I did not know that. Thanks for sharing!

Yes, I can see DRM being an issue. Sometimes the creator may only want the end user to use it once.

I don’t see it doing metal or glass either, at least not early on. The melting points of those is much higher than for plastic. Some parts can be milled and some cut with a laser. Those can be computer controlled too. Complex objects probably would require parts made by several machines and that could be impractical to do at home but it still could revolutionize distribution. Imagine if there’s a shop down the street with all the machines that manufacture the parts for a fee, and offers assembly.

And yes, I want a laser cutter/engraver desperately, but that’s still priced well beyond what I can afford.

I can also see personalization coming into play. Say you’re browsing and find a ring you like. You buy the generic pattern for a ring and your computer (browser?) knows your finger size and automatically configures the pattern. Same with eyeglasses.

But I don’t see how this technology will be able to create clicky springs, or vacuums. Or to use metal or glass to print with, at a reasonable price.

Of course, I remember somebody famous saying that 640K was enough for any computer. Mr. Bill, that heartless genius, was wrong. There is a chance I’m wrong, too.