We have a new diagram on http://neo900.org/#donate that shows roughly how we expect things to proceed. A few explanations:

First of all, this is meant to show the overall structure of the project, at a high level and only qualitatively. So the progress axis is not to any scale, the number of prototype runs (green circles) doesn't necessarily reflect the real number or prototypes we'll make, etc.

We're now in the R&D phase, where the design is being developed and prototypes are made to test that things not only work on paper. The design phase is customarily followed by the phase where one goes shopping for components, then production, etc.

However, in real life things are rarely as neat, and Neo900 has a few unique challenges when it comes to sourcing: there are parts that are hard to find and, worse, that are no longer being manufactured and may thus disappear from the market for good. Needless to say, this isn't the sort of surprises we'd like to encounter days before production.

Therefore, the idea is to purchase certain "risky" parts as early as possible. There are two categories: components that go on the PCB (chips, connectors, etc.), and N900 "spare" parts (case, display circuit, etc.) needed to make whole new devices.

The number of "risky" items in the first category should be fairly small and their cost comparably low, i.e., only a fraction of the total BOM cost. But we still need to know how many parts to order. That's where the EUR 100 threshold comes into play: for donations of EUR 100 or more we assume that a device (either just PCBA or fully assembled Neo900) will be bought in the end and we can order any "risky" parts for that already.

This activity runs in parallel to prototype development. Also, the process is not as neatly defined as the diagram suggests. E.g., some "high-risk" parts have already been bought, some part we had no reason to worry about can become "risky" at any time, sometimes you find a huge stash of parts you thought would be a pain, etc. That's just how things work in the industry, nothing unusual.

Another thing that needs buying are case parts for those who prefer a complete device instead of a board to upgrade their existing N900. Since these case parts are no longer being produced we depend entirely on the stock in the market. To cover the cost of purchasing these parts, we'll start taking partial orders in a while (my personal estimate would be in something like 1-2 months.)

Once R&D is nearing completion, we can calculate the final pricing and start to take real orders. Finally ! Then the parts for production can be bought. This will also be an opportunity to increase any stock of items we risk-bought earlier, but there will be a higher risk of things having disappeared from the market by then (hence the only dotted line.)

Once everything has been ordered, PCB production can begin. For boards of this complexity, this usually takes a few weeks. Next come soldering (SMT) and testing. At that point, we can start shipping PCBAs to those of you who plan to upgrade an existing N900, and assemble, test, and then also ship complete Neo900 units for those of you who will have chosen that option.

- Werner