Will 3D Printing Be As Important a Technoology as the PC?

[Larry]

Hindsight is 20/20 they say. Most people in the early 1980's would have thought you were nuts if you told them that everyone would have a personal computer in their pockets in 20-30 years, much less the ability to talk to that computer (smartphone) and ask if the weather, how to get somewhere, etc and have it respond to you extremely accurately.

So my question is, in the next 20 years or so will we look back at 3D printers in the same way? Will 3D Printing have as much of a transformative affect on society as the PC has?

Why or why not?

[QuiveringToad]

Honestly I can't see it being as important as a PC. PC's are basically used in everything we do today. Without them, we would still be back in the 70's.

3D Printing will revolutionize a lot of things, but probably not for another decade or two.

[MysteryAlabaster]

Not yet, maybe one day but not now.

The only reason I say this is because you currently need a PC to be able to use your printer.
When the price eventually comes down by about half then maybe.