This is a reasonable question. I'm not an expert by any means, but the difference appears to be that with a pre-order, you have some right to own something in t

This is a reasonable question. I'm not an expert by any means, but the difference appears to be that with a pre-order, you have some right to own something in the future, and an expectation of delivery. If delivery is not received, you might expect a refund. When you buy a new coin you get the right to use that coin in some future micro-economy. What rights and expectations go along with that purchase? What if the micro-economy doesn't value the coin the way you originally thought? What if it never materializes? Both pre-orders and ICOs can be scams. The difference with ICOs appears to be an added layer of misdirection that could perhaps enable more successful scams.