I think this is more like a chicken vs. egg question...
Google
intentionally didn't do any advertising for the Nexus One.
That automatically leaves just the "geeks" in the need-to-know group. And those don't need support...
If interest spills over to the mainstream, such support must be offered to keep the "buzz" alive.
Maybe Linus Torvalds not hating it played a role...
Despite reports of only 80,000 Nexus One sold, it looks like Google considers it enough to move forward...
One can also argue they don't have another option...
Diogen.