I can assure you none of all the problems we face (price, human resources, number of preorders...) is any related to "better infrared", "turn-off-able modem", and "rewrite the entire OS" was definitely exactly NOT our goal, otherwise we could have used an arbitrary newer CPU. It's one of the nicer parts of developing a hw product that improvements and smart design actualy do NOT have a huge impact to feasibility and cost of the whole device.

[edit] well probably without "turn-off-able modem" the number of preorders would actually be even lower so they are related, just the opposite way of what you insinuated.
[edit2] until I resign or die or announce bankruptcy (and actually even after any of that), it's the community who kills the project or keeps it alive. I don't see a "killed project" yet since comments like yours are the minority still. As long as a single person still ponders how to help this dream come true, the project lives - what changes is the likelihood and date of it resulting in the desired achievement, the more supporters the faster and more likely we see success.
/j