I backed the project at the "earliest bird" price of $99. This will be my first 3D printer and compared to many other Kickstarter projects, I figured this one is the cheapest and therefore I'm not out $500 if they can't deliver. I agree that to date, they've basically been 95% marketing and 5% substance. Per the creators, all current printers have been made from 3D printed parts, so they have yet to actually produce and test something coming off the line.

While they've been good about responding to comments so far, they've avoided giving technical details and video examples of actual usage in various scenarios. That and the manufacturing questions are what worries me. Additionally, they've stated there will be no warranty with the printer, that they use cheaper consumer grade components to bring the price down, and the unit isn't designed to be user servicable. Again, no details on how they actually plan to support the printers post-sale.

So this is truly a startup more than a business venture and it wouldn't surprise me if their end goal is to sell or license the rights to produce the printer to someone else in order to cash out.

The timeline say shipping around November/December of 2015, and they've stated they're confident they can hit the date (but what Kickstarter creator doesn't say that). We'll have to wait and see how it pans out, but I think the best thing they could do prior to the campaign ending is to actually put up some true technical details and demos of the printer. Not just promises or fluff, but actual videos of it making things, hi res pictures of the output, etc. Additionally, stating their business intentions and what they're doing to support those goals would be helpful to ensure this isn't just a one-hit-wonder to put on their resumes and move on leaving the backers stranded.

On the up side, they are pretty good about not giving in to stretch goals and add-ons. For some reason all these backers want more and more for nothing, and that seems to lead to the demise of many Kickstarters after they've been funded. Hopefully they'll stay on track with the original goals and timelines then actually deliver.