So to cut through the mustard ..
what is being said is ...
-the cost increase is ...in part...
a projection on the unknown state of committed peoples? ...
I would hope so...

Since what people are seeing is:
the original extreme estimate was 700 euros for a complete device at a number of 200 (potential) orders...
and now the estimate has increased to 1140 euros for a complete device at 400+ (potential) orders...
the (potential) orders were more than double but the overall estimate didn't go down ...even marginally...
it shot through the roof ..
putting it OFF the extreme end of the "How much would you be willing to pay for a Neo900 (complete device) with TI DM3730 1GHz/512M-RAM/1GB".. voting survey which was created to test interest at the beginning....
...and possibly even then "we aren't done with the finished cost being altered again?"
going from $1000+ to $1700+ cdn (for me) and "possibly" still climbing?
...it isn't something buyers of any goods or services won't be keen on seeing... just simply accepting an increase like that is awful hard for even Brand-Loyal consumer (us) to simply shrug off ...

The dynamic isn't pleasant with such forecasting.
How many specialty burgers would McDonalds sell if they said they were coming out with a new-type of burger and said they were going to be more expensive?... tops...advertised between 5-7 dollars ...not everybody who eats at McD's may be keen on it..that's a given....many will line up to buy it though...
starving.. the customers lining up waiting for lunch... are presented with a price hike of not the top end at $7 ...(figuring that the price must be hiked to compensate for the projected number of customers not showing up to buy the specialty burger?)..but $11.40....and as the customers come close to the counter to order there is an employee getting ready with the pricing board to possibly mark the specialty burger up higher still?. how many are going to afford it now...few ..precious few would bring enough..some may have come with a little extra....most weren't expecting $7 let alone 8-9-10 or $11...how many customers will express their astonishment, despondency or outrage and/ or simply leave the fast food joint under such inflation..such pricing uncertainty conditions?
Most assuredly the situation escalates with every passing non-commitment ..lack of sale...the new burger then gets more expensive by the drive of the escalating cost and feeds itself...
It become self-fulfilling prophecy

The above scenario of understanding isn't pretty...
I would hope that isn't the case...

Either way regardless..
ALL that being said... the two camps here...
the team who are making the device and the people who want to buy it ...
better flat out get their crap together...
In no particular order...

A-

-IF (and I completely believe it) the device will be so security conscious that essentially there simply isn't anything like it ...safety-wise...past or present
why.. in this over sensitive post-snowden wiki-leak era...in these absolutely perfect conditions..

1-why don't we have more of the security conscious in society to the downright neurotically paranoid average consumer stepping up to purchase? I mean there are literally BILLIONS of paranoid potential purchasers out there...and millions of neurotics with enough cash to buy...so why are we stalled at 423 donators/purchasers?

2-why don't we have the corporations who MUST HAVE secure communications banging down the door to order? A decade ago Blackberry ruled the corporate and business world and their angle was in great part ..the secure communications..they're done and their methods of security with them..and really no one has stepped up to the plate and filled the gap or done even better still..until now with the neo's un-comparable security....so why aren't there the 100 000's...10 000's ...even 1000's of companies and businessmen banging down the door?

3-Why ...(like Mr. Stallman has mentioned many times) ...that Governments MUST have secure systems... and secure linux is what they run... Why are they not banging down the door to purchase everything that is available?

4- IF (and I completely believe it) there is the ability to create such a limited number of devices... 1000 possibly 2000 units...
why isn't that being reflected in a stupidly-rapid escalation of demand?
Demand should be choking the living-crap out of supply ...
There simply should not be one single unit available for purchase... out of the maximum 2000 units (that is the ceiling) to produce ...

Considering all the above "1" to "4" ...there is no reason why... in all of creation's green and pleasant lands ...there shouldn't be one unit left 2 years on now...available for purchase.

Only 400+ people in 2 years ...something is off PR wise....really.

A Seriously professional PR (possibly team) is needed here...really really really badly.
To Pitch it , wrap it up pretty for advertising, directed right at the audience intended.


When I make a "line" of pieces..in a collection...the fact that "there are only these units or a single unit is available" and then...no more..is pitch...part of my pitch also is selling the story behind the pieces..their meanings..selling that they can have the same things ...do the same things..be the same things as me..live the "kind" of life I live...also part of the graphic story I've carved painted..worked.. is little sometimes common...but usually little known and obscure mythology...so imparting to the client the visibly seen yet "hidden" meaning(s) rendered makes the client feel inclusive..part of the story...privileged..to own it...which they should...there is soul to the product...business-wise that is also pitch.....selling "must have" elements...(longevity, quality..etc)..more pitch..diversity..wife wants jewelry, husband wants belt buckles, embellishment work in a favourite gun stock ..etc..more product pitch...and security..."quality hand weapons, knives, swords, blunt and otherwise rendered unique and exquisitely for the protection of self and loved ones..for you, your wife, your kids..some are great for practice..great for training ..all are heirlooms to pass down...quiet..and no reloading bullets required" ...I pitch products across the board...
All told after estimating the intended audience and their needs ..doing some good pitching.. and that usually creates a frenzy right there and the work is sold...

(perhaps in this sitch ..selling the pitch to a more general audience is a good idea...since I see the pitch aiming at a very small section of the hacker community...Broadening that pitch's scope to include the stock-broker, corporate executives in companies who need secure comm. , government security agents, government low-high level officials...etc ...would help I'm sure..)



B-

- to all the donators/ investors...
I know it is hard...despair and feeling hopeless ain't an easy thing to deal with and it isn't a solution...
and I'm sure the team has had enough rough patches of their own and dealt enough with that..

Take a breath...Grit your teeth boys ..
I know that isn't easy...and lets wait a bit ...
It isn't just up to the team to come up with solutions...

We all can help with that...

Being re-active never helped anyone..
It doesn't take control of the sitch.
It's just "responding" to it.
Being pro-active will help.

Wicket, wpwrak and some others voiced that...and I agree..
what is needed are solutions ..alternatives...ideas....
scrutined..
accepted or rejected...

Our best ability as a community of gadgeteers is finding a way... problem solving...
It isn't the ability to "give up"..

Walking out the door because we "hear" or "see" a number isn't an answer...
well it IS an answer...
but it is the wrong one at this point.