Nokia delays 770 pre-orders into January

We're really trying not to be insensitive here, all spouting off about our Nokia 770 exploits on the podcast without giving recognition to those of you pining over neglected pre-orders of the device. Though we're saddened you can't yet effectively get your entire gadget fix vicariously through our snarky observations, we realize that there are some legitimate complaints to be levied at Nokia who has had to push back US shipments for their internet tablet — originally rumored for early November, then opened up for pre-order November 14th, supposedly shipping by the 17th — all the way to January 31st. Nokia is keeping pretty silent on the affair, other than those occasional date changes, but it seems like they've grossly underestimated demand, either that or they're having some last minute problems actually producing the device. Not cool Nokia, not cool, can't you see the hungry masses?

[Thanks, Tony and JC, we hear your pain]

[Chuck @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

I just ordered mine over the phone and they say Nokiea told me that ordering one right now i can expect to get it mid december... I'm not sure why the website says different

i spoke with 3 people at nokia and they all told me I will have it here before xmas, crossin my fingers!

[Sascha @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

Hey guys, I was listening to the podcast on the 6 train this morning. I'm hacking away at my own 770 here (review will hopefully be up early next month), but I don't think it will irritate my editors to tell you that yes, it does have handwriting recognition. I had a lot of trouble getting it to stop throwing upper-case letters into the middle of words, though, so I switched back to the onscreen keyboard.

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

You may not see that order filled by Christmas. The information the phone reps are giving out has been proven to be incorrect several times. The mid December date they are talking about is the 14th, which is the date they were giving out after it became clear that units would not ship on November 17th. The website has now been updated to indicate shipping of new orders in January, but apparently phone sales folks are still saying mid December.

Hopefully, you will get yours by Christmas but don't get your hopes up. It's clear that supply issues are plaguing bit the US and European Nokia direct stores. Best of luck to you.

[clicclic @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

Have any of us "lessers" (those who don't work for Weblogs or Ziff-Davis) received one yet?

If so, when did you actually order and when did you receive?

Do not reply if you work for the media - cheaters!

[Rmatos @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

i think i got the Last one. im on it.and im lovin

[Torben @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

I ordered on 11/16

No sign of it yet, my order still shows as open on the nokiausa site.

[gristle @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

Yep, got one to. In UK, ordered on Fri the 4th and got it the following tuesday.

[Nick Humphries @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

I've got one, but then I ordered it roughly one hour after it was released :)

Any ideas as to how many have been sold so far?

[reyes @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

does it still have the 3hour battery life for the folks that do have one?

[RobertG @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

I ordered several units on the NokiaUSA web site on 11/14; frustrated to keep seeing their posted delivery dates evaporate and reappear further down the calendar. Hoping my patience pays off.

[Tony G. @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

If you have cancelled or plan to cancel your 770 order, please vote in the following poll:

http://www.internettablettalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=489

[Razvan Dragomirescu @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

I also got one here in Romania, asked a client in Belgium to buy one for me (bartered it for some PHP code :) ). The Nokia Belgium site didn't even show it as available, but I grabbed the direct store link from the web somewhere, so he got to order it before the availability was announced. It's a great device!

[Ben @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

I ordered on 11/14 as well and am very frustrated with the delay. We have heard no communication other than the occasional message on their website about the orders not being filled until Date X. Nokia should let us know something, good or bad.

[JC @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

Nokia didn�t miss just one deadline. When I ordered my device on the 14th, the website stated it would ship on the 17th. Some people placed their orders BECAUSE the device would ship on the 17th (say, for my Dad�s b-day present on the 25th). That was another missed deadline. When I called on the 18th I was told the unit would ship on Monday. Yet another missed deadline.

Nokia had better have some major improvements when the device finally ships. That is the only scenario I see that would satisfy consumers. If we wait till mid December for the same device (and same problems), I will be very disappointed.

[Karen @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

Gosh I hope I get mine before the 22nd as I wanted to take it with me on my San Francisco Christmas trip. I'll be so mad, I will probably cancel if no firm dates appear by Dec.

And I ordered mine the 2nd day it was available.

Karen

[uncle sammy @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

The nokia 770 has officialy BOMBED! ...........I shouldn't know better than to trust them FINNS. oh well, it was a communist device anyway. I'll wait for an AMERICAN internet tablet.

[jlh @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

If Nokia was more open about what is going on it would go a long in way soothing us early adopters. I know that many of us have been drooling since Father's day and these delays of unknown origin and incorrect statements by order support are frustrating to say the least.

I am looking forward to the 770 -- I think Nokia is on to something big. Everyone else has been chasing the all in one design, when a concert of devices is what might work best. I think it will. I'd happily chuck my Treo for a 770 and a bluetooth enabled phone and DUN. The Treo is better than a bunch of stand alone devices in your pockets, but I think a group of devices that play off of each other will win out.

[Jean-Pierre @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

The US customers should be happy that there is a delay.
I am located in Brussels.
In fact the device is not yet ready for the big mass launch. Posts in Forums show they only shipped about 700 units.
I have been using my tablet now for three weeks and the browser is terrible slow and stalls or crashes frequently.
The first few days it was smootly but now it becomes slower and slower.
Luckily there is an OS update since last Thursday which receives very good comments, but I haven't installed it yet. (have to do this with a PC - I use Mac)

[angrygoatface @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

Argh! I preordered mine for xmas, but it won't come until January! Anyone selling one should contact me at [e-mail] PLEASE.

[Paul @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

Latest for europe.

http://direct.nokia.com/Product.aspx?model=770

Availability: Due to high demand of Nokia 770 Internet Tablet we estimate that deliveries of new orders can only start in December 2005. If you wish to reserve a Nokia 770, please place your order now. We will process the orders in the order they are received. Once the product you have ordered is available for delivery, we will charge your credit card and you will receive a Shipment Notification email, which will enable you to track your order.

//paul

[Allen @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

I ordered one in the US Nov. 16th. and its still not shipped, however I have been demoing one that Nokia sent me due to my job. Initially it was very unstable and would crash often, but the most recent firmware upgrade fixed many problems. WLAN stays connected now and you don't get constant "low on memory" messages. It actually works pretty good. Maybe someday I'll see the one I bought!!

[jlh @ Dec 19th 2005 2:31AM]

It appears that Nokia USA is rerouting all 770 units to CompUSA stores which are offering them @ $399.

It is my belief that no one who ordered from the Nokia USA website will see one before X-Mas. Most likely part of a marketing deal they made with CompUSA.