Cricut Now Wants Users to Pay Extra for Unlimited Use of the Cutting Machines They Already Own

[Bombastinator]

47 minutes ago, stillc said:

Is there any way to prevent updating it? I took me so long to teach my mom how to use it, that's just a nightmare to me to explain to her that her own machine will take some regular charges. 

My understanding is that if it is rarely used it may not even be noticed.  This is apparently a hit for heavy or burst users.

[Bombastinator]

Rofl. Just saw a cricut ad.  Specifically mentions small businesses.  This doesn’t seem to be working so well.

[WolframaticAlpha]

On 3/16/2021 at 5:42 AM, FakeKGB said:

It'll be like the Tesla heated seat thing, except all CPUs will be the same core count and you can "upgrade" it by spending more money, e.g. increasing core count, increasing base and boost clock, and/or enabling hyperthreading.

 

it will be an 8 core cpu, which will run only 4 cores at once, and you have to pay a subscription for the extra 4 cores, ram speeds, overclocking, the igpu, virtualization etc.

And then someone will use a pencil to break all that( Allusion to old amd processors)

 

[Bitter]

My understanding of the required online-ness is that you have to upload your image to them to 'optimize it' and they send it back in a form that the machine can now cut. Why that can't be done locally is utterly a mystery to me, that's simple math that a Pentium processor could do from 30 years ago.

[Bombastinator]

1 hour ago, Bitter said:

My understanding of the required online-ness is that you have to upload your image to them to 'optimize it' and they send it back in a form that the machine can now cut. Why that can't be done locally is utterly a mystery to me, that's simple math that a Pentium processor could do from 30 years ago.

Apparently it can because it is possible to do such stuff offline.  It always seemed implausible to me.  The only reason for the cloud connection was to have a finger on the button so to speak.

[dalekphalm]

12 hours ago, Bitter said:

My understanding of the required online-ness is that you have to upload your image to them to 'optimize it' and they send it back in a form that the machine can now cut. Why that can't be done locally is utterly a mystery to me, that's simple math that a Pentium processor could do from 30 years ago.

Yeah that’s either BS or only part of the truth. 
 

Offline printing can be done, but only if you pay a premium for their cloud storage, which can then sync locally to your system. 
 

So perhaps there is some online processing required, but as you said, generally they're

just doing outline cuts for example - that’s just a simple trace edge algorithm that GIMP or Inkscape can do easily. 

[tkitch]

On 3/16/2021 at 6:13 AM, whm1974 said:

So a $300 Machine to cut fancy Shapes? What is stopping anyone from doing the exact same thing by hand? Or Simply using an older Computer and Rigging together a Cutting out of whatever can be pressed into such uses?

same can be said of a Waterjet, CNC, or Laser cutter.

 

You can do all that by hand.  But, why would you WANT to, when technology can make it better, faster, and easier?

[dalekphalm]

15 minutes ago, tkitch said:

same can be said of a Waterjet, CNC, or Laser cutter.

 

You can do all that by hand.  But, why would you WANT to, when technology can make it better, faster, and easier?

Precisely. It was a very odd response.

 

I could also build a vehicle by hand, or solder a circuit board together by hand and make my own PC.

 

Am I going to do that? Hells no.

[whm1974]

27 minutes ago, tkitch said:

same can be said of a Waterjet, CNC, or Laser cutter.

 

You can do all that by hand.  But, why would you WANT to, when technology can make it better, faster, and easier?

 

10 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

Precisely. It was a very odd response.

 

I could also build a vehicle by hand, or solder a circuit board together by hand and make my own PC.

 

Am I going to do that? Hells no.

Both of you will have to how me what you can do with Crafts with these Cutters. When I think of Arts and Crafts, they are something I create by using my hands.

[dalekphalm]

3 minutes ago, whm1974 said:

Both of you will have to how me what you can do with Crafts with these Cutters. When I think of Arts and Crafts, they are something I create by using my hands.

That's a limitation of your imagination.

 

Imagine, for example, making a custom card for your nieces birthday. But instead of cutting out simple shapes or whatever by hand, you, instead, make their favourite Hogwarts House crest instead. You also custom print on it (with a literal felt tip or fountain pen) the Hogwarts letter invitation. This is just one of any number of possibilities.

 

Another common thing with the Cricut: Making custom mugs by cutting out shapes, letters, logos, designs, etc, from adhesive Vinyl sheets.

 

I just really don't understand your lack of... well... understanding. You can't possibly imagine that crafty people would want to up their game and make something more elaborate than would be possible by hand? Or would want to make something easier or more efficiently?

[whm1974]

1 minute ago, dalekphalm said:

That's a limitation of your imagination.

 

Imagine, for example, making a custom card for your nieces birthday. But instead of cutting out simple shapes or whatever by hand, you, instead, make their favourite Hogwarts House crest instead. You also custom print on it (with a literal felt tip or fountain pen) the Hogwarts letter invitation. This is just one of any number of possibilities.

 

Another common thing with the Cricut: Making custom mugs by cutting out shapes, letters, logos, designs, etc, from adhesive Vinyl sheets.

 

I just really don't understand your lack of... well... understanding. You can't possibly imagine that crafty people would want to up their game and make something more elaborate than would be possible by hand? Or would want to make something easier or more efficiently?

I didn't know these machines existed as I don't do Arts and crafts to begin with.

[dalekphalm]

5 minutes ago, whm1974 said:

I didn't know these machines existed as I don't do Arts and crafts to begin with.

Ah I see. So you had a preconceived notion of what Arts and Crafts was, but you have no experience or knowledge on the subject.

 

That's cool - not everyone has knowledge in all subjects. I sure as hell don't. Your response was odd though, no doubt about it.

 

Anyway, I hope you've learned something about these machines and about "Arts and Crafts" to begin with

[Bombastinator]

12 minutes ago, whm1974 said:

 

Both of you will have to how me what you can do with Crafts with these Cutters. When I think of Arts and Crafts, they are something I create by using my hands.

That’s a factor of intent though. My dad was a sports fisherman.  He once calculated the cost per pound of the fish he caught and it was well above $100/lb in the 70’s.  Wasn’t the point for him though.  The fish were nice, but the purpose of the excercise was to sit his ass in a boat for a few hours more than it was catching anything.  There are people who do art&crafts for the doing and there are those who do it for the end product.  The people who do it for the end product have a name: artisans.

[whm1974]

24 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

Ah I see. So you had a preconceived notion of what Arts and Crafts was, but you have no experience or knowledge on the subject.

 

That's cool - not everyone has knowledge in all subjects. I sure as hell don't. Your response was odd though, no doubt about it.

 

Anyway, I hope you've learned something about these machines and about "Arts and Crafts" to begin with

I grew up during the 80's and let School in the early 90's. Home Computers and Games Consoles would have been the rage then.

[Bombastinator]

6 minutes ago, whm1974 said:

I grew up during the 80's and let School in the early 90's. Home Computers and Games Consoles would have been the rage then.

*old fart fist bump*

[tkitch]

1 hour ago, whm1974 said:

I didn't know these machines existed as I don't do Arts and crafts to begin with.

 

53 minutes ago, whm1974 said:

I grew up during the 80's and let School in the early 90's. Home Computers and Games Consoles would have been the rage then.

 

So, you're an "old guy" who is inserting his opinion and absolute lack of knowledge into a topic that is actually relevant to a lot of people.  

Here's a hint:  I'm just as old.  I grew up in the 80's as well, and I already knew what CRICUT machines are, and have even seen them used.  Your excuses are pathetic.  Art isn't just macaroni glued to a piece on construction paper.

 

Here's something created with a cricut:

 

[whm1974]

4 minutes ago, tkitch said:

 

 

So, you're an "old guy" who is inserting his opinion and absolute lack of knowledge into a topic that is actually relevant to a lot of people.  

Here's a hint:  I'm just as old.  I grew up in the 80's as well, and I already knew what CRICUT machines are, and have even seen them used.  Your excuses are pathetic.  Art isn't just macaroni glued to a piece on construction paper.

 

Here's something created with a cricut:

 

I freely admit  I have no Knowledge of the Subject. I do however agree that what the Company is doing is Wrong.

[Ein0r]

54 minutes ago, tkitch said:

 

Here's something created with a cricut: [Image]

 

 

How many uploads would this use up? One per layer, so maybe 4-5?

[tkitch]

6 minutes ago, Ein0r said:

How many uploads would this use up? One per layer, so maybe 4-5?

I would assume?  Although it looks like at least 6-8 layers, but I'm not entirely sure.  

[Bitter]

5 hours ago, tkitch said:

same can be said of a Waterjet, CNC, or Laser cutter.

 

You can do all that by hand.  But, why would you WANT to, when technology can make it better, faster, and easier?

And not everyone has the dexterity or ability to do things all by hand. My friends mother uses hers to do scrap booking because that's about all she can do with her health now.

[dalekphalm]

2 hours ago, tkitch said:

 

 

So, you're an "old guy" who is inserting his opinion and absolute lack of knowledge into a topic that is actually relevant to a lot of people.  

Here's a hint:  I'm just as old.  I grew up in the 80's as well, and I already knew what CRICUT machines are, and have even seen them used.  Your excuses are pathetic.  Art isn't just macaroni glued to a piece on construction paper.

 

Here's something created with a cricut:

 

Are you sure that was made with a Cricut?

 

Because that looks exactly like a Laser Cutter print job (depends on the material used - normally you would do a 3d "topographical" piece like that using 1/8th inch wood of some kind (there are many kinds), and you can either design it yourself, steal someone elses design, or use one the available tools to create the layers - the hot fad these days is using this technique to create a 3D topographical map).

Eg:

This would have been done with a Laser Cutter, not a cricut.

 

You could totally do something like that with a Cricut, but you'd be using paper or paper-like materials instead (maybe Boxboard - there's no way a cricut could cut wood of any noticeable thickness).

 

Here is a good example of something made with a Cricut:

2 hours ago, Ein0r said:

How many uploads would this use up? One per layer, so maybe 4-5?

If this were done via a Laser Cutter, it would be one image for every layer. If you could do something similar in a Cricut, it would be the same (one per layer).

 

5 minutes ago, Bitter said:

And not everyone has the dexterity or ability to do things all by hand. My friends mother uses hers to do scrap booking because that's about all she can do with her health now.

Exactly - this allows people who aren't very good with their hands to be creative.

[tkitch]

1 minute ago, dalekphalm said:

Are you sure that was made with a Cricut?

 

Because that looks exactly like a Laser Cutter print job (depends on the material used - normally you would do a 3d "topographical" piece like that using 1/8th inch wood of some kind (there are many kinds), and you can either design it yourself, steal someone elses design, or use one the available tools to create the layers - the hot fad these days is using this technique to create a 3D topographical map).

 

This would have been done with a Laser Cutter, not a cricut.

 

You could totally do something like that with a Cricut, but you'd be using paper or paper-like materials instead (maybe Boxboard - there's no way a cricut could cut wood of any noticeable thickness).

 

wood is absolutely doable, depending on the cricut

 

[dalekphalm]

2 minutes ago, tkitch said:

 

wood is absolutely doable, depending on the cricut

 

I'll have to have a look at that later - I assume the wood is incredibly thin (like 1/16th inch thick), or you're just scoring it, then breaking the pieces apart by hand or something.

 

To be fair, while I support Cricuts (we've got... I don't know, 5 or 6 I think), I don't use them on a regular basis so it's definitely possible that's something it could do.

[whm1974]

I did look up elsewhere what kind Arts and Crafts people were doing with these machines. A deal of them looks exactly like I've seen doing with their hand using the proper tools and enough skill.

[Miu30]

I heard Cricut completely unravels subscription plans that would limit its crafting machines. Its automated cutting and printing craft machine will no longer require a subscription for unlimited uploads next year. I'd like to call cricut phone number and check whether it's true.