My fuzzy crystal ball says eventually we will get small cheap controllers
for CNC.  Similar to the ones used on 3D printers.  We could download with
USB or use ethernet to download, even SDcards or usb keyfobs, but the small
controllers are used locally to manage the hardware (start/stop/jog,etc)
and run the GCode engine to drive the machine.

Shopbot has done this, but their controllers are not small or inexpensive,
and they really want you to purchase the whole rig as a single unit from
them.

This will allow you to design/build elsewhere (desktop, laptop, tablet,
cloud, download design from a 'store' - thingivese.com like), and just have
a 'run it here' model if that is your desire.  Even the Easel kind of
design software (instructables.com cloud tool, that can send designs
directly to a desktop light duty CNC machine).

This market doesn't change quickly, but it does change.  When we will see
this as the predominate mode, I don't know.

Years ago, working at one manufacturer, the design/drafting crew ran solid
works, and rendered lots of pretty images, but also code that was
downloaded to manufacturing machines directly (by the production staff, not
the designers!) from our datacenter.  All shop tools used shielded ethernet
(in conduit due to the environment) for machine communication and
monitoring.  Even they were going in the direction I suggest above for
smaller installations, but they had the budget and were doing it to
save/make big bucks.  If it didn't increase safety, reduce manpower,
decrease overall design/manufacturing time, lower inventory and sell
just-in-time manufactured components, all focused on increasing long term
profit they didn't do it. -- This tells me we will see this concept
'trickle down' over time as we upgrade how we do things in all our shops.
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