> the only thing that comes to mind as an effective use of 3D printing is to pirate children's toys.
That is as solid an argument as suggesting that the only use for a camera is to pirate artwork. Or the only point of digital media is to pirate other people's work.
If I had kids, the opportunity to design and make toys of our own design might be compelling enough (particularly if you could get a 3D printer for $250 or so).
But, like early microcomputers, we may not have found the killer app yet. Right now, we are at the blinkinglights stage of 3D printing. These things are incredibly primitive, but they are still fun for some people and useful for others. Give it some time, and something interesting will happen.
Comments
> the only thing that comes to mind as an effective use of 3D printing is to pirate children's toys.
That is as solid an argument as suggesting that the only use for a camera is to pirate artwork. Or the only point of digital media is to pirate other people's work.
If I had kids, the opportunity to design and make toys of our own design might be compelling enough (particularly if you could get a 3D printer for $250 or so).
But, like early microcomputers, we may not have found the killer app yet. Right now, we are at the blinkinglights stage of 3D printing. These things are incredibly primitive, but they are still fun for some people and useful for others. Give it some time, and something interesting will happen.