Toshiba already sold out of US-model Libretto W100, Amazon cancelling preorders?
We'll file this one in the "you snooze, you lose" department for now, but it looks like anyone who was contemplating bringing home Toshiba's latest dual-screen goodness, the Libretto W100, may have missed their window. According to a check on its US website, Toshiba appears to have exhausted the entire supply, less than 48 hours after the diminutive UMPC went on sale here Monday.
The Libretto W105-L251, which is the official US version, was initially available for purchase on Monday direct from Toshiba with a two to three week shipping estimate. Besides the direct route, it was also available as a preorder through Amazon, but things have quickly changed. One of our forum members has noted that his Amazon order from Monday was cancelled, and a quick check of the product page claims that the Libretto is currently unavailable.
Even though the US-model may be sold out, don't worry, because the Japanese-spec W100 is still available as an import through Conics.net, where the price comes in around $1600 or so once shipping is figured in. On the surface, this might seem like too much of a premium over the $1100 US-model, but there are some differences, namely the fact that the import version includes both a standard and extended battery, plus integrated WiMAX.
It was always known that the W100 was strictly a limited-edition run, but could Toshiba really have sold out this quick, or is it just a matter of underestimating the US market? My imported unit should be here Friday, and let me just say that I haven't been this excited about a new device in quite a while, so I hope the Libretto can live up to my expectations.
