haha
ah yes..
the Challenger...
yes indeed those were the days..

well..
thing is this..
I put half down on a neo..(saying the end cost isn't higher still than the projected end cost..)
roughly $900
If the neo were done 2-3 years ago..
the viability and pragmatic view of..
1- money-to-end product ...
and the
2- availability of alternate options at significantly lower price...
would be just barely there...2-3 years ago...

Now it is such a radical divide ..that it just makes no sense at all to invest 500% or more ..in funds..
for a project not even finished yet.

Not when one can get a raspberry pi w, a battery, a 3.5 screen, a case and a keyboard, and a pitalk board ...
all for under $300 CDN
and either run raspbian ...
or soon to run maemo leste...

So really..
Even if the neo were ready tomorrow.
I wouldn't throw another penny at it...
In the misguided belief "in for a penny ...in for a pound"..
My $900 I must consider a loss (hardly an acceptable one) ..
since it is now a choice between putting another $900 + in for a finished neo (whenever that will be)
vs..
putting in $300-$400 for a complete pi smartphone with double the ram and running maemo leste.

It is a real no-brainer now.

In fact..
shortly ..
the claim the title of this thread itself is to be called into question..
"Neo900 - finally a successor of N900"
the moment Leste can be considered out of beta on the pi.
Since a pi running maemo leste with a pitalk board and battery ...
will be the successor to the n900
...and most certainly be available to assemble, use and run Maemo
far sooner and at a fraction of cost.


Even given such disparity there is with perfectly fine affordable alternatives now ..
and even given 5 years now with no finished product still on the horizon..
It is doubtful...that the project will be considered closed and fold up..
It hasn't yet...
the moment the project is considered closed without completion ..
Is the very moment some or many...
will clamor for full or partial refunding of whatever remains of their investments ....sans r+d and expected costs...
So...I do not think that day will happen just yet...

but if it does..
if EVER there is even a partial neo reimbursement ...
That would be a small blessing.