Heh… I remember when these first came out…was def a box full of nerd ambition to say the least. While they have progressed quite a bit, these are not for your average user. Uber nerds and engineers can probably benefit from it, if you have nothing else at your disposal. The plastics are still a bit limited: ABS and PLA, No polycarbonates, no flexible or clear materials. Also overmolding does not look to be possible.
http://store.makerbot.com/plastic.html
Another item you DIY types would appreciate is building your own 3D laser scanner:
http://www.david-laserscanner.com/

The Eden Objet 260 I use at work cost us about $120k 4 years ago, and it is quite the machine. For more info on rapid prototyping search the forums for my post, I went into a good amount of detail there.

I would suggest looking at the RepRap http://reprap.org , it is a continuous improvement open project with a few different types. One of the concepts is being able to build much of the parts for a new one using an existing one. One person has a Maker-Bot at the local hackerspace, another has a completed RepRap and is teaching a class/group project of about another dozen folks building their own repraps utilizing parts that the first guy is printing. Those are costing $150 to 300 each.

There a number of tricks to these, first is that it isn’t perfect fusing. There are lines of like .3mm plastic with grooves between lines. Another is there is much handholding to get the temperature for fusing + cooling vs. speed of performance vs. holding complex structures before cool, etc.

You also need to be able to make the 3d cad files (or access/modify/combine from the large open source library of those.)

Great price too… I would have expected it to be 5k or more. That is why I would have to see it work… it is too inexpensive.

V E R Y interesting indeed… being a modeler, I can just see myself with one of these!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdzooQQDWGg&...

Great Website concept or Mall Kiosk… pick your image and watch it make it… Call it “IT!”

Remember having the upright Video Games and pinball machines in your game room? This would definitely take the place of those things. My uncle is a jeweler and he designs settings on a Matrix CNC machine that processes vector drawings. This is so much better than that.

I want one as well…I would not know how to do the CADs so that’s what’s holding me off..anyone on EN good with this stuff?? If so, perhaps a few of us could chip in??

there’s videos out there that show it in action………….but I have to admit I would want it just for fun if nothing else, lol. It also is convenient………say a shower curtain ring breaks……….you can download the cad of a shower curtain ring from the website and make it yourself!

Nice! I would have to see it work, but I would clear out a corner of my garage for it! Prototyping a breeze…