The Allen Key (a.k.a Hex Key) stored
within the device itself is (marketing) genius--that to my surprise doesn't seem to feature very prominently in their marketing... :D
(Perhaps because the audience to which such a thing seems to be marketing genius isn't their current desired target? :) )
From my perspective the interior Allen Key: immediately acts as a point of uniqueness; communicates something very specific about the product; and, potentially, serves to calibrate potential customer expectations.
(Exactly what the "very specific" thing communicated is, is obviously open to interpretation: it could be "the enclosed Allen Key means this device requires tinkering"; or, alternatively, "the enclosed Allen Key means I don't have to tinker with this device but that is an option available to me".)
The Comet is the most interesting thing I've seen come out of CES this week.
I'd heard of neither the product nor the company before I watched these videos (in this order):
* "Mecha Comet Linux Handheld (CES 2025)" (~5 min): https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/89pAwl55HJw
* "Mecha Comet Modular Linux Handheld at #ces2025, NXP i.MX8, NVMe, Debian, Open Source Extensions, GPU" (~12 min): https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/DB-0H8Q4d1U
* "Mecha Comet Teaser" (~1 min): https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/AGHmvOFkUKw
In the first two videos the company founder does a really good job of demonstrating/explaining device features, describing some of the context for the product; and, the motivation behind particular implementation details (e.g. using an NXP processor due to an absence of NDA requirements & their reputation for upstreaming Linux kernel patches).
On the software side, they are using Rust for development of various elements of the device OS/GUI (a detail that might be of interest to some people) including a toolkit for Wayland clients (a detail that might be of interest to some other people :) ). (And they appear to be doing a significant amount of software development "in the open", based on a brief look at the level of activity in various repos/branches.)
However, particularly while watching the first video there was a nagging feeling of "Hmmm, does this all sound a bit too good to be true?" (partly for specific reasons e.g. an impending Kickstarter campaign launch; and, partly just from a general sense of "there's always some reason why we can't have nice things" :) ).
The founder did specify that (as I understand it) they aren't dependent on the Kickstarter for funding of manufacturing; and, that part of the reason the KS campaign wouldn't launch for couple of months was that they wanted to minimise the time between people's support & receipt of their campaign "reward" device.
(Obviously have to take the founder's word on that; and, also, plans don't always go according to... plan.)
Perhaps, amusingly, after spending some time exploring the Mecha web site & source repos, discovering development had been underway for around three years, and, getting a bit more insight into what the company's overall plan seemed to be, I started to wonder "Is this starting to seem too slick? How has this been funded so far & what is the monetization plan going forward?". :D
On the positive side--from a company financial sustainability point of view--it seems The Comet isn't a one-off "pie in the sky tinkering toy for Linux nerds" (nonpejorative :) ) but more of a combination proving-ground/audience-attractor/development-kit for a series of more industrial/enterprise-focused boards & services that serve as a platform for people/companies building custom sensor-orientated device solutions.
On the potentially negative side--from a "is some big company going to acquire Mecha and take away our toy" point of view--well, the same information is also true. :)
However, assuming that Mecha delivers on its stated intent around Open Source (which seems like it might be off to a reasonable start based on a brief look at its current repos), before any such acquisition might happen then such an eventuality would be "unfortunate" but not an immediate death knell for existing units in people's hands.
Having said all that:
The Comet definitely seems like an intriguing device with interesting potential but--given the many sagas of the many devices from the many companies that have come before it--I think it would be beneficial for the company to share more about the business context and overall roadmap to help potential supporters be more informed.
And, of course, it would be wise for potential supporters to exercise a degree of caution consummate to their ability to absorb the impact of their cash or device being "flushed down the toilet", as it were. :)
(Disclosure: While I am very much interested in embedded Linux devices like this I am not likely to purchase The Comet any time soon due to a lack of disposable income.)