If I were to predict Jolla it would be this:

- a device with mediocre specs
- lots of missing features
- unusual bugs
- lackluster sales

- takes a long time for bugs to get ironed out officially
- takes a long time for features that should've been there from day 1 to arrive
- some development occurs, not as great as initially expected
- device runs into some roadblocks, where n900 blazes through
- in 12 months time, the device is at its prime

- time for the device to get upgraded
- much much less demand than before
- people demand high-end specs, nothing lukewarm
- Jolla considers it, runs some numbers
- they realize its economically not viable

- another 3 months passes without a word
- the annual hype dies out
- Jolla becomes a forgotten device, not too different than N9
- some units go on sale for bargain price

- people join the boards again, dreaming about the proper n900 successor
- lots of other topics get discussed
- Android hits version 5.0 becomes more and more mature and advanced
- people keep dreaming on
- something else comes to peak our interest
- rinse and repeat

(Seems like the best way forward is to jump ship to the Android platform, and instead of whinge and whine, devs actually try to run Android on a Linux kernel and port some of the frameworks from the desktop to the mobile os... perhaps forming a fork like CyanogenMod)