this post was submitted on 21 Jan 2024
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Not OP, but I chose not to go Bambu because of the closed ecosystem. I like that they're enabling custom firmware now, but they presented as very closed and proprietary, including network printing going through their cloud. While I'm not printing anything sensitive, I could see that being a concern for some, especially if you're designing your own prints. I get that they're the turnkey solution that "just works" out of the box, but so do my Qidi X-Plus 3 printers, and I can SSH into them if I want.
I've got a Qidi Smart3 and it's made me enjoy 3D printing again!
I've got 3 other printers and they're such a chore, but the Qidi is just a little powerhouse that works fantastically. Qidi needs to come out with competition for the Bambu AMS and they'd have more of my money in a heartbeat.
I would love to do multicolor or multimaterial printing, but there's no alternative to the AMS right now. I also feel like the "right way" to do this is how the Prusa XL does it, which is multiple extruders. This cuts down significantly on the amount of waste, though the quality of the AMS approach still seems to be better for now. Granted, I haven't actually needed to print multiple colors or materials yet, so it's not really a big deal.
I think the choice comes down to what one values more, the AMS or open firmware. I think the AMS is a fantastic addition, not for multi-color printing, but as a convenient and dry storage solution. All cloud features can be disabled, it perfectly works in the local network including live camera feed. You only loose access to the app, which I didn't want to install to my all foss phone anyway.
The X1 series uses an application processor with linux under the hood, and it was just a matter of time before it got jailbroken. The P1 series on the other hand uses some microcontroller, which can be locked down much better (and thus is not compatible with the new "open" firmware). I'm exited to see where this goes, and will definitely give up my guarantee in exchange for rooting my printer.
That's the software/firmware side of it but the closeness also applies to all the hardware. If something is broken you can't get it from another supplier other than Bambu. And even that you have to think about "rooting" your printer is enough to never touch this Eco system. Keep 3D printing open!