OK. So I eat my words. Budget 3D Printers can be good. Take a look.

I think what draws people to the $500 of the Solidoodle(Base Model) is the fact that it comes pre-assembled. So I can avoid breaking things during installation, or putting it together wrong

Schieggster wrote:

I think what draws people to the $500 of the Solidoodle(Base Model) is the fact that it comes pre-assembled. So I can avoid breaking things during installation, or putting it together wrong

Cannot disagree with that comment at all.

On another note, has Sam been looking into investing in some 'prettier' bodywork.
You know what I mean, just something that flows in the lines a little and looks attractive tyo the average punter.

I for one think they are trying to grow a little too rapidly based on their current design, but if expanding helps them create a better product, then I guess it's worth it.

I don't think a Solidoodle, or any printer is for "everybody".  3D printers make stuff, so they are for people who want make stuff.  The place you go for tools for making stuff is generally the hardware store, so the proper mainstream location for one of these is more Lowes than Walmart.   If it is a fantastic tool for the workshop, the current aesthetic is works just fine next to the table saws and routing tables.  If a 3D printer is supposed to be a consumer electronics device to sit on the desk next to the paper printer that never gets used either, then it's definitely not pretty enough.

The current hype is that 3D printers are an all in one solution for making anything, limited only by your imagination.  It belongs by itself on your desk along with the inkjet which itself can make any image you can photograph or imagine in Illustrator/Photoshop.   Anyone who buys based on the current level of hype will be disappointed, because the printer is an integral part of the digital workshop, but not the whole workshop by itself.  It has the greatest potential if you see the prints as a starting point.   They can be finished and painted to live as something more than a simple chunk of plastic, or used as a part of a larger project which couldn't have been attempted otherwise. 

Something that looks like a Cube on the shelf at Walmart promises to be everything to everybody, and will be bought by people who will quickly get bored with printing plastic tchotchkes.  Something that looks like a current Solidoodle on the shelf at Lowes will be bought by someone who is already accustomed to making things with a variety of tools.

IanJohnson wrote:

I for one think they are trying to grow a little too rapidly based on their current design, but if expanding helps them create a better product, then I guess it's worth it.

I hope their improvements in manufacturing, and increased sales will make it possible to use better quality components (leadscrews and nuts) without increasing the price.  The story of Solidoodle should be innovation in reducing price without compromising quality, and the Z axis is a significant failure in that regard.

While I for one would like to see Solidoodle improve their z-axis design, I don't fault them for what they have nor do I think it addresses their main problems in becoming mass market.  The design already compares well with other reprap products out there, and a little wobble is annoying but isn't going to make a potential user want to throw the unit out the window.  This, IMHO, is what does:

1) No Included Software -  Multiple open source software that the user has to download isn't acceptable for a mass-market product.  Instead, a set of software packages need to be bundled together and wrapped with a decent polished UI (one interface, no multiple windows) and installer and delivered on a single dvd included with the printer.  The existing external packages should still be available for people who want them, but the average consumer doesn't want to have to assemble them.

2) Un-Smart software - The software needs to be smart enough to recognize printability problems with objects and recommend solutions.  For instance, if the base layer is too small relative to the object height, it should recommend or automatically add a raft or brim.

3) Clogs - They're too easy to get and the consequences too severe.  The printer should ship with a warning label on the extruder that says "WARNING - Do no leave print head heated above 80 degrees C when idle for more than 10 minutes."  If possible, the firmware should automatically prevent this from happening.  To make the consequences less severe, the nozzle needs to be easily removable (ala mk4) and an extra nozzle needs to be included.  Not only does this keep the printer from being immediately incapacitated with a single clog, it sets reasonable user expectations and turns nozzles into a consumable item.

4) Leveling necessary but too hard.  Thumbscrews should come installed beneath the bed leveling screws and the z-stop adjustment needs to be made more accessible, potentially by a knob whose edge extends through a slot in the frame.  A built-in depth gauge would be nice, but at the very least, the software could have a built-in bed calibration procedure, perhaps by printing predefined circles at different locations on the bed.  In fact, simple calibration cubes and starter objects should be included as well.

5) Curling - Some sort of insulated case needs to come standard, even if it's made mostly of cardboard or MDF.

6) Printed manual - A $500 printer needs to come with a well-written printed manual, even if it's culled from wiki articles and just manufactured in limited runs or printed on the fly using lulu or cafePress.  Making customers search online is unbecoming for a product in this price range.

7) Technical support - good support is an art, and it sounds like SD has been making some mistakes as they grow with response times, consistency, or occasionally being too blunt with customers.  They need to make sure customers hear back right away, even if the answer is a polite "We'll check and get back to you 48 hours."  When they do hear back, the answers need to be better thought out, even if that means they are more canned.  As the product becomes more mass market, the support volume will only go up, so it becomes more critical that nobody representing the company says anything that could be misinterpreted when posted up on an open forum.

My $.02.

cmetzel wrote:

Everyone is entitled to their opinion of course, but if you dislike it so much, just move along.  I for one won't miss you.

Bit of a contradiction there. Me thinks.

Anyway I like it here.

I have not written anything about anybody personally in a bad way, or used profanity or anything else. I am sure most forum users would let me know. But I can assure that I would not do that.

However, I am called a Troll because I had the audacity to actually say some truths about a product and offer my opinion of how it maybe could be improved.

I for one would not have an 'absolute hissy fit' just because someone said that they thought my car was ugly.

I really would not care. Also I would not brand him a troll, even if he had come over and made the remark intentionally.

I will continue to post stuff I belive is interesting, because compared to other forums I have been on, in general the folk here seem reasonable intelligent and sensible and the information, by most, is really interesting.

Xan

While I for one would like to see Solidoodle improve their z-axis design, I don't fault them for what they have nor do I think it addresses their main problems in becoming mass market.  The design already compares well with other reprap products out there.

1) No Included Software -  Multiple open source software that the user has to download isn't acceptable for a mass-market product.  Instead, a set of software packages need to be bundled together and wrapped with a decent polished UI (one interface, no multiple windows) and installer and delivered on a single dvd included with the printer.  The existing external packages should still be available for people who want them, but the average consumer doesn't want to have to assemble them.

2) Un-Smart software - The software needs to be smart enough to recognize printability problems with objects and recommend solutions.  For instance, if the base layer is too small relative to the object height, it should recommend or automatically add a raft or brim.

3) Clogs - They're too easy to get and the consequences too severe.  The printer should ship with a warning label on the extruder that says "WARNING - Do no leave print head heated above 80 degrees C when idle for more than 10 minutes."  If possible, the firmware should automatically prevent this from happening.  To make the consequences less severe, the nozzle needs to be easily removable (ala mk4) and an extra nozzle needs to be included.  Not only does this keep the printer from being immediately incapacitated with a single clog, it sets reasonable user expectations and turns nozzles into a consumable item.

4) Leveling necessary but too hard.  Thumbscrews should come installed beneath the bed leveling screws and the z-stop adjustment needs to be made more accessible, potentially by a knob whose edge extends through a slot in the frame.  A built-in depth gauge would be nice, but at the very least, the software could have a built-in bed calibration procedure, perhaps by printing predefined circles at different locations on the bed.  In fact, simple calibration cubes and starter objects should be included as well.

5) Curling - Some sort of insulated case needs to come standard, even if it's made mostly of cardboard or MDF.

6) Printed manual - A $500 printer needs to come with a well-written printed manual, even if it's culled from wiki articles and just manufactured in limited runs or printed on the fly using lulu or cafePress.  Making customers search online is unbecoming for a product in this price range.