Apple is working on a 3d printer

Apple is gearing up for a new round of production on some mystery product.It’s supposed to be bigger than the iPhone. Like usual the rumor mill is in overdrive and everything from even thinner MacBooks to watches are being talked about.  I don’t think that is what they are working on. In 2015 they applied for a patent on a 3d printer. I’ll hold my opinion until the end. It would seem that they intend to take a shot at the 3d printing market. While Jobs was alive this was something that seemed very unlikely. When he passed away though the company quickly started making changes. This is one possible direction that change could go. They need a new product. Something that they can link to all the rest of their apple line and give them a hold on the market. A 3D printer could do just that. It’s widely talked about and little understood. A perfect target for apple. They bring in a printer that “Works” and apple fans will buy them like hotcakes. Emagine a 3dprinter that uses apple software.  You could easily set up a 3dprinting category in the apple store and then just buy models from apple. They already are laying the groundwork.

Introducing Shapr3d

The video speaks for itself. It’s obvious that the person using this knows their way around the program but I don’t see why most people couldn’t get the basics down pretty quickly. Take this program and make it send out an apple designed STL format and now they can easily control the quality of the prints. Makers can then upload to the apple store barring some kind of approval process and sell their models on a store that is known worldwide.

What does Apples 3d printer look like?

Apple makes things that work and needs little fiddling. The one thing that most 3d printers have in common is the amount of work that goes into post processing. The Mcor is perfect for apple. Full color, very little post processing and it just works. You don’t have to worry about fires or clogs and it’s potentially environmentally friendly as long as you throw the leftovers in the recycle. Given the issues, they and some other companies have had with their phones The last thing they would want is something that could catch fire on a desk. A desk version of the Mcor Iris also wouldn’t have the potential health issues that standard FDM printers have these days. No fumes the paper is cut with a steel cutter and colored and bonded with some form of ink and glue. If apple joins the 3d printer world it will be with a machine like this. The machine even lends itself to apples ideals. It’s complicated enough to require custom firmware and plenty expensive. It also just works. Emagine for a second your scrolling through Itunes and your favorite singer now has a 3d model you can buy to go with that song you can’t get out of your head. You click buy and the printer will start printing away because it’s linked to your account. You come home after shopping (cause lets face it if you owned a desktop version of this you don’t work for a living.) and it’s ready to clean up and put on your shelf. This is only one possible application apple could use to tie-in with their other products but it paints an interesting picture. They could start a whole market that other 3dprinters not only couldn’t use because the models are sliced differently but couldn’t compete with either.

Apples Resin 3d Printer

Now they could also go the Resin rout Like Form labs. It’s another “set and forget” style printer. It’s Fumeless and they can custom blend resins to fit their needs. I feel like this version would be less likely because it could get messy and doesn’t always print so well. Plus the post processing can get a little tedious. It would still fit the way apple thinks, though. It looks good on a desktop, needs special resins, and the hardware/firmware can be designed to only work with apple products. If you set it up to be ready when you need it you can walk away and start a print from anywhere. Aside from getting a laser in your eye, it’s also pretty safe. Zero fumes and not likely to burn your house down.

Should Apple make a 3d printer?

Yes (I can hear the comments already let me explain). The thing apple is best at is promoting a product. The one thing 3d printing is lacking is good promotion. If the news isn’t spreading lies about 3d printers causing fires or creating guns it’s ignoring them all together. 3d printing is pretty well known but only makers feel the need to own one of the complicated anger machines. If you own one you know what I mean. Apple would Change all that in an instant with their iPrinter (you know that’s what they will call it). Just like the iPod did for music the Iprinter will make 3d printing cool. They will market it with popular singers and celebrities and within days anyone and everyone that wants to look hip will be talking about the iprinter they just dropped 10 grand on.(that’s a low estimate). The other outcome will be the underground market will spike. Apple haters will buy the low-cost printers and spew hate at the apple community for spending so much. The cost of FDM printers will rise then fall in price to almost nothing and Walmarts everywhere will start carrying low-cost home based solutions. All because apple made 3d printers hip.

Would I buy an apple 3d printer?

Not even if I could afford it but I’m an apple hater. I don’t like the restrictions they place on their products and aside from the ipod which no one uses anymore, I don’t like any of their products. I do like the aesthetics but I’m a function over form kind of guy. It can be fugly as hell as long as it gets the job done. I do think it is what the market needs, though. A large company that will embrace 3d printing and make it “cool”.

What do you think?

I know I’m going to see a lot of hate for this article but what do you guys think? Be honest would you buy an iPrinter?

 

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