I suspect the early announcement is a method to 'put the feelers out' and see what the overall interest is before he proceeds with the next step. It's a common methodology in software development (release early, release improvements often)-- which he apparently is well versed in.

I'm not taking too much notice of design details right now -- I'm happy to wait for the Kickstarter and see what he comes up with. << Same with warranty, insurance, blah blah blah...

I'm more curious to see how his communication works out with potential backers. This will be a pretty good indication of how he will approach customer service.

To that end, I have yet to get a reply from him.