When the desktop computer first hit the market, it was a novel technology, but nobody really knew what to make of it. Only after college students put the computer to work in new, useful applications did it become the indispensable gadget that it is today. If the history of the personal computer offers any insight into the future of the 3-D printer, college students are going play a pivotal role defining that future.
The 3-D printer, like the personal computer, is not merely an improvement on older technology, it is new technology altogether.