In fact if we go by this article isn't Apple doing the same thing. He says Bezos/Amazon didn't show their cards for long and will eventually surprise people and win over. How does that not apply to Apple who is hoarding cash and not giving a hint of their future plans ?
The whole redesign seems to based on the idea that I need to look at my inbox when composing an email. Well, I don't.
And I personally use inbox in one tab and the compose email in the other. It is easier to switch tabs than learning to use the new interface. Also, it is frustrating to type in the smaller compose window. Seriously Google has screwed up the interface of Analytics and Gmail in the last year.
Who ever has been doing there UI is surely not getting the User Feedback.
Most likely it is the 'not very tech savvy' crowd which is buying these laptops for themselves or others without realizing that it's not a fully functional Desktop OS.
I can imagine a loving grandparent buying this affordable "Laptop" for their grand kids thinking this suits my budget.
Or someone thinking sure this thing is like the one I have back at home.
You could've found someone else or got people to contribute. But ensuring the survival of the community wasn't your priority.