Surfing around, I came across an “at a boy” from Thinklaser’s website
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Not a bad review as these things go. Positive and sporting.
Kind of a back handed slap at the end though, but that may have been stuck in there to prevent it looking like a gush piece.
The TL:DR is that it is not a business oriented laser, but more for home and office hobbyists. This is my first laser, so maybe true, maybe not. Dunno.
Bottom line from this review --> Sounds like the people making money with the Glowforge aren’t using it as intended (shrug).
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It’s an interesting review. I found this piece really strange though:
I don’t think Glowforge will be a competitor amongst other plotter-based laser cutters and engravers. There are too many restrictions in the design for it to be anything other than a home/office based hobby product. There will always be exceptions to this, but the cost means that some people will buy Glowforge as an entry-point into this area of technology, which is encouraging.
Doesn’t the fact that the GF potentially fills a niche that is not filled by the other “plotter-based laser cutters and engravers” make it a competitor? They may be going after slightly different portions of the market, but if GF ever comes out with a larger machine with expanded capabilities, they’re likely to not only compete directly with some of those other platforms, but also bring a percentage of their base clients with them to that new platform.
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It’s nice to have acknowledgement from the folks already in the biz when you’re the new kid on the block. 
And he’s right in a way…I bought this thing as an entry point into the world of lasers. The fact that I’ve decided not to go any further with them is all on Glowforge.
(This one is going to do more than I need.) 
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Yeah, there was the “it cannot compete in our class of laser” tone, but that is not where Glowforge wants to be.
Also, once you figure out that size, space needs, complexity of operation and necessary end user training, Thinklaser and others in their group are not able to be in the same class of laser as Glowforge.
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They also seemed to think this community is a bunch of blind followers who think GF can do no wrong… ha, they must not have an insider on the forum.
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Also, the part where they say “I’m struggling with how to describe it without sounding rude” just comes off as rude to me… but that could just be me. It kinda sounds condescending, you know?
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Apparently it’s a bit of a struggle to be gracious under the circumstances.
(Circumstances being, Glowforge mined an untapped resource in the hobby crafter that I’ll bet you any amount of money they wish they had thought of first.)
(Still can appreciate the efforts of the reviewer to be nice.) 
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Haha I see your point, but that comment about struggling to describe it was specifically in regard to the maker faire in general, not to Glowforge
It felt like a diss on the maker community here in the states to me
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Ahhhh! Might have been his first exposure to the unwashed masses. 
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Most of the case studies that they show their machine being used for are either industrial applications that I don’t have any interest in or application for, or things that the GF can already do. So, it’s confirmed. I bought the right machine for the right application.
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ThinkLaser must not know about stock car racing in the “Colonies”, good old USA. We take a stock product, like a car, make a few changes like boosting the power and speed and make it unbeatable.
Change the GF pulley ratio, upgrade the belts, drop in an 80 watt tube, hook up a transformer, put an auto feed on the pass-thru slot and then strap down the entire GlowForge to a table and hit the Go Button!
Products will be flying out of the GlowForge faster then those chocolate candies on the old “I Love Lucy” TV episode.
I am certain @Dan has some crazy mad scientists, like some of the people on this forum, working in the ‘Skunkworks’ back room in downtown Seattle doing exactly this as we comment on the article posted by @PFI-Guy.
This is how 90% of Europeans start a out a sentence when describing something American to Americans. We are just used to different things, food, etiquette etc.
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So this guy goes to a MAKER faire then talks about the GF not being a competitor in the Industrial/production laser arena. DUH.
Fluff piece, written for his own ego.
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That makes sense. I’ve just never really understood the “no offense” and “don’t mean to sound rude, but…” idea, because I know that what the person is going to say after that is going to be offensive, and just adding that sentence isn’t going to change how I perceive the intent
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No, you’re right. It is in fact their intent to sound rude, offensive, etc. when they preface a statement like that, but still want to avoid harsher repercussions because of it.
Have you ever seen the movie Bottle Shock? The attitude is explained in it. Also, pretty good movie.
It’s my understanding that the Edinburgh Festival Fringe would have a similar off-kilter vibe, although for an entire month, as BAMF. So that he couldn’t explain it did seem a bit disingenuous. Maybe someone whose been to both can tell me how far off base I am?
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I haven’t seen that, guess I’m gonna have a movie night sometime soon! 
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