Since I was in the middle of that fire, I have to say no, they didn't welcome it. To put it mildly.

Many people who bought 770s were very happy with it in many ways, and had no desire to move up to N800s or N810s. To them the new developments did not represent a way forward so much as a way sideways.

The hardcore 770 owners (and they are legion) saw the break as a slap in the face, and despite the good intentions wrought by hacker editions it truly was a public relations fiasco, Quim. Something we really, really need to avoid repeating... and tossing Molotov platitudes at the fire is not the solution!