It’s been selling all of us overpriced ink and toner for decades now, while basically giving its printers away. It plans to do the same thing with 3D printers by making them compatible only with proprietary spools and filaments. HP recently told the press that it has already developed a special polymer that its 3D printer prototype uses. If you want to use a Hewlett Packard 3D printer, you will have to buy and use that polymer. HP will then be able to own the market by dropping the price of its printers. The industry will hate it and stockholders will love it. People will buy the printer if it’s easy to use.
This approach contrasts with the home based recycling model pioneered by Filabot. This crowd financed effort will help all of us to recycle whatever plastic is laying around, for unending creativity, while greatly reducing the municipal waste stream.
This is another one of those opportunities for Consumer Sovereignty assert itself, to come of age and open the so-called free marketplace for real.