Hi Brian
I think the Wombat printers might also be open source too. Although not 100% certain of that. If I am wrong, and it isn't, that is definitely a point in favor of the Prusa.
Wombot is open also. Uses the MKS boards now (that's just an Arduino MEGA integrated with a RAMPS 1.4 board on a single PCB), and as Gordon said, it's pretty much the stock Marlin firmware.
From the Aurarum website: ph. 03 8822 3606 Factory 9, 2-22 Kirkham road W, Keysborough. Open to public Mon-Fri 9am - 5pm, Thu - 9am - 6pm, Sat - 11am - 3pm
I'm not just idly mentioning the name, I've worked with their printers and the people. They're very good. And with their pricing, there is just no sense in buying from China. In the end that comes to quality control - you can buy everything online but some sources just provide less quality for something that looks the same. If you are familiar with the source that's fine, otherwise it can be hit & miss. Been there done that (for other components). Similar with the filament, really - given the weight and postage, buying local just makes sense. That's aside from the Buy Australian concept, which also has great merit. And in this case it's not only very viable but has distinct advantages. People can take their printer "back to base" to be serviced - companies tends to use that service. They also go out to companies and schools for that kind of service. I think that's excellent, as it puts 3D printers in the right place (workshop tool).
In any case, I have had an offer from the MicroPython group to use their 3d printers. So might be the best option of learning something about 3d printing first, before I commit myself to (relatively expensive) hardware.
That's an excellent way to start, yes. Highly recommended. Regards, Arjen.