Makerbot going closed source?

[GeoffS]

Just saw this article at Slashdot.
While not confirmed by the company, it seems that the next Replicator will not be open source.

A great loss to the 3D printer scene if it's true.

[EEVblog]

As I mentioned in my latest video, I suspect this decision (if confirmed as true) was made long before the Tangibot.
And if true, to what extent it's gone "closed" is unknown.

Dave.

[free_electron]

So ? Who cares... As long as it works.. Reliably... Accurately ... And with a turnkey installer. Get them to fix that first.

I've been playing with an UP! 3d printer. That one just works. Nice, clean very intuitive software, send to machine and walk away. Pp3dp.com

Designed at a chinese university under guidance of a 'real 3d' printing company. That printer company developed the slicing algorithms and some other techniques and allows them to be used in the pd3dp ( portable desktop 3 d printer ).

The mechanics are simple and reliable , the key is the pc or mac software.

[firewalker]

Their code was based on RepRap's one? I am guessing they did a full code rewrite to close source it.

Alexander.

[Gall]

As long as the device uses stepper motors and there exists some open-source program that is able to drive steppers of 3d printer, who cares. Just use another software.

I'm currently working on a lightweight alternative to LinuxCNC. It will support 3d printing too.

[firewalker]

I'm currently working on a lightweight alternative to LinuxCNC. It will support 3d printing too.

Any site/git/svn you want to share? Progress on you try?

Alexander.

[poptones]

Why would you make an "alternative" to linuxcnc when linuxcnc works so well? Just one more doomed fork.

[firewalker]

He didn't mention it will be a fork tbh.

Alexander.

[tom66]

Personally, I think this will be bad for Makerbot.

Lots of Makerbot's market consists of hackers/tinkerers. If you can no longer hack the Makerbot, then it is just as good, if not worse, than other closed source products, which cost less.

[EEVblog]

Personally, I think this will be bad for Makerbot.
Lots of Makerbot's market consists of hackers/tinkerers.

I suspect it's not. Each Makerbot rev has been a significant step up in price. They aren't silly, they would have the numbers on who there market is.

Dave.

[Zad]

Next step: Migration of sub-assembly fabrication to China.

[eyebrow]

There was another good article that Zach Hoeken (Makerbot co-founder) wrote which outlined his disgust in making it semi-closed source. I guess the open source business model just doesn't allow them to bring in the big dollars. I also think this was part of the reason why Zach got booted or left makerbot.