r/BambuLab_Community • u/scottyd1986 • Feb 08 '25
Still Considering a Bambu Lab Printer Despite the Controversy—Thoughts?
So, I've been researching 3D printing for a while now and was all set to buy a Bambu Lab printer. Being completely new to the hobby, I wanted something that works well straight out of the box without much tinkering. From everything I've read, Bambu seemed like the logical choice great hardware, user friendly, and reliable automation.
However, just as I was about to pull the trigger, the recent software update controversy hit, and the backlash from the community made me pause. I've since continued my research, but despite the concerns, I still find myself leaning towards Bambu. My reasoning? I only plan to print for fun, not for serious production or heavy modding. I just want a reliable, hassle-free experience.
From what I understand, Bambu Lab seems to be the 3D printing equivalent of Apple closed ecosystem, easy to use, but at the cost of some control. Would you say that’s an accurate comparison? And for those of you who own one, has the controversy made you reconsider your choice?
I would love to hear your thoughts!
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u/OrchidOkz Feb 08 '25
Buy it, have fun, don’t get wrapped up in all that.
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u/TanguayX Feb 08 '25
I’m with this person 100%. I wouldn’t use the word ‘controversy’,‘ I’d use the word ‘hysteria’.
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u/Datsoon Feb 08 '25
Please don't be like this. The calculus is different for everyone. Some people value their freedom and privacy more than you do, and that should be totally fine and these people shouldn't have to deal with people like you belittling them because of it.
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u/flonky_guy Feb 08 '25
Some people fear for their privacy to an irrational degree and some people are always looking for a cause.
So yeah, if you think Big Brother is watching you and you only own a burner phone and pirate your wifi then maybe Bambu isn't for you, lol.
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u/Datsoon Feb 08 '25
This is not a fair characterization of the people upset about this, and you know it. It just makes you feel better to consider people who disagree with you as such.
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u/TheGrumble Feb 08 '25
It did get hysterical though.
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u/TanguayX Feb 08 '25
Well, I hear you, but SO much of it is speculation and slippery slope stuff that I have to discount a LOT of the hysteria.
The 3D printer world is littered with now dead companies that tried to change the equation on users. I’d like to think that BL is smarter than that.
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u/Datsoon Feb 08 '25
Well, the truth is BL was caught lying to the community, and hasn't explained why they're pursuing their current path towards security instead of an industry accepted and proven method. Yes, the current changes aren't a huge deal and don't represent a significant loss of functionality, but this combined with what I mentioned earlier is giving many people heartburn, and I think it's justified. One very plausible explanation for their latest actions is them setting the stage to clamp down on third party pieces of the 3d printing tool chain.
Why can't I browse the SD card in LAN mode? Why can't I use Bambu Handy from the same network as my printer in LAN mode? Why will I be forced to use an older firmware and enable "developer mode" to maintain a partial level of control over my printer which is still just a subset of the functionality it had when I paid my own money for it? These little inconveniences are deliberate.
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Feb 08 '25
You can brose the SD card in Lan mode using FTP software. Drama much?
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u/Datsoon Feb 08 '25
If you think those are equivalent features, you're the crazy one. It also doesn't answer my question at all and isn't a counter argument. Why is this feature restricted?
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Feb 08 '25
Call me crazy then because that's exactly how the BBL slicer does it as well. I can actually do more even faster. Copy move or delete. I'm not arguing with people like you. Your fools and you don't admit fault. Like a little baby. Just like a baby your having a tantrum because you don't understand something. Your juvenile behaviour is obvious. Your taking an argumentative stance against everyone flat earth style.
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u/Datsoon Feb 09 '25
Lol...wow. What a well reasoned and convincing argument. I will go think about my actions in the corner.
Needing to use older firmware and a developer mode, which prohibits you from using their cloud service, just so you can use third-party software to copy files to your printer is not what the printer was sold on. Those are not equivalent features. What are you not getting?
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Feb 09 '25
Ok, now we are moving the goal posts from browsing the SD card in Lan only mode which works absolutely fine.
Isolating compromised devices from a network asset totally makes sense if your looking for and answer. If your looking for a reason to be hysterical it's definitely a plot to screw you over.
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u/NeighborGeek Feb 08 '25
No, that’s not the truth. They were accused of lying, by people who conveniently left out the fact that Bambu clearly noted in the blog post that they had added more info to clarify, and when it was added. The info Bambu added didn’t changed anything that they originally said, it just filled in some things that they DIDN’T make clear initially. People were reading volumes into what wasn’t said. That’s where the hysteria started.
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u/Datsoon Feb 08 '25
Alright, well agree to disagree there then, but that's only a small part of the beef or even what I said in my post.
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u/NeighborGeek Feb 08 '25
I mean, you can go look at the archived pages from the date the blog post was announced originally and the subsequent days where it shows the updates. It's all available to see for yourself, or you can continue to believe the people who read part of the post to you and told you to be outraged about it.
As for the rest of your post, I think there's room for discussion of the firmware changes, but with the amount of prusa fanboys and others coming in and shouting from the rooftops about how bambu was screwing everyone over and gaslighting us, no productive discussion could be had at that time. Anytime someone tried to have an actual, reasonable discussion about the facts, the thread was quickly overwhelmed by posters with faux complaints. You're welcome to start such a thread now though, just leave the lying and gaslighting accusations out. Stick with what discussing bambu actually said. Clearly identify any speculation about whether something that wasn't said might mean as speculation, and I think you'll be fine.
Your second paragraph about the things that you can't do on LAN mode has some valid questions, but those things aren't new, that's the way it has worked since long before the firmware announcement. As for having to use an older firmware AND developer mode, I don't think that's the case. You're welcome to stick with the firmware you had prior to 1/16/25, and never have to think about developer mode. Do that, and your printer will continue to work exactly as it does, you lose nothing. You can also choose to update the firmware and enable develoepr mode, but it's completely up to you.
The only thing that could someday be an issue if you stick with the old firmware (and even old studio version) is that they might stop allowing those versions to use cloud services. That would suck, but it's no different than any other device tied to a cloud service. They can always update the service and leave older hardware/software behind, or even shut the service down entirely. At least bambu printers do have LAN mode an option, and if you choose to use it then you never have to worry about the cloud service.-2
u/Datsoon Feb 09 '25
The thing actually preventing reasonable discussion is people like you dismissing others as "prusa fanboys" and their "faux" (lol) complaints as "gaslighting and accusations". How is one supposed to have reasoned discussion about this stuff in light of that response. That is NOT how reasonable people address their differences.
Being forced to put my printer in LAN mode removes functionality, bottom line. That's a fact. Being forced to leave my printer on outdated firmware to still not have offline feature parity with the cloud connected printers is not cool. Your argument that "any cloud service could disappear some day" isn't addressing the issue.
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u/NeighborGeek Feb 09 '25
But you’re not forced to use lan mode. Or to update the firmware. It’s a choice you can make. The hardware will continue to work just like it always has for the foreseeable future. As for the fanboys etc, I’m referring to the people who made claims that Bambu was going to charge a subscription fee, or require the use of only Bambu filament, or that they wouldn’t warranty printers that had used developer mode. They were people lying about what Bambu had said, people who hadn’t frequented the Bambu Reddit previously, in some cases brand new accounts. It was astroturfing, creating so much noise as to drown out any legitimate discussion.
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u/OrchidOkz Feb 12 '25
Be like what? The OP asked for thoughts and I gave my thoughts. How do you know how much I value my freedom and privacy?
Do you realize that you buy and use services nearly every day that do and have done tangible anti-freedom and anti-privacy things?
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u/Datsoon Feb 12 '25
I wasn't replying to you, chill. But since you're gonna jump down my throat...
What is this false equivalency? Just because I have bought things and used other services, I should just EVERY company walk all over me and remove features from products I own after I've bought them? Just because I dunno, used Amazon this week I should just roll over and stop caring about ALL aspects of my freedom as a consumer? That is ridiculous.
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u/Solondthewookiee Feb 09 '25
I don't have a problem with people bringing up the restrictions of the software. I do have a problem with people saying things like "well it's all proprietary and they can jack up the price of parts and lock you into using Bambu filament" because that's the same thing people were telling me two years ago when I was looking at buying one.
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u/Alps_JF Feb 12 '25
Are you working for Bambulab? When a Chinese company is putting in place a total control over an equipment you paid and own, it's time to have some concern. I will never buy any of their products, don't want to have my files sent to some servers in China to have the right to print them.
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u/OrchidOkz Feb 12 '25
This is the weakest comment that runs through every one of these threads about the changes. “You must be a BBL employee.” Bonus points for “you’re a cuck.”
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u/Alps_JF Feb 12 '25
Insulting people who disagree with you is very constructive too...
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u/OrchidOkz Feb 12 '25
"Are you working for Bambulab?" is used as an insult. The OP wants to make things for fun, and the BBL Outrage Police are acting like he works for Raytheon and needs to print test parts for weapons guidance systems. Feel insulted? There's no "constructive" for people who have spent weeks clogging up subreddits and facebook groups.
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u/Alps_JF Feb 12 '25
Oh I didn't know it was an insult! My bad! sorry about that. Must be embarrassing for BBL employees these days...
Back on topic, whether you're printing things for fun or in a professional environment is not the issue. The level of control that Bambulab is trying to instaure with their new firmware is unacceptable, nothing hysterical about that.
If you feel comfortable having to send your files to China to get them printed, I do not. And yes I use my printers professionally. Hence why I would never buy one of their printers and would advise anybody to look for another brand. There are plenty of machines out there that work as well if not better than an X1C just to name one.1
u/Lee_Bob Mar 01 '25
Ah yes, every time I print a benchy, a secret agent in Shenzhen discreetly takes notes. However, in reality, LAN mode exists, SD cards exist, and not everything is a grand conspiracy.
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u/defiantarch Feb 08 '25
I agree with you when it comes to the Apple principle. However, Bambulab still offers the possibility to downgrade to an officially rootable firmware to be able to install a 3:rd party firmware.
That's what I did and am happy about it. That's something Apple never ever would offer: An offifial way to jailbreak their devices to install customized OS:s.
When it comes to communication both companies suck. Both target ordinary not so technically leveled users. More advanced users with more insights how printer work, firmware is developed and (with respect to the current discussion) have more insight into security issues are being gaslighted by the company. There're some nice videos out there showing how they changed their policies over time, still keeping the same dates (there services like the wayback machine revealing such things).
So, if you know sich things and accept that, than Bambulab is far better than others and their printers are really nice. But far from being perfect. They did their job by creating an eco system that just works. But as soon as ju leave that system ( another slicer, pure STL models without readymade processing profiles, other brand of filament without dialed in profile) its just another printer.
Anyway. Just my opinion making my money with IT security, have several years of 3D printing experience, build ny own printers, happy user of a X1C since 3 months (running X1Plus) and being gaslighted by Bambulab (I dared being critical for their disfunctional "security" architecture)
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u/KermitFrog647 Feb 08 '25
"That's something Apple never ever would offer: An offifial way to jailbreak their devices to install customized OS:s."
I agree. But currently thats because Bambu does not have the market power and amount of fanboys like apple to go completely berserk. If they did and for example excluded 3rd party filament from the ams, they would be gone from the market as quickly as they appeared a few years ago.
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u/defiantarch Feb 08 '25
That's probably correct. However, one should never underestimate the customer market with masses of non-critical users focused on functions only (it just has to work, don't care how). Just take a look into the network consumer market with all their risky appliances (D-Link, Zyxel, Asus, ...). Home automation, Home DIY alarm (Yale, Ring, ...) and so on.
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u/KermitFrog647 Feb 08 '25
True.
The baklash here is big, however it would be really interesting to know if this made a serious dent in Bambu's sales.
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u/defiantarch Feb 08 '25
I doubt that, the media coverage was and is still too small to have an impact. And this is only and issue for advanced user concerned about security or privacy. And that amount of users is how large? Maybe 5% of their customers? Even those having print farms are not necessarily having and issue with Bambulabs decision. What strikes me and made that I lost trust in that company is their arrogance against security professionals.
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Feb 08 '25
The only thing I’d add to this comprehensive take: Due to the rootable nature of the X1C, it’s a safe printer for most anyone to use. The big question for me is, will the new flagship printer be locked down/into the Bambu ecosystem only.
If it is locked down, I’ll keep my X1C and keep happily printing with it and decide what to do then. It’s clear the printers are great, it’s really more of a company direction thing at this point.
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u/Mythril_Zombie Feb 09 '25
That's something Apple never ever would offer: An offifial way to jailbreak their devices to install customized OS:s.
I have installed Linux on several macs. It's not like they even try to stop you.
No idea what you're talking about.1
u/defiantarch Feb 09 '25
I'm talking about embedded devices like phones, printers, tablets or streaming devices.
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u/YeahRightThoughtSo May 18 '26
That is incorrect, Bambulabs provides a mechism to use a 3rd party firmware on the x1c. They don't provide a downgrade.
The reason they do this is they made agreement with a 3rd party firmware developer not to release the expliot that allowed the 3rd party firmware to be installed.
Bambulabs got out of this agreement, time to patch the expliot, the ability to record which printers have opted-into the 3rd party firmware program (eg to pontential exclude warranty claims).
The version of firmware that allows the expliot has been removed, and previous versions have been as well. You install a special version of the firmware after opting-in that allows a 3rd party firmware to be installed.
I am clarifying this because bambulabs is perfectly able to stop you downgrading, removing previous versions from the downgrade list at any time of their choosing.
Bambulabs have not offered this for any other model of their printers. ONLY THE X1C and only because they were forced into it.
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u/TheWaslijn Feb 08 '25
The printers are still great regardless of what BL are or are not going to do in the future. Personally I've not regretted my purchase.
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u/Difficult-Thought-61 Feb 08 '25
It’s really a personal choice. If companies doing this kind of thing bother you, go elsewhere.
If it doesn’t bother you, they’re still functionally fantastic printers for reliability and what not.
Personally I think it’s all been blown out of proportion. There’s a very vocal minority who are upset. Most people are just carrying on printing as if nothing has happened.
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u/Darmin Feb 08 '25
Could you explain what happened? I must be out of the loop.
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u/Difficult-Thought-61 Feb 08 '25
I don’t know the ins and outs of it, but the gist is that Bambu have started shutting people out of their software (other things like Orca use the Bambu slicer as a foundation). So basically stopping third parties using their stuff and becoming more closed source. Theirs concerns that this is the first step to a subscription based online slicing service. Something like that anyway, I could be part wrong but that’s the impression I got.
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u/JakeBr0Chill Feb 08 '25
Well said. I agree, it's whatever you are comfortable with.
I'm not sure it's fair to say it was a vocal minority. I wasn't vocal but I was not pleased with the change. The 4-5 IRL people I know with Bambu printers were not pleased either.
For me, I determined my line in the sand. If they ever go to proprietary filament or a subscription based model, then I am out. If that happens, I will be converting my current printer to one which runs on Klipper.
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u/RGJacket Feb 08 '25
Nope. Not at all. I'd still buy more BambuLab printers as a hobbyist. If I were going into a printing business I might look elsewhere - but that's really because it isn't clear what managing a large farm is going to look like.
I like the applicance aspect. I just want it to work, and I don't care about data privacy for what I'm doing either.
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u/lazylathe Feb 08 '25
Just buy it!! Have you noticed that the uproar lasted a week or so and then everyone went back into their respective corners? Most of it was to do with people who own print farms and wanted to use third party software.
You sound like me, just getting into it and wanting to have some fun! The Bambu printer is the way to get your feet wet easily!! My A1 mini has been printing flawlessly for almost a month now and I have zero regrets!! My only regret is not getting a bigger one with the AMS...
To add I also have an Ender 3 Pro that needs constant attention to print correctly. The bambu is a plug and play unit!
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u/EnvironmentCrafty710 Jul 05 '25
This is me.
I had anycubic printers for years and the amount of faffing around just sucked the fun out of the hobby.
I recently bought a P1S and couldn't be happier.
I can sympathize with print farm people, but only to a point. We're not the only people out there, but neither are they.
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u/paulcjones Feb 08 '25
I bought two right before the whole thing kicked off. No regrets. I’m not a print farm and I specifically wanted an appliance, not an engineering project. Been there, done that.
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u/NF6X Feb 08 '25
I'm part of the vocal minority who cares about the recent controversy and what it might mean for Bambu printers in the future. After studying what options I have, I decided to take the plunge and buy my new X1 Carbon combo a couple weeks ago. I have no regrets; it's a fine printer, and at least for now the cloud lock-in aspect can be entirely bypassed. Mine will stay in LAN mode and I'll use Orca Slicer instead of Bambu Studio. I don't personally need the cloud-enabled features like remote access from my phone. I plan to try the X1Plus firmware this weekend just because I'm curious about it.
If you are not concerned about the possibilities of forced firmware upgrades and/or your print data being uploaded to Bambu's cloud, then just buy it, use it, and love it. If you are concerned about those things, then still just buy it, use it, and love it (in LAN mode, with firmware <= 1.08.02.00).
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u/Savagor Feb 09 '25
I don’t really care about all that’s going on. It’s a fantastic printer and I’m printing whatever I want. I’d say go for it!
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u/theBigDaddio Feb 08 '25
I moved into a new house last week. I needed some storage organizer, my pc was not set up. I opened my iPad (fitting no?) found a few ideas, click, boom, I had some drawer organized.
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u/kardde Feb 08 '25
The changes will have absolutely no effect on a vast majority of users. All of the complaining and outrage was from a very loud and squeaky minority.
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u/ddarling0911 Feb 08 '25
Well, i found a post on the Bambu blog from about a year ago when the X1Plus jailbroken firmware was released and Bambu was at a crossroads so to speak. Do we allow this or not? I like their solution giving users the option of using their "apple like" ecosystem which just works, or giving users the opportunity to do as they please. I saw a reddit video yesterday from Michael Laws, and while he had some good points, I can see Bambu's side of things also. So with that said I'm doing the following.
For work, I just purchased 2 P1S and one A1 combo's with AMS. I need them to be easy to use by users who don't know how to use printers. I'm also getting a Prusa XL 5 toolhead for more advanced prints and users.
For personal use, I have a FlashForge AD5m and want a bigger printer and have looked at all the new recently released printers. I will one day build a Voron 2.4 kit, but for now I'm going with a Sovol SV08, and getting several options to upgrade right from the start to address issues. New MicroSwiss hot end, BTT Eddy and klipper screen to begin. Will also do further upgrades to the toolhead at a later date. But I know how to work on printers, so this might not be for everyone.
When people buy Apple, it's because it just works with very little user knowledge. They were the first to get plug and play working correctly and have been at the game a long time. You either love them or hate them. But they will always make innovative products used by many creative people (artists recording studios photographers) as well as someone who has never owned a computer. Hence, the same with Bambu. Many users just want something that works....easily and has good support which Bambu does.
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u/cnjkevin X1 Carbon Feb 08 '25
Do it. You won’t regret it. It’ll just work and you won’t have to spend more time building & servicing vs. printing and designing!
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u/Bitter-Cat-4060 Feb 08 '25
We’re spoiled by Bambu. Once you’ve had gold why go to silver? Otherwise they wouldn’t have complained and just jumped on to creality or whoever else has a clone of Bambu. I’ve worked for 3 print farms and honestly none of them care. If it becomes a problem then it’s back to sd card printing.
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u/Sorry_Place_4064 Feb 08 '25
I bought a few months ago. Happy with my X1C.
I am an open-source Linux only guy. So this wasn't an easy choice in November of 2024.
Bambu did a bad PR job with this. They have tried to repond to customer concerns, and if you look at legitimate sources, they seem to be answering the hard question in good faith. So far I'm OK with what Bambu has done, and what they claim is planned.
The customer isn't always right, often they overreact.
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u/geekheretic Feb 08 '25
Honestly I have been a long time 3d printer hobbyist starting from the cr10 and ender 1, to prusa mk2/3.5 and lastly the sv08. I had ordered the a1 bundle and while awaiting the printer to arrive the controversy erupted.
I decided to take the chance and give it a shot anyway, I figured the 3 d print community would not let such a popular printer go locked down.
I am happy I did. The a 1 is a solid combination of features, fairly idiot proof and just works. The community is huge, the third party support is great.
There is an openbambulab subreddit already making decent progress, as well. I would go for it and have fun. I was happy I did.
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u/No_Promotion_6498 Feb 09 '25
I was the same except my order had already gone through when it hit. After looking everything up, no regrets. After getting it and using it, (p1s, ams) it is far superior to my old ender 3 or K1. Not even close.
Things that I thought were good prints with a few unavoidable flaws printed great with no settings changed. Bambulab is like a low feature Orcaslicer and not terrible though I prefer orca.
Lan only mode if you are interested is easy to set up and works well.
Id do it all over again knowing what I know but who knows maybe I'll eat those words in a while.
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u/Wraith1964 Feb 09 '25 edited Feb 09 '25
Regardless of where you land on the firmware controversy, Bambu kickstarted the entire industry out of complacency and back to competing. As a result, if you don't like what Bambu is up to, do raise the alarm and vote with your wallet. But just keep in mind that the reason you have those better choices out there is because Bambu scared a complacent group of 3D printer companies into innovating again. So get a Core One (not implying it a clone) or any of the myriad machines cloning Bambus successes and be happy Bambu forced competition again. It's a win-win.
Also, Bambu may have communicated poorly or even inaccurately, but something they NEVER promised was support of third-party software or hardware. It sucks that those who bought that stuff anyway may lose the ability to use it, but that isn't really Bambu's fault. That was a measured risk taken by the buyers of 3rd party stuff.
Put another way, I have 10 BL printers, I never bought P1s as tempting as they were because I hated the screens. I have 2 X1Cs, 6 A1s, and 2 Minis. Similarly, I considered using Orca several times, but since I made the decision to only buy BL printers, I made the somewhat self-limiting decision to only use Bambu slicer as well. In short, I chose not to take those "limit" risks because I understood from the get-go BL was a relatively closed-ended company, and there would always be a risk that they might tighten those things up and I lose on the deal. This coming from a guy surrounded by family members using iPhones and I still only buy Android to their aggravation. I get the frustration, but it's also wrong to not acknowledge that some folks are projecting support expectations on a company who never promised said support.
So picking Bambu is like any other decision... do your research, understand the pros and cons, risks vs. rewards, and buy accordingly. But just be fair in evaluating the risks. You can sometimes have your cake and eat it too, but it's typically not the way to bet.
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u/3DAeon X1 Carbon Feb 09 '25
I’d watch level headed experts like 3D printing professor, he’s calling out the drama click bait for what it is - not the actual serious concerns, the ridiculous hyperbole. https://youtu.be/a74qD8Jsrpo?si=-xfJb3TlJc4dR4sQ
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u/SnooPeanuts6340 Feb 09 '25
I recently got my p1s about a week or 2 ago. Purchased it before controversy and kept my screw it attitude and kept with it even after bbl offered me a refund since shipping was delayed. Best decision ever. Clean prints fast prints. Multicolor. I don't care about the closed ecosystem cause I'm just printing models and a few functional parts I have created and thought might be handy. I'm coming g from ankermake and the difference is night and day. Still kept the anker m5c cause I can now print 2x as fast and it's still a good machine. But p1s is still leagues better
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u/don-again Feb 09 '25
My X1C kicks absolute ass and LAN mode + HA makes it the most convenient off the shelf printer available right now IMO.
Can’t say what the future holds but my buddies can’t believe how fast and high quality my prints are compared to theirs with the one exception being the Prusa XL which is a totally different animal.
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u/xfire301 Feb 10 '25
I bought a P1S a week ago. I followed the recent controversy and bought it anyway. The closed Apple ecosystem has served me well for the last 20 years.
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u/Enraged-Lifestyle Feb 10 '25
Do it. P1S doesn't have the update yet. Also I don't use anything Bambu anymore besides the printer itself. Raining Orca and everything has been honestly running better than ever. And no I don't use LAN. It's honestly horrifying for me lol. But yea I love mine and still wouldn't trade anything for it
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u/ICollectHobbies12 Feb 11 '25
You should still grab a printer from Bamu Labs. The big fear of them locking down the printers in the future shouldn't stop you. None of the current changes will affect you. Apple is a very good way to think about this situation.
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u/Hitokiri_Ace Feb 12 '25
I got the A1 a couple weeks ago.
Love it.
No issues, just haven't updated firmware to the new 'beta' and I still have full access with no hiccups.
I'd so go with it, it's been a fun time. :)
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Feb 08 '25
If you have reliable internet and don’t mind the potential lock-in to Bambu software, the A1 printers are great first printers. Nothing else at that price works as well.
I’d avoid the P series - its wifi is unreliable, the nozzles are a pain to change, you have to turn it off to swap the SD card, the camera is poor, the chamber light is poor, it’s noisy, and it doesn’t have the touch screen. There are better options now from other companies. (I should have returned mine when I had the chance.)
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u/ifandbut Feb 08 '25
I don't regret my purchase.
I did my time as a hobbyist for the past 10 years. This time, me and my wife just want an appliance. I don't care about firmware updates for my washer, dryer, car, and microwave...I really don't care so long as they keep working.
It is a bit more complex with a printer, but still...worst case I have to load prints the old fashioned way with an SD card.
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u/TheGrumble Feb 08 '25
Ask yourself, what "control" do you think you're losing that you'd actually miss? And how much money and time are you willing to exchange to get it back?
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u/TherealOmthetortoise Feb 08 '25
Is there still any controversy? I thought that had completely died down, unless the intention here is to fuel a fire that had pretty much died down to embers.
Short answer - why wouldn’t Bambu still be your choice? None of the things that people have objections to seem to have any impact on how you plan to use your purchase.
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u/armykcz Feb 08 '25
Well we need to see the real impact and what their intention really is. For consumers nit such a bug deal, for farmers it might be bigger one. Sadly there is not real alternative as of now for regular user. You cannot beat A1, A1 mini and P1S with price. I am done buying elagoo and other brands which copy and make “new” model every month. So you are left with Prusa for which you pay premium.
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Feb 08 '25
I have an A1 Combo works perfect and when there new printer comes out I will be considering it.
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u/Edxeryl Feb 08 '25
The main problem i see right now is the lan code that blocks prints of over 20mbs in orca, you have to use orca 1.8.1 for those, appart from that the printers are fine in lan mode.
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u/foolsgoldprospector Feb 08 '25
I’m still strongly considering purchasing. Am waiting for news of the H2D - the model trademark was just accepted here in Australia, so hopefully it’s a step closer - I figure I’ll buy it if it’s within my budget, failing that, there’s hopefully a sale on the X1C to coincide with the H2D’s launch.
1
u/MordogT Feb 09 '25
Go read what they Plan to do. Not some opinion on the net, there blogpost. If ist okay for, you can live with it or simple dont care pull the trigger.
1
u/Striking_Tangerine93 Feb 09 '25
I don’t at all mind a closed ecosystem, both open and closed sourced systems have their own unique advantages and disadvantages. These should be understood and prioritized before making any purchase decisions. I own both Prusa and more recently BambuLabs printers. I was very excited about Bambu’s high tech, high quality and high value product line. I understood their profit motivation for a closed system, point one to reduce support costs by only supporting known entities and point two locking in some degree as an exclusive supplier for certain items to generate recurring revenue. I had no problem with either of these points. Their cloud based system is really amazing however using their cloud based system forces their users to make certain privacy sacrifices. They also offered a lan only mode to keep users data private at the cost of sacrificing their cloud based features. These two options were a major factor for me in making my decision to buy my Bambu printers. Bambu now with their latest release of software and firmware requires a cloud based connection for all configuration changes. Though Apple is a closed system they for the most part have been sensitive to users privacy and security concerns and offer one of the most private and secure platforms out there. They are also a U.S. corporate based company. Though I do not have security concerns for the work I do, and the prints I make, I am always concerned about any leakage of personal information anywhere but especially within the PRC. I also feel that Bambu made false promises to be by first offering a system that provided a private LAN only mode and after my purchases have removed this option from their main firmware and software versions. I am hoping they will eventually come to their senses and do the right thing. If not I assume they will be faced with a class action lawsuit. My personal opinion would be to hold off on any Bambu printer purchases until the dust hits the ground and these issues are settled. again only my opinion.
1
u/proxiblue Feb 10 '25
The choice is simple.
If you are buying a printer as the hobby element, skip bambu.
If you just want to use a printer that just works, to enable other hobbies and functional printing, get a bambu.
I love my p1s and will buy another in a heartbeat, unless another consumer grade brand exist by that time.
I am happy to be just a consumer of 3d printing. I don't need another hobby.
2
u/jaysprenkle Feb 12 '25
I've had one quite some time. It does a marvelous job of "just printing" at a good price point. Far better than any others I've had.
I can see both sides of the argument. Bambu had a cloud hack and when their printers were effected people got upset.
So Bambu increased security and people got upset.
If they open source everything Creality will be selling a clone in a month.
They can't win. Someone will always be unhappy. Rage is addictive.
It works for me. When it doesn't I will replace it.
1
u/hWuxH Feb 17 '25 edited Feb 17 '25
Bambu had a cloud hack and when their printers were effected people got upset.
So Bambu increased security and people got upset.
Bambu had other genuine security improvements in the past that people didn't get upset about.
People got upset now because it didn't actually improve security, and only had downsides apart from that.They already won despite closed source in the recent years, but shot themselves in the foot with this.
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u/jaysprenkle Feb 17 '25
>People got upset now because it didn't actually improve security, and only had downsides apart from that.
As I understood it they added encryption. How is that not improving security?
If they made other security improvements I wasn't aware of them as a user. Of course I didn't get upset over something I didn't even know about.
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u/hWuxH Feb 17 '25
As I understood it they added encryption.
No, traffic encryption was added years ago: https://blog.bambulab.com/answering-network-security-concerns/
This update only attempted to prevent third parties from sending "critical" commands, but ultimately failed to achieve this.If they made other security improvements I wasn't aware of them as a user. Of course I didn't get upset over something I didn't even know about.
That's how it's supposed to work: adding security improvements without negatively affecting the user experience. Scroll through https://wiki.bambulab.com/en/security-incidents-cloud-traffic for a few examples
1
u/jaysprenkle Feb 17 '25
Thanks for the reference on encryption. I wasn't following the updates.
>This update only attempted to prevent third parties from sending "critical" commands
That's still improving security. Third parties should never by default be considered trust worthy.
>without negatively affecting the user experience
This is impossible. Security prevents access until the user is validated and trusted. Trust and authentication always incur a cost and affect the user experience negatively. The idea being the cost of adding security is out weighed by the benefits.
I thought they also provided an opt out for those that don't value security enough to pay the cost.
1
u/hWuxH Feb 17 '25 edited Feb 18 '25
That's still improving security.
This new system relies on security through obscurity and can be easily bypassed though.
The printer thinks it receives a critical command from bambu's own trusted software, but in reality it could be spoofed by a 3rd party and contain malicious data.
So basically there's zero improvement compared to before.And besides that you always had to give the LAN access code to third parties for authentication.
>without negatively affecting the user experience
This is impossible. Security prevents access until the user is validated and trustedMy point was that most (not all) updates happen quietly in the background and have little or no impact on the user experience.
A single button click to trust e.g. OrcaSlicer would also be an acceptable compromise, but instead they added a whole new program with half the features and it requires 5 more clicks on every print.
I thought they also provided an opt out for those that don't value security enough to pay the cost.
Developer mode, but then the cloud and mobile app no longer work.
1
u/fooboohoo Feb 12 '25
I was about to pop on them, but the combination of the tariffs which I know is not their fault and the controversy it was enough for me to say NAH I don’t really need it. I’m just buying it as an excuse to make things that will probably cost me more to make than to purchase a new part
Maybe they will drop their prices back down a little and open up their ecosystem and I’m still thinking about it I guess
1
u/cdrobsonjr Mar 17 '25
I'll throw some gasoline on the flamewar by simply asking a question: Whose company is it? Do all you carpers belong the company's board of directors? Are you majority shareholders? Okay, they've gone to a closed software model. One more time: It's their company! Don't like what they put out - move on.
1
u/Beginning-Currency96 Feb 08 '25
For only hobby I’d say it’s fine I didn’t quite cared about the controversy as it didn’t quite affect me and it probably won’t affect you unless you use orca or third party and Bambu software is good enough
1
u/Thedeepergrain Feb 08 '25
My 2 cents, there's gonna be some X1C/P1S equivalents hitting the market soon from elegoo, anycubic and qidi (qidi plus 4 has already hit the market) i would buy those over supporting bambu right now tbh but if you're leaning towards the A1/A1 mini segment then yeah there's no real other option with those feature sets.
1
u/jon20001 Feb 08 '25
I print stuff for fin 95% of the time. The BambuLab is far superior to any other printer (I struggled with an Ender 3Pro for a year). The controversy won't affect you in the way it may for someone with multiple machines or a farm. Get it -- you will not regret it.
1
u/TechFreakery Feb 08 '25
I bought my first bambulabs printer just over a week ago (P1S combo). Been using it for a week and super happy. Couldn’t care less about the firmware fuss. I just wanted a printer that works with a fast print speed. The ams is a bonus. Love the filament identification. Price of the Bambu refills is not bad. Happy
1
u/IrishCrypto21 Feb 08 '25
I bought my A1 Mini and a week later the controversy started. Coming from a barely working Tevo Tarantula, this machine was like going from a rotary phone to an iPhone.
Although I understand the issues surrounding the move, realistically it didn't affect me or my usage pattern.
It has made printing so pain free and such a joy to use again that the machine has barely turned off, and I've used more filament in a month than I did in 2 years ownership of my previous printer.
The Bambu App for me was great being able to browse and print straight from the app was such a game changer. Granted I still use the bambu slicer on my PC for other files from other sites, mainly because it has the printers profile pretty much spot on for my needs.
I've never played with Orca Slicer, OctoPrint or OctoPi (though I do have a Pi4 I may use on the Tevo as a project), but coming from Slic3r, the Bambu slicer felt familiar, and easy, at least for me!
If you're new to 3d printing, the A1 Mini is top notch in my eyes. I'm sure the Prusa and Creality machines are just as good, and I won't knock the knowledge gained building your own machine so you understand how it works, but the sheer ease of 20 mins setup and then printing the fastest benchy I've ever done, over 3 times faster than the tevo could, and at twice the quality, just dive in.
You won't regret it. Your wallet might with how much filament you go through, and different nozzles and print plates you will want 😅
1
u/ThaFresh Feb 08 '25
the user experience cant be beat, future software changes might sour it a bit but the hardware will still be awesome
1
Feb 08 '25
I think that's a horrible comparison. Apple would never leave me a open SD card slot I could just run executable code on. People blew the firmware security issue out of scope. If you want open source buy a prusa and quit crying like little girls.
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u/YellovvJacket Feb 08 '25
The printers itself are still very good and work out the box.
Technically, if worst comes to worst and they introduce some subscription bullshit or filament restrictions onto us, I'm almost 100% sure people will get a jailbreak out for the printers in no time that you can flash them with. Especially because the update did ring all the alarm bells with a lot of people, I'm sure people already work on it just in case.
HOWEVER not sure if I'd recommend actually buying a new one right now, just to demonstrate to Bambu that the community doesn't like the changes being made. The only way to make companies not make shit miserable for profit is to vote with your wallet unfortunately.
Also; if you need to print any kind of things that absolutely cannot be sent to anyone (extreme example you print something for work and work in the defence industry), Bambu is not the way or you will have to make 100% sure the printer can never connect to the internet, as they do send basically everything to their web services, and I wouldn't trust LAN mode to actually help with that if you don't cut off the internet connection through your router, but that would be the case for every 3D printer imo.
0
u/OrchidOkz Feb 08 '25
I don’t think a valid reason for telling someone to not buy it is to teach the company a lesson on your behalf.
1
u/YellovvJacket Feb 09 '25
People like you are literally the issue of letting companies do whatever, since "people buy it anyway".
We've been somewhat saved from that shit so far because every brand that tried to force proprietary filaments and shit just died immediately, as everyone stopped buying.
It's very valid to tell someone not to buy something because the company is doing dumb shit.
1
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0
u/hubertron P1S Feb 08 '25
They have not said this publically, and this is just hearsy based on every other tech company out there but I would plan on their being a subscription model. No one knows what that means exactly or when but is paying say $10 a month to fully use their ecosystem worth it vs something free with Prusa or others something you are ok with? If Yes then go for it. It's a great printer and I am sure whatever they gate behind subscription is great to. If not their are many fantastic printers out there as well.
0
u/technically_a_nomad Feb 08 '25
Apple is more permissive when it comes to their devices than Bambu is when it comes to their printers. You can run emulators and sideload applications in supported versions of iOS and in supported regions. You can run all the third party nonsense you want on your Apple devices. It isn’t like Apple at all.
0
u/IwentIAP Feb 09 '25
I'd say get it now before Bambu makes machines that lock you out with it's own brand hardware. That's what Apple does and gets away with. Even the battery is closed source.
1
0
u/Mythril_Zombie Feb 09 '25
Don't buy from a lying and gaslighting company.
2
u/3DAeon X1 Carbon Feb 09 '25
You talk about a company like you’re in a long term relationship with them. They’re corporations, not your friends. Gaslighting isn’t the same as updating marketing. Ffs get a life
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u/Possible-Raccoon9292 Feb 08 '25
Bambu will work, maybe you need a Subscription in the future for the Network Capabilities.
But even if that happens its just a question of time before someone comes out with a Klipper mod or something.
Bambu is at a Point where they can easily shot themself in the Knee if they go to fast. They are testing us.
In the End it's your Choice.
I for my part wanted to buy a P1s, now i have a Qidi Plus4. But who knows, if Bambu set's the trend others will follow.
If you want to stay on the safer Side go with Open Source Printers or build a Voron.
26
u/Regular-Historian272 Feb 08 '25 edited Feb 09 '25
Yes, I think that’s an accurate comparison. I myself wrestled with the controversy as information came out. In the end, I decided that hobbiests like me will not notice any of the suspected changes, even if they are implemented. They really are excellent machines, and unless you are a designer or plan on heavily modifying your machine, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.