the devices limited sales number were not failures, but more or less intended outcome.
just like the N9 is only going to be available in limited quantities;
thus, if ppl are getting all excited about it, there won't be enough for everybody, so they have to limit the number of markets where the device will be sold.
eh?
that's macro-microeconomics
¦-))))

the failure i was alluding to in this case is the fact that Maemo's development always got hampered by those closed components, indeed but that the community's structure did not allow for release of closed components.
see your discussion about what if anything stskeeps got and under what terms if any
thus the structure respectively the lack thereof of the Maemo community is the failure. like we discussed w/ abill, this probably wasn't malevolence of NOKIA but merely lack of insight into SW vs. HW development (in OSS e-c-o-s-y-s-t-e-m )

not a failure, not possible under profitable terms for NOKIA, thus Maemo became a collateral

none of the Maemo devices was ever intended to be a commercial success, alas.
not even the N9 (see 1st §)

EDIT: however, that doesn't mean there won't be any more MeeGo devices from NOKIA
huh?
remember, Elop doesn't know the difference between Maemo and MeeGo; thus even though they told him / his notes said "there won't be anymore Maemo devices..." he said "the N9 is the last MeeGo device"
aaaa, whatever... am i the boss here?!?