> I don't believe it has anything to do with convincing anyone to commit to production.
> The goal is [...] to complete the design, produce five prototypes, and test those thoroughly.

Either way, production should be the ultimate goal after completion of phase #5. If nobody will commit to production eventually, the fundraising will have been in vain. There may be one or more companies that wouldn't want to be involved in manufacturing a PPC laptop if the NRE costs were yet to be accounted for, but wouldn't be averse to being involved if that financial burden (and risk) was already covered.

> If the design was complete, and the testing had already been done to uncover any
> necessary redesign work, I could obtain the boards.

Yes, you could commission PCB production then, which someone would have to pay for.

> Populating them is trickier, [...] but that could get done in small volume.

...which someone would have to pay for.

> Acube could source small board run for us.

Yes, ACube could be that party, but so far I haven't read anywhere that ACube would stay involved after successful completion of phase #5.

> there are already X64 laptops that use this same case that I could gut for installation
> of a board.

Yes, "a board" as in "one board" ;-)

> NOR would it bother me if we only got the initial STATED goals completed.

Really? 5 tested prototypes for 60250 EUR would suffice in your opinion?

> if I had board layouts, I'd have ten boards produced right now [...], just to have them.

Ten boards? Just to have them? Have you won the lottery? I doubt even Linux would be maintained for these 10 boards plus 5 prototype boards.

> Andreas offers facts

To be fair, the middle part of my previous comment was pure opinion (as are some statements in this very comment) :-)