Anno found a story on BBC News on the lowering costs of 3d-printers:
“We don’t feel our technology is expensive,” said Mr DeHart. “Our entry level system starts at $30,000 and that system can support all powder types and all the geometric models.”
From the age of fourteen to eighteen I worked in a print and design shop in my hometown. The colour photocopier that we charged customers at about 1GBP a copy cost more than $30k. At that price they could find their way into copyshops and local emporia like the Lucky Dragon franchise of William Gibson’s books.
Beneficial applications of colour photocopiers are wide enough to grasp by people to be able to charge 1GBP an operation. What would the breakthrough consumer applications of 3d printers/copiers/faxes be?
Petafloptimism 