Or maybe carriers didn't want to sell any of the devices because they where more of a toys rather than viable options with enough of software support behind them even before the burning platform and all?

I would have been hesitant to get Maemo/MeeGo phone as a operator. I can imagine majority of people being disappointed by the lackluster software outside the core UI and lots of returns if the phone would have been pushed to larger audience.

What people want in these kind of forums don't even represent the 0.000001% of the market out there.
There's example a reason why there's no qwerty phones anymore, Samsung and Nokia did actually try to sell them 2-3 years ago, but they are simply not selling even in the kind of volumes that make them viable option anymore in high end.

I doubt even Jolla will be making their phone with a qwerty and i hope they wont. These kind of minorities should not be the ones pushing companies like these in anyway just because they are the most vocal ones in certain niche.
I hope the people in Jolla have also learned that when they where working for Nokia.