitor my printer with Home Assistant but I /really/ don't like how much control the current (non-beta, non-future) state gives HA. I /want/ auth of some sort when submitting jobs, and it looks like I'll have that.

(I also really want the slicer decoupled from the print management stuff, because I tend to keep a few slicers open and experiment.)

My understanding is that the "addition" of the developer mode (basically the current status quo) is the result of the feedback/pitchforking. I don't believe that was originally planned.

> just the print button would now send the file to Bambu Connect, where you would most likely only press an extra button..

Today it's just one extra button press. In 5-10 years when they shut down the servers for Bambu Connect nobody would be able to print anything at all. It's only because people were vocal in their complaints that their unsupported dev mode was made an option that would let people continue to use what they paid for

I've tried the URL handler (the software is in beta). It only sends the print job (sliced file), it doesn't start it. You still have to assign it to the printer, etc, and press the start button.

That doesn't seem any harder because you have to do that with the Network Plugin via a popup window. Or am I missing something else?

The A1 mini was my first printer and it just works.

Is there another brand that is idiot proof?

Not yet, but other brands are stepping up their quality. I just bought a Creality K2 Plus, and it's almost on par with my X1C (and has some features I prefer, like the CFS, their version of the AMS)

I've been using a Prusa Mk2 for years no with no real issues. Doesn't have the bells and whistles but it does, like, consistently work.

Eventually I'll get a used FormLabs setup. Once I have a shop space set up.

If you buy a Prusa in non-kit form, it's not any harder to unbox or operate, and more reliable, while generally achieving somewhat better results. Without phoning home and while maintaining the software Bambu forked theirs from.

A recent review coming to a similar conclusion was Maker Muse' review of bedslingers.

It's a channel I respect a lot, because he has over the years relentlessly disclosed emails of companies trying to bribe or lean on him, or threaten him, and refused to play along.

Most other 3D printing content is essentially paid advertising -- including, I suspect, the carefully constructed brand narrative of Bambu as the first "fire and forget" printers, as if they somehow elevated the art form, when really the user experience is not substantially different.

You do not need to tinker or problem-solve with other modern well-reviewing printers, nor do they fail more prints. My MK4 hasn't failed a single print in a year (i.e. since I bought it), and I haven't had to do any sort of maintenance.

And they cost 3x as much. Which is a pretty tough sell IMO.

Conveniently left out that the Prusa definitely cannot do a lot of things that the popular Bambu models can do quite well, like filaments beyond PETG and PLA, multimaterial printing, etc.

Most Prusa models can print a wide range of filaments. I regularly print ABS and PC on mine. And there is a MMU add-on for Prusa.

The MMU isn't remotely comparable to the AMS though, it's finnicky, regularly breaks and needs a heck of a lot of tinkering for most people to get right. One slightly different filament and you have to start over.

Not to mention its just a messy product. Heck the new Core One doesn't even have support for it at launch which is pretty unforgivable.

Maybe bamboo printers were too cheap which lead them towards their subscription based model.

Everyone complains about enshittification (YouTube ads, subscription models etc..), but then refuse to pay the real price premium goods and services cost. You get what you pay for.

What subscription? They're restricting remote access APIs in new firmware because they pose a security threat.

…for now….

But yeah, the enshitification economy has made people justifiably paranoid that if a product starts exhibiting new capabilities or features that would seem to support or enable a move towards subscriptions, it’s a good bet that that is in fact the trajectory of the platform.

But afaik Bambu has neither confirmed nor denied that this is in the works.

I don't know the details or if it's true, but someone who was in the firmware beta claimed there was //commented-out code about different subscription tears. Maybe just a test, maybe for print farms .. maybe it was all a lie.

There is no security threat, it's an excuse. I own a printer and operate it in LAN mode. It requires authentication with 8 digit code.

If you think they care about security, let me remind you that this company used to connect to their cloud in plaintext. The only security they really care about is that of their revenue.

If they actually cared about security, they would let us disconnect these printers from the cloud completely and allow us to manage our own mTLS certificates.

> it's not any harder to unbox or operate

I agree with this

> and more reliable

I emphatically disagree with this.

> while generally achieving somewhat better results

I agree with this.

I'd also like to add that my Prusa Mk3s+ is significantly slower than my P1S. Also, without the MMU it still cost more than my P1S with AMS. Choosing a Prusa is making a philosophical choice, because it's certainly not about convenience, speed, versatility (considering you need to buy a separate enclosure and pricey MMU), bed size, or price. It's a choice you make because you're okay with spending a lot more to support an open platform where you can flash your own firmware without voiding your warranty, not because you want a better experience.

The mk4 and mk3 are vastly different machines. If you want to compare the P1S, do it against a contemporary machine. Of course a machine released several years after the mk3 is faster.

What are your thoughts on the upcoming Prusa Core One? I was thinking about getting a P1S but with this rug pull I’m not sure anymore.

I wouldn't buy any new Prusa printer until it's been in the wild at least a year, they tend to be very buggy at launch.

They also have no multimaterial support at launch, the MMU3 will not work with the Core One until they release an update, which they've not yet given a timeline for.

Thank you.

I got a MK4 at launch and it worked out of the box with no issues, no bugs, and also was my first 3d printer. I found it perfectly easy to operate.

Prusa’s online documentation (and printed docs for that matter) are excellent.

If I were starting today I'd definitely choose the Core One over the P1S (thanks to this rug pull). It's vastly more expensive, and the MMU isn't worth it from what I've heard, and the build volume is significantly smaller, but I don't think I'd go with Bambu after this week.

Is the fact that the printer is slower the main reason why you get better results?

You pay more and lose reliable multicolour printing this way though - the MMU is NOT a solution.

I bought an A1 after years of fiddling with an Ender. It made 3D printing fun again.

The whole situation reminds me of drones. DJI is (maybe) questionable but their products are without competition when you look at price and quality. Bambu products are also fantastic.

On second thought TP-Link fits too. My TP-Link mesh network just works perfectly. So do their smart plugs.

I did the same- replaced an Ender with an A1. Unfortunately, I’ve had it 10 days and have yet to be able to print anything. Won’t calibrate and cannot update firmware. Seems like a commonly reported issue but tech support is still bumbling around with no useful suggestions. I foresee it going back.

I am an idiot, and my Prusa MK3S+ (bought assembled, not as a kit) has been me-proof for years, and delivered fantastic print quality all along. My wife is not a techie and she gets good use out of it too. Their newer printers seem to be even better.

Out of ignorance and curiosity about 3d printing I bought a Prusa Mini a few years ago. My 10 year old (at the time) son took to using it immediately and figured out how to use it almost entirely on his own. It has been a great experience. I was thinking of upgrading to something larger and this drama has made the decision an easy one for me.

Based on recommendations here a couple years ago I built a Prusa Mk3 from a kit (right before the mk4 came out). Building it took a while but I think was a worthwhile investment of my time and I think of it as a system I can understand rather than as a black box.

I had a little bit of trouble with it maybe six months ago (repeatedly tripped offline during prints from a thermal issue) but Prusa's online support talked me through recalibrating it and it's been trouble-free since then.

One thing to be said for Prusa is that their support is actually knowledgeable and experienced. You're not going to get a tier 1 support person who has never touched a printer and is just reading from a script.

Yep, my one support chat with Prusa was probably the best tech support experience I've had in at least a decade -- possibly longer.

flashforge is pretty good and by design easy to root.

it is running klipper internally and there are mods to run a completely open source stack (with blobs)

If you’re looking for a CoreXY machine that can handle more industrial filaments for reasonable money, check out QIDI

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