One of the things people complain about most when discussing the Glowforge is the fact the machine needs to be connected to the internet to operate, but I see it as a feature, not a bug.
Don't get me wrong, I love LightBurn laser software, and I think it is the gold standard.
So why do I think cloud software is an advantage in this instance?
It comes down to the target user of the Glowforge.
With cloud software they can
- Offer remote assistance
- Constantly patch the software
- Upgrade the features
- Even drop firmware updates
... all without the customer doing anything technical.
In the latest update they have even started dropping extra features in beta, that will eventually roll out as a premium plan. This includes things like clip art etc, but also functions that would ordinarily live in your vector drawing package.
It's certainly not for everybody, but I think Glowforge success is down to knowing who they are serving, and giving them the most appropriate experience for that.