You would think Microsoft would be prepared for a range of demand, given that they have been rolling out pre-ordering in stages across the globe for a few weeks now. Its not as if the reaction to the announcement of the US Store ordering is their first indicator. Maybe they need a day or so to tweak their projections.
I have two gripes with the way Microsoft handles these kinds of things: 1) having saps like me sign-up for advance email notice of when I can preorder and then never bothering to send out the notices; and 2) the lack of coordinated, dissemination of information about availability. I've been waiting for this release forever, yet even today, I can't get a reliable answer from Microsoft as to whether I would get the phone sooner by preorder and express ship, or whether it would be faster to get it in my local Microsoft store. WTF is so difficult about this? Decide already and let people know.
My experience with my original Surface Pro was absolutely maddening. I had signed up for all the advance notices, which were similarly dropped by Microsoft, but I still went to the trouble of pre-ordering my Surface Pro with the understanding that I would get one as soon as they were available. I didn't mind their having my credit card and all 4-6 months in advance. But when the Surface Pros first launched, there was apparently surprising demand and it seemed as if Microsoft figured, since I have this sap's credit card on file already, we'll just go ahead and sell his Surface Pro to a "new" customer. Its a win-win, we get to sell more units, and the guy on-hold for 6 months will eventually get his, like we promised, sort of, when we get some surplus built up in inventory. If that isn't precisely the deal, what is the loyal sap going to do? Cancel? The loyal sap didn't cancel, even though it was weeks to a month after a release that I finally got my "pre-ordered" Surface Pro. And then about two months after that Microsoft finally started sending out notices of the release, in apparent delayed response to my signing up for early notice. Its as if "pre-order" means only you get the privilege of parking your funds with Microsoft and doesn't relate to the date of actual availability. It got positively silly when the Surface Pros began arriving in numbers at the Stores. It was suggested that I "return" the undelivered unit I had actually paid for, and then buy one of the in-store units. When the whole "pre-order" song-and-dance was supposed to avoid the wait and uncertainty of availability in the first place.
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