I just hope they arent running out of cash and this is a way to get some extra cash flowing through there.
My thought is that there's no particular shortage of money given the 14+ months of prepaid preorder sales. I also think this new price point is not the last increase we'll see, we're being taken up incrementally, as the Hopper grows up.
If HL needed cash tomorrow I believe they'd have no trouble at all getting some kind of financing. That said, these seem more like guys intent on self funding and pay as you go organic growth.
Yesterday about 6 hrs before the pricing announcement, I added 3 hoppers to my existing order. I was concerned the price might change soon after backers were all fulfilled and w/out notice. Bigger concern was that the lifetime warranty might be changed (as we know, that did not happen).
I asked specifically and was told they'd all ship when my existing order does. (The truly comedic part is that the projected ship date is March 16!)
These add-ons will be gifts for my wife and two daughters. Beyond this I'm not going to give more detail about the order at present.
Others who have a place in line ahead of me will be placing additional orders and they're more than welcome to. As much as I'd like to have one soon, I believe the odds of getting a more reliable product are increasing over time, so I'm fine with waiting.