Really, Prusa?
Has management now officially decided that you are no longer catering to 3D printing enthusiasts but to suckers?
https://www.prusa3d.com/applications/prusa-signature-oak_243878/
[Where is the facepalm emoji when you need it?]
RE:
Has management now officially decided that you are no longer catering to 3D printing enthusiasts but to suckers?
https://www.prusa3d.com/applications/prusa-signature-oak_243878/[Where is the facepalm emoji when you need it?]
I had to check the calendar to make sure it wasn't April 1st. I'm waiting for the audiophile version with oxygen free copper.
RE: Really, Prusa?
Actually, the should have made the cabinet out of bamboo... 🤨
RE: Really, Prusa?
I mean, I can see how this would look attractive at first glance from a marketeering point of view: "Hey, let's grab some attention and some money!" But sadly, this kind of gimmick also says loud and clear that Prusa no longer trusts their ability to command either --- attention or revenue -- based on the strengths of their products and service.
On top of that, this product says that either Prusa have forgotten how 3D printing is actually done, or believe to find enough customers who don't have a clue. Hint: It's a bit noisy, it can be smelly, it requires all kinds of paraphernalia besides the printer. It certainly does not happen in a designer living room like the one pictured in the promo shot. Hence my "suckers" comment in the OP -- and yes, they probably need to be affluent suckers too...
RE: Really, Prusa?
Has management now officially decided that you are no longer catering to 3D printing enthusiasts but to suckers?
https://www.prusa3d.com/applications/prusa-signature-oak_243878/[Where is the facepalm emoji when you need it?]
I had to check the calendar to make sure it wasn't April 1st. I'm waiting for the audiophile version with oxygen free copper.
Seriously. I get his link to wood, but between this and the hollow filament extruder, it does seem a bit like we are living in a simulation.
RE: Really, Prusa?
Signature Maple SLS resin printer for the bedroom.
RE: Really, Prusa?
What’s the back look like? Maybe use it as an end-table… Put on a lazy-Susan and have the back be a nice carving…
RE: Really, Prusa?
I think you're exaggerating a bit. I also prefer the “industrial” look, like the old gray computer cases from the 386 era and the old stores that looked like warehouses. But there are many people who value matching, coordinated furnishings. I'm not familiar with this, but words you often hear in this context are “traditional” and “modern.” From this point of view, typical 3D printers look more like they were made for a workshop than for a living room. To claim that people who value matching furnishings are not 3D printer enthusiasts is simply a prejudice. Of course, it's easy to think that Prusa just wants to make a lot of money with this, but there are also people who work from home and have customer contact there, for example. In that case, a classic 3D printer in the living room would be rather distracting, unless the other person happens to be a tech enthusiast as well.
What I'm trying to say is that there are practical applications for this technology, so we shouldn't immediately dismiss it and interpret it in a negative light.
PS: I also have my 3D printers in my living room because I don't have any other space in my home. Sometimes they are loud, rarely they smell, sometimes I have to maintain them, but they don't run 24 hours a day.
Still, I would prefer an upgrade for higher-quality prints or something like that.
RE: Really, Prusa?
PS: I also have my 3D printers in my living room because I don't have any other space in my home. Sometimes they are loud, rarely they smell, sometimes I have to maintain them, but they don't run 24 hours a day.
I put my printers away from people next to a window with ample ventilation. Just because you can't smell it, doesn't mean it's not harmful.
Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if the Oak sells for $15-20K. After printing a few benchies (or not even) it will sit in some CEO's office as an ornament.
RE: Really, Prusa?
While I don't plan to purchase one, I think it is a cool idea. I have actually considered modifying my printers in similar ways. They will definitely sell the ones they built because of the uniqueness. Last year when they showed the bamboo one then there were a lot of comments showing affection to the look.
Let Josef have some fun.
RE:
While I don't plan to purchase one, I think it is a cool idea. I have actually considered modifying my printers in similar ways. They will definitely sell the ones they built because of the uniqueness. Last year when they showed the bamboo one then there were a lot of comments showing affection to the look.
Let Josef have some fun.
I think the bamboo case was a dig at Bambu Labs and done as a joke.
It's not about having fun, it's about sustaining a business when your competition is running rings around you providing value for money. The only reason I didn't get a Bambu when I needed to upgrade, is I wanted to build my own printer and I was very happy with the MK4S reliability. Also when I had my MK4S, I really wasn't using it much since I didn't fully embrace the hobby (yet) so didn't care that it was obsolete.
Now I'm designing things for myself, other people and now running into the limitations of my Core One. I've been griping on these forums lately but I really want to be on team Prusa (for now). I want them to succeed. The Oak and in some ways the Core-L are a needless distractions.
But then (to use a metaphor), I'm not going to stay in a bad relationship because of the kids... I'll wait and see what they announce at FormNext.
RE: Really, Prusa?
I didn’t want it until I saw how much it makes Jurgen cry.
RE:
The amount of third-party hand wringing that goes on here is genuinely tiresome. Yes we all want Prusa to succeed and continue to be a strong company, whether or not we exclusively buy their printers in the future...but please take a moment to ask yourself from time to time if you might be coming across as a broken record of pessimism. Feel free to hold back a little bit if the answer you come to is "well, maybe." 🤔 Also consider the fact that as probably the two most prolific voices on this forum lately, you do so much campaigning for Bambu on here that the thought has genuinely crossed my mind that you might be in their pay. I don't say this to be provocative or antagonistic. I have appreciated much of your helpful contributions to various topics here. But lately the messaging has all been doom and gloom from you guys. Meanwhile, Prusa has partnered with Filament2 to create a really cool silicone add-on for their XL, made material improvements to their latest offering in the L model, and most importantly has seemingly partnered with Bondtech to try and do something that has the entire industry buzzing by developing their INDX tech into a production model. I'm hoping that this message can simply act as helpful reminder that if you truly want Prusa to succeed, you might start by making sure you're not literally filling their user forum with campaign messages for their competition.
My core one isn't perfect either, but neither are the alternatives, and it is a measured improvement over my Mk4S in the most important ways. This whole "Prusa needs to compete on 'value for money' with Chinese manufacturing" sentiment isn't helpful either. It doesn't take a genius to know that they simply can't compete on price, for legitimate reasons that many of their customers understand and appreciate. They are probably not even trying to compete in market share either, so why keep beating that tiresome drum.
So they made a product that doesn't appeal or make sense to you. That's fine. I own lots of products by companies that make other things that don't make sense to me. Should I be compelled to blast their forums over them to the point that it seems like I'm actively trying to lead customers away? Prusa is doing a limited run of Oak Core Ones. I can make a fairly confident prediction that they'll sell and be appreciated by their owners. You're not going to buy one? That's perfectly fine. Just leave it at that without having to post your negative energy as the very first thread in this product sub-forum. 🤦♂️
-J
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I am really pleased to see the recent slew of announcements from Prusa. The Core One L seems like a strong follow-up to the smaller model, and it is great that Prusa have taken customer feedback to heart and will be able to ship it right after the announcement. I very much hope that the OpenPrintTag will gain traction. Not sure about the silicone printing, which may well remain a footnote in 3D printing, but it's good to see that they keep exploring and collaborating with other innovative companies. And like many other here, I have high hopes for the INDX collaboration with Bondtech.
But I stand by my assessment that the Signature Oak edition is a gimmick, aimed at grabbing attention and money. I concur that the 250 units will be sold -- after all, Prusa gave themselves pricing flexibility -- but most of them will not be sold to people who will actually print with them. Which is all I wrote above.
Not sure whether you were referring to me as one of the alleged Bambu shills? If you have followed my posts, you may known that I cancelled the order for my first Bambu printer early this year, when they announced the new firmware lock-in measures just as my printer was on its way. I still don't want a Bambu printer for that reason. And I indeed went through a phase of intense hand-wringing over Prusa and the Core One when I realized that they were not the "rock solid" alternative I had hoped to get instead.
I have gotten used to both, the company and the printer, in the meantime -- they both have their strengths and annoying weaknesses. I continue to wish Prusa well, because I want to have continued alternatives to vendor lock-in and the dependency on Chinese products. The Core One L announcement and INDX rumors are encouraging signals that Prusa will continue to hold their own in the "advanced hobbyist" and "semi professional" segment of the market. But the Signature Oak is not.
RE: Really, Prusa?
Don’t own a Bambu nor am I interested in owning one. And no, I’m not a plant from Bambu here to stir up anti-Prusa sentiment. Nor is anyone else here for that matter. Why go to that kind of trouble when you are the market leader in consumer printers and are seemingly not concerned about your competition. This is a hobby and like all my past hobbies, this one will probably follow the same path where I’ll burn out on it soon enough, move onto the next one and not look back.
I seriously doubt the rants of a couple of people on a forum that has, on average, about 10-15 people online at any given time is really going to hurt their bottom line. In my view, they evidently seem to be moving away from consumers. Good for them. I have a feeling they will do well in that space, catering toward businesses in need of printing advanced materials and print farms.
As for the rest of it. Whatever… Perhaps, maybe, just maybe someone from Prusa reads these posts and takes some of it back to management. Or maybe they don’t care and have charted a different path for themselves.
RE: Really, Prusa?
What exactly is your issue? It’s a limited run collector edition - so no, it’s not catered to “enthusiasts”. No one is making you buy it. Nor is it replacing anything, or taking anything away from you. It’s just a cool thing for people who have money and really like Prusa - or just really like cool things - to buy and put in their living room or office. Personally I think it’s pretty dope, and a beautifully put together fusion of old and new craft. I can’t afford it, but I do appreciate it. I’m very sorry you were made to read an entire blog post about a machine that’s so apparently offensive. I’m sure the company will seek your approval next time.
Has management now officially decided that you are no longer catering to 3D printing enthusiasts but to suckers?
https://www.prusa3d.com/applications/prusa-signature-oak_243878/[Where is the facepalm emoji when you need it?]
RE: Really, Prusa?
[...] Nor is it replacing anything, or taking anything away from you.
What the Signature Oak has taken away from me -- and from all of Prusa's core customers -- is focus. Focus on the products that matter.
If you work in product design, you know that making something like the Signature Oak does not happen on its own. Even if superficially it may look like "they just asked their carpenter friends to build a nice wooden box around it", Prusa engineers have spent time on this: Mounting the CoreXY unit to an entirely new support structure; dealing with a material mix which no longer has balanced thermal expansion coefficients; ensuring CE compliance from a fire safety, electrical safety and EMC perspective; designing support legs with half-decent stability (hopefully); performance testing; revised manufacturing instructions; etc.
Those engineers might have focused on giving the regular Core One properly grounded stepper motors instead, so it does not crash during long, rapid moves. Or on figuring out why the heater interferes with bed probing in some Core Ones. Or why in some units the display only works when slowed down to sluggish data transfer rates. They might have designed a Love Board with integrated accelerometer, so calibration is always just a menu-click away. Or they might have worked with Prusa's supplier of Z leadscrews to tighten the tolerances and make sure each printer gets a heatbed where all three corners actually move in sync.
All of these measures would have strengthened Prusa's core product offering and reputation with their core customers. But the engineers did not find time for them, because they got tasked with designing a gimmick instead. So yes, I think we all lost something in this deal, and so did Prusa, unfortunately.
RE:
well, realistically: buy a print farm and we'll throw in a wooden one for your office. As long as it helps to sell more print farms, whatever keeps the wheels spinning.
RE: Really, Prusa?
The wooden casing was probably originally supposed to be made of bamboo (a competitor for anger), but they couldn't find enough quality bamboo, so they chose oak. 😀 😀