Desktop Manufacturing

The Printer-Scanner-Copier-Dishwasher-Fax is a pretty common appliance nowadays, except for the Dishwasher part, of course.

You can get a throwaway unit with the purchase of a new computer, free. Printing is easy, and has evolved to the limits of it's ability, with only marginal increases in speed an clarity available, right?

Meet the 3-Dimensional printer. 2D printers make pictures on paper. This makes things. And it will be in our futures, sooner than you might think. Creating objects, seemingly out of thin air (though the nylon dust "ink" replacement lets you know you aren't).