I have to agree. I’m not happy about anything getting locked down, but what they’ve done for the industry in just a few years is absolutely insane.
I was (and still am) quite glad to dump my old bed slinger that I’d spent the previous three years tinkering with and upgrading because despite all the time and effort spent on it, it was still slow and unreliable. With my X1C, I literally don’t even bother checking my prints until it’s time to unload because after 14 months of almost daily use, I can count the number of failed prints on one hand and it prints so well (plus AMS) that I’ve been able to sell prints and recoup everything I paid for the thing.
Even if the company goes to shit in 5-10 years it doesnt matter because they’ve raised the bar quite drastically and everyone else is taking inspiration from it. I can buy a new printer in 2035 from whatever company is consumer friendly at that point, but for now I’m enjoying the hell out of this thing. Parts are cheap, filament is cheap (and not restricted), prints are quality and quick, and it’s always ready to go.
SW42@lemmy.world 14 hours ago
I would have to disagree, it’s about the possibility to run my printer using whichever slicer I want - and I prefer orcaslicer to the bambulab offering. Having to jump through hoops and reduced functionality since the firmware update was the reason I took the printers offline and never upgraded. Works faster through LAN as well…
princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 hours ago
You just touched on why the OC is wrong. You can use it via LAN only, and there’s no way they can disable that. You can also downgrade the firmware. While some of their actions have been concerning, and people should keep their eye on future developments, there’s no need for alarmism.
SW42@lemmy.world 10 hours ago
I’m still stuck with an old firmware. And if I want lan mode with the new firmware I would have to use another app and lose the printing status and direct controls in orca slicer. So if they add fixes and improvements (new build plates, new filaments) I’m still stuck on an old version. That’s not alarmism, that’s a fact.
princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 hours ago
I’m not sure about new build plates, but new filaments can absolutely be added within a slicer, including the BL slicer.
I’d also be really interested to see if a project like the X1 custom firmware is extended to more devices.
Bluewing@lemmy.world 9 hours ago
Build plates are just sheet steel with a coating. And Bambu filament is just Sunlu with an RFID tag that isn’t worth the extra cost.