First teased at this year's CES conference, the MakerBot Replicator Mini has finally started shipping to consumers in the U.S. and will be available in-store later this week.

The compact unit weighs just 18 pounds and stands a mere 15-inches high. It constitutes one of the best attempts yet at a truly mainstream 3D printing device for the home.

See also: 3D Printing: Everything You Need to Know in 2 Minutes

"We see the MakerBot Replicator Mini as a turning point in the 3D printing industry," said MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis in a statement, "much like the transition of the computer moving into the home 30 years ago."

The cost is $1,375 — about the price of a high-end laptop.

Not that the price and small footprint are guarantees of success. Pettis' Replicator Mini enters a space already occupied by the well-designed and cheaper (at $1,299) Cube 2 3D printer from 3DSystems.

Still, MakerBot's advantage comes in its brick and mortar retail locations in New York, Boston and Connecticut, outlets that should help demystify the technology for mainstream consumers.

Along with the shipping announcement on Monday, MakerBot also released an unboxing video and a brief but detailed set-up video that illustrates just how easy the device is to get up and running. This is a necessity given the still niche appeal of 3D printing, despite its growing profile in popular culture.

The video walks the user through the process of installing the MakerBot smart extruder, the component that builds the 3D models, and the build platform and the PLA filament, the plastic material used to construct objects.

Image: MakerBot

Also included is a camera that allows the user to monitor the whole printing process remotely — a particularly useful feature given that some builds can take up to six hours.

Although Wi-Fi capability was mentioned during the debut of the device in January, that particular feature is still not available. A MakerBot spokesperson told Mashable that a firmware update enabling the feature would be available "very soon, likely before the end of the summer."

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MakerBot推出3D打印机Replicator Mini现可送货上门

首先戏弄在今年的CES大会上，MakerBot Replicator的迷你终于开始出货给美国消费者和本周晚些时候将在店内提供。
紧凑的单元的重量只有18磅，矗立着一座只有15英寸高。它构成了最好的尝试之一，在还没有一个真正的主流3D打印设备的家庭。
另请参阅：3D打印：所有你需要知道在2分钟内
“我们看到的MakerBot Replicator的迷你的一个转折点，在3D打印行业的”MakerBot的CEO布雷松佩蒂斯在声明中说，“就像电脑30年前进入家庭的过渡。”
费用是$ 1,375 - 约一个高端的笔记本电脑的价格。
这并不是说价格和小尺寸是成功的保证。佩蒂斯'复制迷你进入已占用了空间的精心设计和更便宜（在$ 1,299）的3DSystems立方2 3D打印机。
尽管如此，MakerBot的优势来自于它的砖和在纽约，波士顿和康涅狄格砂浆的零售网点，网点应该帮助神秘性以技术为主流消费者。
随着航运宣布在周一，MakerBot还发布了拆箱视频和简短而详细的设置了视频，说明该设备是多么容易的是启动和运行。这是给3D打印的还是小众的吸引力，尽管它在流行文化中成长曲线的必要性。
通过安装MakerBot智能挤出机，该构建3D模型的组件，构建平台和军队长丝，用于构造对象的塑料材料的过程中在视频引导用户。

MiniImage：MakerBot

还包括的是一个摄像机，它允许用户远程监视整个印刷过程 - 一个特别有用的功能鉴于部分建立可能需要长达6小时。
虽然器件在一月份首次亮相期间提到的Wi-Fi功能，该特定功能仍然无法使用。一个MakerBot发言人告诉混搭，一个固件更新启用该功能将可“很快，有可能在夏季结束前。”
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