Here's something I would pay $50-$300 monthly for AKA: GLOW:OTC

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ultimately the big thing that I see here is irrespective of what happens to the software… since GlowForge is a hardware company, selling a hardware subscription solves all the problems that have been discussed here.

allow me to elaborate:
If version 2.0 of the Glowforge ends up with an Ethernet port, Great that solves that problem doesn’t it? and if that company is selling their hardware on a subscription model, then you just send your old model with the Wi-Fi card back and presto you’ve got an ethernet port on version two.

as for any of the problems with the software, If the company is continually taking its hardware back and improving it you may eventually end up with a glow forge that has its own GUI interface and screen installed right into it…

The software and the hardware are two separate considerations.

irrespective of how the software is maintained The bigger picture here is one of residual income. selling a hardware subscription just seems to make sense because doing that along the way forces all of the other problems to get solved and creates a huge profitable incentive to do so

Right now the hardware layer and the software layer are merged together, The software is maintained independently, and the hardware is not maintained at all (What people can do at home is hardly maintenance)

I do think the way that the laser head was set up is brilliant because that piece can be taken off and sent back and replaced…

but that’s not the same as sending the whole unit back and getting version 2.0

software subscription model- works great for a software company.

hardware subscription model - works great for a hardware company.

I will concede to the idea that Glowforge is both a hardware and a software company, but if that’s the case What is the logical conclusion then?

both the hardware and the software should be sold as a service.

allow me to use myself as an example.
Right now I’m an unprofitable user for gloforge. My machine is long paid off (bought it at the very beginning for a discount during their crowdsource campaign) and I only very rarely order proof-grade materials.

If glowforge switch to a subscription model for their hardware they would immediately reactivate me at $300 a month because I would jump up to the pro model, sending my basic model back.

now the company has done 3 important things, It’s recouped valuable hardware that still works, it can resell that hardware, and it’s activated me as residual income locking me in as a customer for several years… and if the company decides to make larger models? they may have locked me in for a decade…

but right now since I can’t do that my next move is going to be jumping over to an Epilog, that’s going to take place in about a year… when that happens I will sell my GlowForge second hand, and the company won’t see any piece of that pie (other than maybe the person that gets it might order proof grade materials)

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Well I for one will not be paying $300 (or any amount) per month to use this machine, so they would lose me as a customer. I’m sure there are a lot of us who only use the machine as a hobby tool and not as a business who would likewise not pay a monthly subscription.

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How much did you pay to buy the machine?

If you put the machine on a credit card you’re already paying monthly…

and if you didn’t then you shelled out several grand up front.

Would you rather pay $3,500 one time, or $50 a month and still get a glow forge basic right away in both situations?

I’m not saying that GF should take away the ability to just outright buy a machine.

If they switch to this model you’ll still get what you want which is the ability to shell out several grand and just buy it outright…

but if you change your mind and you just want to shell out 300 bucks instead of 5,000? and still end up with a pro model sitting at your house? then that option would be there for you…

as a home hobbyist surely you see the value of shelling out only $50 to get the glowforge basic… and then if you don’t like it send it back.

but if you do like it and it turns out you get really serious with your hobby? Well now you have a path to upgrade that doesn’t cost you 10K

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Well I bought it during the crowd funding campaign so paid considerably less than the machine is going for now. Personally I prefer to own rather than rent anything.

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could the Ethernet port lead to more “hacking” of the glowforge? - over the cloud your data is sent to them, processed and the uploaded to the machine, An Ethernet port would allow you to monitor more data and create your own Rip (spoofing IP/DNS)

I’m just spitballin here . . .

27

If my beautiful and very loved Pro dies and Glowforge has some crazy monthly fee ——like you —- I will no longer be a customer and this will be my new laser machine.

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I paid a great deal for the pro model upfront, but in a rental (that would have to have a big down payment to work) I would not touch it. But then I would not be buying a car that way either :roll_eyes:

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But daddy Elon says it is best way!! The simulation has declared it so.

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I actually just noticed it while I was reading the forum. :slight_smile: Thank you for the suggestions! What is the question that you were looking for me to answer?

For future reference, because I don’t always catch every post in the forum - as others here noted, every post to Problems & Support gets read by a fulltime Glowforge employee and routed to someone who can take action on it. That absolutely includes product and business ideas like these going to me.

Over the years, the thoughtful and considered ideas of Glowforge owners have made our product and our company so much better. I really appreciate you taking the time to share this, and to everyone else for adding different ideas and perspectives.

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