G2 Firmware updates

[Mooselake]

Anybody else get the Printrbot email (not sure if that link'll work for you, or if it'll result in a cruise missile aimed at the swamp, better dig out that tinfoil hat) about being able to print directly from Cura via USB? Notice it takes new firmware, that can only be updated if you have a Mac? Windows users need to send the board in for regrooving, er, reflashing in PBWHQ?

Huh? Macs have about 10% market share, PC's 88%, Linux 2% (or around there from a quick google). Don't think it wins any points in ease of updating, since all 3 persuasions can update the old firmware. That's sure not making it easy for new to 3D printing users... Gosh, board swapping skills are a no experience user requirement if you're in the 88%? TinyG2 can be reflashed from a PC, why not this enhanced cloudy version? Better yet, why isn't there a flash over the internet option, what with the whole cloudy with chance of snowstorms thing.

Perhaps Plexus had the right idea. Paying the Apple tax leaves fewer greenbacks (loonies, AvE fan canadian pesos, etc) for the seriously high priced Printerbot Pro (and aren't pros experienced users, so it's grossly misnamed?).

Kirk

[musk]

The Mac thing does seem like an odd choice. Maybe Californian developers can only write Apple software.
Are schools still predominately Apple like they were in the 80's and 90's? Perhaps people who 3d print are more likely to use Mac than the average computer user?

From what I could gather of the internals on the Pro, the G2 is not directly tied to the cloud. It connects to the LCD screen module using a ribbon cable via some special pins on the G2 board... It's more like a new type of printrboard. For that matter, I wonder if there are any impediments to using the new LCD with the old printrboard. Can the old printrboard accept gcode via the pins or only via usb?

[Mooselake]

Are schools still predominately Apple like they were in the 80's and 90's? Perhaps people who 3d print are more likely to use Mac than the average computer user?

Our local schools went on an iPad buying binge a couple years ago (Apple salesman must have been in town...) with the stated goal of a taxpayer supplied iPad in every backpack, but found that despite severe warnings they quickly became infested with games and other non-academic software and were a maintenance nightmare. While there are probably some token Macs in classrooms all I see on my weekly trip to adult shop (not to be confused with adult swim) is WInDoze PCs when I walk down the halls.

The school's locally built Deltas have an embedded BBB, but it's being used like it was an RPi, not for actually controlling the mechanics. They're using Melzi boards, even though there's code out there to use BBBs as reprap controllers. Good thing they didn't go for Simple Pros.

The iPads are being replaced with Chromebooks at half the price. Neither are on the firmware flasher list.

Kirk

[musk]

Very interesting. Sounds like a mobile web browser will be the OS of choice for people who don't design things themselves. If they're doing CAD at more advanced levels, perhaps it's mostly PC.