I wish the 3D printing enthusiasts would spend some time learning about the fantastic capabilities we already have in making useful things. We have CNC mills and lathes and grinders and cast makers and mould makers, we have industrial robots and super spiffy warehouse robots, we have automatic measuring machines and moving machines, we even have pneumatic flying cranberry sorters, we have many, many amazing things.<p>3D printing isn't the first, and it still can't make good machine parts.<p>I realize well enough that what some dismiss as toys may in decades to come be foundational to how we do things, but the point is that future isn't really here yet. To those who believe they can bring it faster, good luck and godspeed.
While the technology is coming and I can't wait when they're commonplace, I think it says something when the models shown next to printers aren't practical objects. Many people like these trinkets, but I'm waiting to see stuff which is more useful. This means right now the cost of a 3d printer is only really justified if you have an interest in them. They still need to prove their function before they become something like cars, where even those who have little interest and knowledge in them use them because they provide so much value.