Me too, it also saddens me that many aren't aware of Inferno OS and always think Plan 9 was the end of the line, when that status actually belongs to Inferno OS.
Which implemented the original vision for Plan 9, regarding what Pike wanted to do with Alef.
Too bad they didn't continue its development. Probably choosing a different GUI than TK would have helped to spark more people's interest in the project. There's a huge need for an alternative OS on Android phones, but most of the people who would benefit from it don't know that, so that need doesn't translate to actual demand.
I don't see Tk as being a problem. Rio, however, and the continued reliance upon 3-button mice, dates both Plan9 and Inferno and makes it quite hard to use them on laptops with trackpads.
The pain of developing it was one reason I didn't do much with Hellaphone after that summer. Other reasons: lack of funding and no spare phone to use if I wanted to develop it on my own time.