Of course not. A 'fad', imo, is something that comes and goes and is never seen again. Today, anything considered 'retro' is once again 'cool'. 3D printers may never be a mainstream product like the radio or television, but they serve a function and for those interested in starting a small business, they can be very productive and pay off in a matter of a few short months. I would liken them to a charcoal grill. Not everyone has one, needs one, or even wants one. But those that do seem to enjoy them over and above their gas powered cousins. 3D printers will be the same, they will be here to stay, but only for those who enjoy tinkering, doodling, and in general, just being a geek.
So if you're still reading, then you must be interested in 3D printing and the next most asked question is "Which printer should I consider purchasing?" Without re-inventing the wheel, I will first direct you to these two articles ...http://3d-printers.toptenreviews.com/ - Excellent comparison of 16 models ranging in price from around $1300-$3000
http://startup88.com/makergrower/2013/12/27/3d-printer-comparison-guide-2014/1729 - Another excellent look at 50+ printers from $200-$7100 (excluding of course the $250,000 printer that cost more than my house).
Before purchasing any 3D printer, you must first decide on what you intend to produce and why. For a production business, you will likely end up purchasing more than one depending on the quantity of products your aim to manufacture. For an engineer or proto-type purpose, you may only have need to print a few things each month. For me it was simple - I'm a geek, and because I am a geek, I like geeky things - ergo, I want a 3D printer. Actually I had an idea in mind to create unique items and sell them to a select few customers (which I've done) and have just about paid for the printer itself.
Outside of understanding the 'why', there several key things you will need to know in order to decide on which printer is right for you.
1. Powder vs plastic - While powder 3D printers provide a higher quality and allow for printing of metal objects, the cost is about 5:1 over their plastic brethren, hence the reason I went the plastic route.
2. 1.75mm vs 3mm - The two sizes of plastic filament. The smaller seems to be more prevalent in the home-based printers and I believe will become the preferred standard.
3. PLA vs ABS - This ties directly into the 'why' of purchasing a printer initially. ABS melts at a hotter temperature, has a more noticeable odor (recommend moving the printer to the garage for these prints), and when cooled is sturdier than PLA. PLA is easier to work with and for most prints, works just fine (I prefer PLA).
4. Print Volume - This was my original decision maker when purchasing my first printer. However, after generating my first few models I realized that unless I was printing out a single solid piece, print volume did not matter. I found that printing smaller pieces that could be easily assembled worked better. The primary reason is that if a print fails, there is only a small chance that you will be able to recover and finish the print (and there are a number of reasons why a print will fail - power interruptions, imperfect models, and not adhering to the print surface are just a few).
So in a nutshell, 3D printers are here for the long haul and if you're interested in adding one to your profile of dust collectors, understand how much you are planning on using it and what type of material and size you will need.
Being an amateur 3D modeler, I offer you this as my first reproducible 3D printed item (multiple prints and over 50 individual parts glued together).
