MakerBot Gets Busy: Rolls Out MakerBot Mobile 2.0, Desktop 3.5 & Firmware 1.6

When it comes to the consumer segment of the 3D printing market, their could be a week long debate as to which machine performs the best out of the hundreds which are available to consumers currently. When it comes to which machine and company offers their customers the best all around ecosystem, however, MakerBot is the clear winner.

The Stratasys subsidiary, over the last year or so, has really turned things up a notch. Although they haven’t released new hardware in over a year now, it’s their developing ecosystem which includes software, applications, materials, and file repositories which have us excited.

This past week, the company has been busy rolling out a series of major software updates. This includes the release of MakerBot Mobile 2.0, MakerBot Desktop 3.5, and a Firmware version 1.6 update.

MakerBot Mobile 2.0 for iOS

This latest update concentrates mainly on the ability to control your MakerBot 3D printer on the go. Utilizing MakerBot’s Cloud Services, anyone with a 3G or 4G smartphone connection will be able to control and monitor their 3D prints anywhere they go. Have to run to the office during a print? No problem, you can sit back, monitor or even start a new print anywhere you go. Users will now also have the ability to cancel a print and even unload filament, all via the mobile application. Additionally, the new upgrade allows users to instantly send feedback to MakerBot from within the application, providing a rapid way to report problems or issues which MakerBot may have overlooked.

MakerBot Desktop 3.5 & Firmware 1.6

While MakerBot has been busy updating their Mobile application, the Desktop software and firmware also needed to be upgraded in order to work properly with the new remote features brought forth by MakerBot Mobile 2.0. If you want to take advantage of the features listed above, you will also want to be sure to download both the latest firmware and the latest MakerBot Desktop upgrade.

MakerBot Desktop 3.5 will enable automatic future updates. This means that once you upgrade to this latest version, manual upgrades will be a thing of the past. There will no longer be the need to check for upgrades whenever you log on. Instead, the system will automatically notify you whenever an upgrade is available.

It’s nice to see that the company is continuing their efforts to improve their entire ecosystem, as these new features will certainly appeal to many within the MakerBot community.

Let us know if you have downloaded any of the updates and what your initial thoughts may be. Discuss in the MakerBot forum thread on 3DPB.com.