I agree. The Replicator has the potential to be an excellent product. It's just a bit unfinished and I don't agree with all of the design decisions. Makerbot must buy in fairly large bulk. I'm sure it's nothing like Dell buying motherboards from Foxconn but still enough where prices differences can't be too much. While Makerbot, I think, has the edge in the at-home 3D printing market, there are other companies who'd like to take that prize. Simple things. I'm not so sure how much the electrolytic capacitor issue really matters in the long run. Lelon isn't terrible, but a Nichicon cap must cost like $0.001 more per than the Lelon part in bulk. Hell, they're practically the same when I buy a mere 5 of them. At a volume of what 10,000 the difference in price can't possibly be significant. Again, atleast they didn't put complete crap in there, but it makes me think...if you put Lelon caps in there, what else is being cheaped out on? Well there's one thing: The fan. 40mm...The only place these should exist are in 1U server racks where they NEED low profile because of the density of the machines. The Replicator doesn't NEED low profile so this situation could have been easily rectified with a standard 120mm fan, which are inherently more reliable, move more air and are quieter because they operate at lower RPMs and are bigger. You can get a brushless computer fan for not much more than a 40mm junk fan. Those usually consume at most 6W. 0.5A maaaybe. 24->12V would be like $0.50 in parts.
When you're in a new market like this, 3D printing, there's no room for error. If you want to leave the competition in the dust, do it right.