Jackie Fenn, Gartner’s Emerging Trends analyst, predicted widespread use of desktop manufacturing tools within several years. While the prices of personal fabbing equipment today are still out of reach of most consumers, it is expected that prices will continue to drop. With new equipment poised for release at USD$5000 per unit, this may be already beginning. She even suggests that we might find fabbing equipment available at your local Kinko’s or equivalent – in the future you may be able to “fab” objects to your distant pals at the speed of light.
Gartner Predicts Widespread Fabbing
