I wish Prusa weren't asleep at the wheel, then we would have bought a core one (that is, the hypothetical variant with large build volume and same quality as bambulab). Instead, we bought a P1S, which is, technically speaking, a fantastic machine.
Not really asleep at the wheel. More like they invented the wheel, produced the open source slicer (a fork of the original slicer but vastly improved), which was then used by Bambu who could manufacture a printer for less in China rather than in the EU. Prusa themselves run 600 printers. They are commercial grade. If I was using a printer for commercial design or prototyping I would go with Prusa. Not only because I…
A lot of 3D printer companies have tried to go this route. It is not a strategy that tends to succeed.
I don't know their sales numbers, but I would be willing to bet that the ROI on those printers is nowhere near their bread-and-butter, high volume, mass market models.
I think their priority should have been to build something like the Core One (a P1S killer) rather than these expensive and risky forays into pro/prosumer land. The Core one is, realistically speaking, at least 24 months late to market. This was avoidable.
Everyone who operates a 3D printing farm, and who isn't a complete muppet, knows that closed down products like those of Bambu Labs are risky. Both because some 3D printer manufacturers kind of have a history of being dickish, and because the big boys are coming after Bambu labs with their patent lawsuits and whatnot. There are clear risks in dealing with companies like Bambu.
Dealing with Prusa involves significantly less risk. This reduced risk has value. You can charge a bit more for Prusa products due to the reputation of the company.
Most people I know who own 3D printers would rather have done business with Prusa. But Prusa only had the MK4 on offer and were burning cash on, let's be frank, irrelevant vanity projects.
Yes, Prusa were very much asleep at the wheel. Or at least, they had some strategic lapses in judgement. Let's hope they understand their customer base better now. I'd be happy to be a bit patient with them if it means we can get something that performs like Bambu printers, but from Prusa.
I'll even be willing to pay perhaps as much as 20% more just because I trust Prusa more than Bambu.