I’ve been noticing an unsettling trend in the 3D printing world: more and more printer manufacturers are locking down their devices with proprietary firmware, cloud-based software, and other anti-consumer restrictions. Despite this, they still receive glowing reviews, even from tech-savvy communities.

Back in the day, 3D printing was all about open-source hardware, modding, and user control. Now, it feels like we’re heading towards the same path as smartphones and other consumer tech—walled gardens, forced online accounts, and limited third-party compatibility. Some companies even prevent users from using alternative slicers or modifying firmware without jumping through hoops.

My question is: Has 3D printing gone too mainstream? Are newer users simply unaware (or uninterested) in the dangers of locked-down ecosystems? Have we lost the awareness of FOSS (Free and Open-Source Software) and user freedom that once defined this space?

I’d love to hear thoughts from the community. Do you think this is just a phase, or are we stuck on this trajectory? What can we do to push back against enshitification before it’s too late?

(Transparency Note: I wrote this text myself, but since English is not my first language, I used LLM to refine some formulations. The core content and ideas are entirely my own.)

  • LeTak@lemm.eeEnglish
    2·
    18 days ago

    Many people don’t care about FOSS or don’t know the benefits, they just want a NOW working product. Many belief in the goodness that nothing bad will happen, and if something happens, they still can switch. I often have this discussion with other colleagues and friends, it’s an endless debate of price , features , comfort and support. As long as there is both on the market , why argue? People can buy what fits their needs.

  • Ulrich@feddit.orgEnglish
    1·
    17 days ago

    Despite this, they still receive glowing reviews, even from tech-savvy communities.

    I mean, most people don’t care. How often do you see mainstream smartphone reviewers making a single mention of the insane amount of bloatware and spyware on phones, or calling out Apple for their unrepairable devices? Shit just blows over eventually and consumers accept it for what it is. 3D printers are not exempt from this mentality.

    Jeff Geerling made a video today about how he bought a dishwasher that was top-rated by RTINGS Consumer Reports with no mention of the fact that in order to make it do a God damn thing, you have to connect it to the app, create an account, and connect it to them OEM’s cloud.

    Several years ago I bought a DJI action cam and it was the same thing. You can’t do jack shit with it without connecting it to an app and creating an account. I watched dozens of reviews and this was never mentioned. I returned it but I’m sure 99.9% either don’t give a fuck or accepted it.

    • John@discuss.tchncs.deOPEnglish
      0·
      17 days ago

      I think 3D-Printers have just this DIY image for me and that’s why i thought the general 3D-Printer user is more tech-savvy and aware.

      If they would tell me that my ESP32 needs cloud connection to use them i would be furious to.

      • Ulrich@feddit.orgEnglish
        1·
        17 days ago

        The industry is evolving. It happens in every industry eventually. When any one OEM corners a sufficient market size (like Bambu), they start taking freedom from the user to lock them into their ecosystem. Then all the other OEMs go “well if they’re doing it I guess we can do it too”. This is what you see trickle down from Apple all the time: headphone jacks, glued together devices, soldered RAM, and most recently unhinged RAM and storage prices, etc.

        It’s what you see in the smart home industry as well. A dozen different brands with zero interoperability because none of them want to compete on a level playing field, they all just want to lock you into their ecosystem.

        It didn’t seem to work for Bambu but they will back down and then try it again in another 12 months or make smaller changes. They just boiled the frog too quickly.

  • craig9@lemm.eeEnglish
    0·
    17 days ago

    I have a Bambu A1, and yes it really is a great printer. The firmware BS is crossing a line though, and that company will not get another dollar from me. My next printer will be a Prusa or a Voron.

  • racemaniac@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    0·
    17 days ago

    Just wondering, is this “trend” you’re talking about just the Bambulab situation, or are other manufacturers doing the same? I’m not super up to date on 3d printing news, so not sure if i missed more such changes.

    If it’s the bambulab situation, it’s not entirely unexpected. When they started people were already worried about exactly this seeing how closed their ecosystem is. Then again, they did make a printer that just works better than the competition, and that’s in the end what attracts users.

    Personally i have diy 3d printers that i built myself, really happy with them, but for people who just want to print things, many other filament printers are just too annoying to work with. Not everyone is into diy, and many people just want to make cool stuff and not care about the printer, and bambulab really made the next step towards achieving that.

    So if the open source community wants to compete with that, they must make printers that are as user friendly. My diy 3d printers are like running linux. Really great and customizable if you like to work on 3d printers, and really reliable now i as an expert built & tuned them. But most people just want to buy a machine that works, and that’s not these open source printers. And as long as we just focus on making 3d printers for expert diy’ers, we’ll end up in the same place as linux is for OS’es: used by experts and for specific advanced usecases, but beyond reach for the common user that’s then stuck on systems like apple/windows that are more locked down, but actually just work without having to understand how the entire thing works.

    • Bronzie@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      1·
      2 days ago

      I think you make some good points.

      We have a old, self built Creality at work that is modded extensively and I love printing with it, but at home it just wont fly. The missus wants to turn the machine on, send over the G-code and pick up nice things later. There is no point trying to convince her to spend hours and hours learning input shaping, filament drying temperatures or the upsides/downsides of dual gear extruders.

      People are pissed at Bambu, and rightfully so, but for home users where the crowd needing pleasing is not super tech-savvy, Bambu is just a great alternative.

      I think we need to stop looking at it as Bambu fucking up 3D printing. They are massively increasing the reach of FDM for people who just want stuff to work without putting in the hours, while the rest of us can keep using whatever we want, be it OSS or not.
      Hopefully with the increase in users, the selection of filaments and third party upgrades will increase too.

      They are the only reason I was ever allowed to have a 3D printer in the house, which has already opened her up to letting me get a RatRig in the future. You know, because two printers are obviously twice as fast as one (!)