I want one because it’s got a proper HDMI-CEC implementation for a living room TV device, it will run silently, and it’s tiny. I also have a Steam Deck, so I expect to use them together quite often.

I am aware I can get a different PC right now. I don’t want one bad enough to do it though. I also may not buy a Steam Machine depending upon how the price shakes out. I was thinking maybe $600ish when they announced it, but it’s not worth $1k to me given its modest capabilities.

I’m going to wait for it to exit beta first, but I am excited about being able to run vanilla Klipper on the CC1!

Same for me

Excellent! It already worked really well. I played all of Miles Morales using it.

Absolutely. Been there since Nesticle.

There are always a few games that I don’t want to wait for emulation to get right, and the majority of those are Nintendo’s

I find it hard to argue with that as I also don’t have data one way or another.

I’ve personally decided that I’m not going to be purchasing any games on console that are available for PC. I was always a console gamer, from the (really dating myself here) Mattel Electronics IntelliVision to the PS5. But more and more they don’t feel worth it to me, and I’ve absolutely loved gaming on my Steam Deck.

Of course, Nintendo is almost certainly never going to bring their games to PC. I am a sucker for Zelda or Metroid, so I usually have a Nintendo console of some sort.

This is a good point, but leaves Nintendo out of the consideration

This is my story too. I hate what tech became, so I tried to pivot careers. I did a few other things, but due to a long list of reasons, I’m back doing tech work. I’m no longer help desk or working directly for an IT department. More of an in-house advisor and consultant with light sysadmin work.

I used to brew my beer and now I build and use 3D printers. The physical world is more interesting to me than all those extra numbers today’s processors can crunch.

I just setup an Elegoo Centauri Carbon yesterday. At $300 USD, it’s a lot of printer for the cost.

I’ve also built printers which is a different beast. If you think your son would enjoy assembling a kit, then there are several great options within your price range. The Voron line of open source printers is where I’d look.

It’s hard to go wrong with a Prusa, but I have a lot harder time justifying their prices these days. I had a MK3S for 5.5 years that served me well.

The moment I needed Microsoft’s permission to use my computer after installing a graphics card, I made an image of the drive, wiped it and installed a Linux distribution. That was 2008, and I’ve been a very happy computer user since.

I know not everyone can make that switch, but it’s easier than ever before, and Valve has really changed the calculus with Proton. Gaming was the biggest thing holding back Linux adoption (IMO).

SuperSlicer has very good default Voron 2.4 profiles, but it is almost bewildering how many options it has

I think in most cases that’s true. I basically never recommend anything that needs major assembly. I don’t think the average person wants a hobby, just a way to make things they see online. And that’s totally fair. I wanted the hobby.

I agree with this.

That said, if the person who is asking for recommendations loves to build, then a half DIY printer is a good option. Something like a Voron which can be built “to stock” or modified as desired. I just got a 2.4r2 up and running. The software tuning wasn’t bad thanks to SuperSlic3r and the default profiles.

But if the person just wants a printer? Yeah, I’d direct them to one the more finished products available now like a Bambu or the Elegoo Centauri Carbon.

I’m waiting to see what the Voron option will look like for the Bondtech INDX toolchanger before making a final decision, but I’m building a Voron 2.4R2 with the goal of converting it later on. Filament multiplexing is a nice option, but far more wasteful than I can stand

My understanding is that it flows down from Canada. Vermont has a bad opiate problem partly because it’s so available there.

I agree that the part design is superb, especially coming from the Prusa MK3S. The Voron build manual blows Prusa’s out of the water. I find the whole thing way more intuitive and enjoyable to build.

Fortunately for me, Linux and SBCs are well within my wheelhouse, and that was one of the primary reasons I chose to build a Voron.

Hey congratulations! I hope you enjoy owning a printer!

I had a very similar experience building my first printer (a Prusa MK3S) a bit over five years ago. I’ve rebuilt it a couple of times since.

That experience is serving me well as I build a Voron 2.4R2 (with ASA parts printed on the MK3S). The learning curve part appears to be largely behind me, and owning the Prusa did help ease that since they make a lot of things pretty easy.

I guess I’ll be the black sheep here.

I like Junk Store. I’ve had a better experience with the Decky Loader plugin than I have had with Heroic, namely Heroic made it difficult to login to my accounts and refused to stay logged in. I’m not criticizing Heroic, and I’m appreciative of it as an open source project. Perhaps those issues have even been resolved since I last used it. At the time though, I wanted to stop logging into my accounts each time I wanted to see my libraries, so I gave Junk Store a chance.

I still use it, and I just decided to try out this new version. I’ve been using Linux since the late 90s, and it’s been my primary OS on all my systems since 2008. I’m no longer accustomed to paying for a lot of software (games aside), but doing so will help keep the free (and open source) Decky Loader version going for everyone.

I understand not liking subscriptions, and $40 is a bit high, but keep in mind it’s optional. The plugin version remains and will remain free according to the husband and wife team behind Junk Store. They’re very easy people to talk to if you need anything at all, and they have a passion for what they’re doing. I think it’s super shitty to call them greedy because they’re offering a paid option alongside the free one.

I was a homebrewer for many years, and a huge portion of us wanted to go pro or did.

Most weren’t prepared for what it meant to turn a hobby into a profession. It’s a really good way to turn something you love into a chore.

Printers are now closer to appliances than custom machines, and there are no shortage of them available.

So no, you’re not wrong to want to start a business. You would be facing a tough market though.

I agree, but with exceptions. More complicated projects made of several separate parts (especially ones not 100% 3D printed) can be hella cool.

Heat set screw inserts, embedded hardware (nuts, magnets, springs), electronics, etc. can all be used to create toys that can’t be purchased.