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Glowforge launches consumer-grade laser cutter

glowforge.com

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Re: Glowforge launches consumer-grade laser cutter

#151

Post by sixQuarks »

andrewstuart2 wrote: post #147
sixQuarks wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As always, HN never fails to make sure the top comment is negative in some way. Dan, I think this is a phenomenal product. I didn't know much about laser cutters and their potential, and you did a great job making this accessible. I wish you luck and hope to see your company grow.

I think this is part of the reason I actually very much appreciate the comments section on HN. Not for negativity, but because often the top comment is a good summation of the caveats to whatever's behind a given link. People selling products are not wont to tell me why their product might not be as great as it seems, unless required to by law. Even then, only in tiny print. I'm certainly not an expert in many areas…

True, you make good points. I just think in this case, the product warrants some kudos as the top comment. This is probably in the top 1% tier of quality startups.

Re: Glowforge launches consumer-grade laser cutter

#152

Post by sixQuarks »

troisx wrote: post #150
sixQuarks wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As always, HN never fails to make sure the top comment is negative in some way. Dan, I think this is a phenomenal product. I didn't know much about laser cutters and their potential, and you did a great job making this accessible. I wish you luck and hope to see your company grow.

Negative comments are appropriate in this case. This looked so amazing, but the comments here point out the very important fact that this requires access to the internet to function, something that the co-founder so far hasn't addressed in the comments despite numerous requests for an answer.

The founder addresses this in a video review done by Tested.

https://youtu.be/0R3mMUsHFvU?t=13m48s

Also, I don't disagree with your comment, I just hate that the top comment always seems to put a damper on every truly promising launch or product - with Dropbox's launch being a famous example.

Re: Glowforge launches consumer-grade laser cutter

#153

Post by cwkoss »

dlowe-net wrote: post #107

Is there some strategy for customers once the cloud servers shut down? The company doesn't have to go out of business - perhaps five years have passed and you've moved on to more awesome models. While your business might feel that customers should upgrade to the newest, it's not great that they would be forced to. For instance, when Steam was first released Valve promised that should the authentication servers go dow…

Open sourcing local backup server software would be a cool move.

Re: Glowforge launches consumer-grade laser cutter

#154

Post by quaunaut »

rsync wrote: post #138
cptskippy wrote: post #49

It's not just cloud connected, it's cloud dependent. It requires internet access and their cloud services to function at all. That's kind of disappointing.

It's not just disappointing, it's stupefying. Why would my drill (or my compressor or my band saw) need to be on the Internet in order to function ? Also, there's a lot of overlap between people who have the extra space/building/shop to properly run equipment like this and people that have spotty rural Internet.

Probably has to do with how it analyzes the object it's cutting on, and determines what's suitable from there.

Re: Glowforge launches consumer-grade laser cutter

#155

Post by theatrus2 »

danshapiro wrote: post #130
jkaunisv1 wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So is there a built-in exhaust fan?

Yes. Actually both intake and exhaust fans. Both of those are under software control, so they only run at the speed required for the job. Then the $500 air filter option has its own internal fans to assist with air, also under software control. If you use the filter, there's nothing else hanging off the back of the device except a power cord. (My old laser had a squirrel cage fan, an aquarium pump, and a chiller teth…

Whats the ducting capability on exhaust?

Munching on wood with an Epilog laser will produce copious volumes of smoke, and the air assist and 400CFM blower are not trivial pieces of equipment to embed in a unit to properly quell any fires and actually extract all the air needed.

Re: Glowforge launches consumer-grade laser cutter

#157

Post by comboy »

arama471 wrote: post #128
Drdrdrq wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Curious: why not mitigate fire danger by measuring temperature in beam vicinity using thermal camera?

Wouldn't that be too slow? By the time you see the temp spike on the cam you may have already started the fire

Have some cartridge of CO2 inside that is getting released in such scenario? There's not much volume inside so it should do the job. IANAF, just wondering.

Re: Glowforge launches consumer-grade laser cutter

#158

Post by chromaton »

sixQuarks wrote: post #139
danshapiro wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(founder/CEO here) I vented a 60W chinese laser out my window for a year in the suburbs, but I've learned never to underestimate what neighbors may complain complain about. The air filter is definitely a good idea. If you do the math on the volume, and compare it to the actual volume of the filter of e.g. a Purex, you'll find it's similar. Almost half of the volume of the Purex is in the fans or open airspace; we hav…

As always, HN never fails to make sure the top comment is negative in some way. Dan, I think this is a phenomenal product. I didn't know much about laser cutters and their potential, and you did a great job making this accessible. I wish you luck and hope to see your company grow.

I didn't want to be negative or put this product down. I just wanted to be sure the people who are looking at this to know what they are getting into. The points I made about this machine could apply to ANY laser cutter.

As a class of machine, they're just not as easy to use as, say, an inkjet printer. As I said, the camera feature looks nice, and according to danshapiro, they've done a lot to help with the maintenance issues by enclosing the optics.

Re: Glowforge launches consumer-grade laser cutter

#159

Post by GFK_of_xmaspast »

sixQuarks wrote: post #151
andrewstuart2 wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think this is part of the reason I actually very much appreciate the comments section on HN. Not for negativity, but because often the top comment is a good summation of the caveats to whatever's behind a given link. People selling products are not wont to tell me why their product might not be as great as it seems, unless required to by law. Even then, only in tiny print. I'm certainly not an expert in many areas…

True, you make good points. I just think in this case, the product warrants some kudos as the top comment. This is probably in the top 1% tier of quality startups.

The community here is under no obligation to cheer-lead.

Re: Glowforge launches consumer-grade laser cutter

#160

Post by jordz »

andrewstuart2 wrote: post #147
sixQuarks wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As always, HN never fails to make sure the top comment is negative in some way. Dan, I think this is a phenomenal product. I didn't know much about laser cutters and their potential, and you did a great job making this accessible. I wish you luck and hope to see your company grow.

I think this is part of the reason I actually very much appreciate the comments section on HN. Not for negativity, but because often the top comment is a good summation of the caveats to whatever's behind a given link. People selling products are not wont to tell me why their product might not be as great as it seems, unless required to by law. Even then, only in tiny print. I'm certainly not an expert in many areas…

+1 * sizeof(ulong)
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