What If Ubuntu Edge Misses Fundraising Goal?

When I wrote about the Ubuntu Edge announcement I asked the same questions. (http://myubuntublog.com/congratulations-on-the-new-arrival/)

What happens if they miss the target? Will it be the end of Ubuntu or is Mark Shuttleworth just testing the water to see whether there is a demand.

By setting the total so high it could be seen as a win win situation. If the target is reached then there is enough money to fund the entire project. If there isn't enough money then Canonical get to see how much demand there is without laying out any money whatsoever.

I liked the way the Linux Action Show covered this topic. They basically said that whatever the final pledge is (whether it hits the target or not), Canonical can go to potential investors and say "look we have customers for this project already willing to shell out".

I think setting the target so prohibitively high (30 times the previous Indiegogo record) suggests that this is a testing the water style campaign to see if they are heading in the right direction.

The initial surge in support would suggest that actually people do like the idea. Unfortunately not everyone has $830 dollars to shell out straight away on something that may come out in a year.

Quoting: Will it be the end of Ubuntu or is Mark Shuttleworth just testing the water to see whether there is a demand.

My thought is that Canonical should solidify their Desktop and Server O/S and enterprise and small business tools before heading out to the phone business. Tablets I can see because they aren't too different than netbooks, in respect to form factor and lower performance.

I doubt that too many resources went into Ubuntu Edge, testing the waters or throwing things to see what sticks. I can't see an Ubuntu smart phone being successful until Canonical is much more successful itself. I haven't given it much thought, so take that for what it's worth.

Here is an interesting web site to follow the campaign: http://ubuntu-edge.info

Notice how it's TV one year, then tablet, now phone? They're closing their eyes, firing the gun and hoping they hit something.