Store for 3D printers in Boston

(The Boston Globe, November 22, 2013)

New York-based MakerBot has opened a retail store on Boston’s Newbury Street, giving consumers a close look at machines that could prove just as disruptive as the personal computer — low-cost 3-D printers capable of cranking out made-to-order objects, from Christmas ornaments to auto parts. Engineers and manufacturers have used large, expensive 3-D printing machines for more than two decades. But MakerBot builds versions that are simple enough for use by ordinary tinkerers, and priced at around $2,200 — the cost of a high-end personal computer or a large-screen TV. Boston is the second retail location for MakerBot, which last year opened a store in Manhattan. The New York City location not only sells the printers but also does custom print jobs, like a 3-D version of Staples or VistaPrint.