Good points. What we see now in the 3d printer world is no different than other market segments and I believe 3d printers in general will follow similar trends as you pointed out. The problem from a manufacturer's standpoint is which machine to tailor for what pricepoint. Some savvy manufacturers look for gaps in the current offerings hoping to get buyers from the low end of the gap to step up and entice buyers from the top to spring for a bargain. From there it's a game of adding and subtracting options and build quality to have a product that fills the gap. Ruling out technological breakthroughs that greatly reduce the cost for state of the art features, that's about how it works.

So, what features would have gotten you to spring extra cash from your current machine? What build quality or features would you have given up to have gotten a cost reduction? Remember the old manufacturing menu. You can have any two of the following three. Quality. Fast Delivery. Low Cost.