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Staples Easy 3D will launch in the Netherlands and Belgium

This partly because Mcor, the printer manufacturer, is European, but I suspect also because there's more demand in Europe thanks to the ubiquity of fast cheap broadband. It disturbs me that the US is falling behind in the digital infrastructure stakes.




Are 3D printer files amazingly huge or something? Why would broadband matter so much?


No, but I think for casual users print providers will want to host 3d models in a browser app.


I wouldn't read much into it. When HP started selling Stratasys 3-D printers it got the same reaction as this. They were also only sold in a couple European countries. It had nothing to do with broadband and everything to do with a VP from Europe thinking it would be a good idea. The experiment fizzled out after poor results.




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