With the Makerbot Replicator 2, “anyone’s home can become a mini factory.” Already a leader among desktop 3-D printers, the new Replicator “prints bigger, faster, and more precisely than its predecessor,” and given its capabilities, it is “stunningly inexpensive.” The machine’s extrusion-based technology might not remain state-of-the-art for long in this fast-changing industry, but for now this sleek device is hard to beat for performance and ease of use. Just “download or create a design, hit Print,” and watch as the Replicator extrudes ultra-thin layers of plastic until they’ve built your object—“or, if you want, hundreds of copies of it.”
$2,199, makerbot.com
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