People have been able to send electronic messages back and forth via a computer since the 1960’s over this thing called Arpanet. It took about 30 years until YOU could do it.
People have been able to print elaborate full-color designs onto myriad sizes of paper for ages! Only in the past 10 has it really been affordable and usable by YOU.
People have been able to get photos developed at this place called a “FotoMat” (is there still such a thing?) for several decades. Now YOU can develop them at home so you can have a hard copy of you giving ‘er the stiff whiffle. That’s only really been affordable in the past 5 years I think.
Job Shop = Print Shop
Point being, just because something’s been existent for awhile in some form doesn’t detract from its usefulness or extended possibilities. Most things are iterative enhancements on a proven idea anyway.
Anyway, I think it’s pretty cool when you think about the possiblity of cheaply engaging in a fab project. I mean, I’m not probably going to go to K-Zell with my little one off project because A) you’d be too expensive and B) you’d probably be too busy to contract for a single thing. I’m not positive, but I think the setup time for a fab project tends to be pretty high, right? It would be analogous to having to set each gear in your printer for every type of photo you print. You’d have Landscape config, and Pretty Girl config, etc. I could be wrong on those counts, but I think the general idea applies.
When the machine prices go down and the technical requirements go down, you have a commodity. My mom owns and operates a CNC router in one of her bedrooms! I’m sure that wouldn’t have been practical 10 years ago.
You used to have to wire your own circuits and program your own OS to have a computer. Now, every component is a commodity. You buy a motherboard, a hard drive, etc. and you just assemble them. All you need is a screwdriver. So when not only the components, but also the process, becomes a commodity, the barrier to entry goes way down and you’ll see a flourishing of novel ideas and unexpected outcomes.
So, I think that’s really more of the point …the new possibilities and not the mundane nature of the source idea. Of course, Wired is always jizzing all over everything they see if it involves plastic and round corners, so it’s easy to dismiss.
kage said,
09.02.05 at 8:27 am
Um… I think this has existed for about ten years now. Its called a job shop.
Snackrabbit said,
09.07.05 at 12:06 am
People have been able to send electronic messages back and forth via a computer since the 1960’s over this thing called Arpanet. It took about 30 years until YOU could do it.
People have been able to print elaborate full-color designs onto myriad sizes of paper for ages! Only in the past 10 has it really been affordable and usable by YOU.
People have been able to get photos developed at this place called a “FotoMat” (is there still such a thing?) for several decades. Now YOU can develop them at home so you can have a hard copy of you giving ‘er the stiff whiffle. That’s only really been affordable in the past 5 years I think.
Job Shop = Print Shop
Point being, just because something’s been existent for awhile in some form doesn’t detract from its usefulness or extended possibilities. Most things are iterative enhancements on a proven idea anyway.
Anyway, I think it’s pretty cool when you think about the possiblity of cheaply engaging in a fab project. I mean, I’m not probably going to go to K-Zell with my little one off project because A) you’d be too expensive and B) you’d probably be too busy to contract for a single thing. I’m not positive, but I think the setup time for a fab project tends to be pretty high, right? It would be analogous to having to set each gear in your printer for every type of photo you print. You’d have Landscape config, and Pretty Girl config, etc. I could be wrong on those counts, but I think the general idea applies.
When the machine prices go down and the technical requirements go down, you have a commodity. My mom owns and operates a CNC router in one of her bedrooms! I’m sure that wouldn’t have been practical 10 years ago.
You used to have to wire your own circuits and program your own OS to have a computer. Now, every component is a commodity. You buy a motherboard, a hard drive, etc. and you just assemble them. All you need is a screwdriver. So when not only the components, but also the process, becomes a commodity, the barrier to entry goes way down and you’ll see a flourishing of novel ideas and unexpected outcomes.
So, I think that’s really more of the point …the new possibilities and not the mundane nature of the source idea. Of course, Wired is always jizzing all over everything they see if it involves plastic and round corners, so it’s easy to dismiss.