Hewlett-Packard Wants To Dominate 3D Printing In 2014

hopes to release its first printer toward the middle of 2014. This is big news for the company, which is known for selling

as its nearest competitor,

. Now the company wants a piece of the 3D printing pie. According to

, Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Meg Whitman spoke about the company's plans at the Canalys Channels Forum in Bangkok. "We are excited about 3D printing," said Whitman, as quoted by The Register. "We want to lead this business. HP labs is looking at it." Whitman reportedly took issue with the amount of time it takes for an object (such as a bottle) to be printed. Share compared the process to watching ice melt. She wants her company to improve the printer speed while reducing the expense of each printed item. "3D printing is in its infancy," she added. "It is a big opportunity and we are all over it. We will have something by the middle of next year."

This isn't the first time that Hewlett-Packard has experimented with cool 3D technology. The company is also working on a brand-new concept that could revolutionize the way images are projected.

The results have been compared to the

from the original

. Users can view the image from multiple angles, almost as if they were looking at a real object. No special glasses are required. Now imagine what would happen if Hewlett-Packard combined those two technologies -- 3D printing and 3D holograms -- for a new 3D printer. Users would be able to view an accurate, virtual re-creation of their objects before taking the time (and spending the money) to print them. A printer like that could give Hewlett-Packard the upper hand in the race to become the leader of 3D printing. Disclosure: