Interesting article about the man who predicted the collapse of the music industry. He says the same thing will happen to manufacturing via 3D printing and it's coming sooner than we think.
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34268474
Good read. I'd buy a 3d printer now, but I think I'll be better off to wait until they get stupid-proof.
BTW, don't invest in any prosthetic companies. They are toast. It's hard to charge $50k for a replacement hand when the local high school science class will print you one for free.
We are still very far away from 3d printing being able to make say a usable screwdriver, wrench, or dinner ware, let alone anything complicated like shoes. For that to happen the technology needs to take a great step forward. We'll probably get there someday, but I'm pretty sure driverless cars and robot made hamburgers will be disruptive much sooner. Overall I think it would be a great thing for all of us and remove huge amounts of inefficiency -- particularly in transportation of goods.
My prediction: After awhile they will sell the printer cheap but buying a refill cartridge will hurt your wallet bad. :-)
>refill
Owning a filament grinder/ extruder is one of my 3d setup requirements. BTW, about 6 months ago, I saw a write up on a firm that was selling a printer with decent specs for a low-ball price. Turns out they had a proprietary filament cartridge.
IMHO
Get proficient in SOLIDWORDS then RENT the 3D machines when needed.
Get on this list 3D Printing Industry <info@3dprintingindustry.com>
PS: The powders can get expensive
http://shop.chemicalstore.com/navigation/categorylist.asp?MySessionID=263-677850576&CatID=21