I don't understand your concept of 'transparency'.

Other manufacturers announce a device, and swiftly go to an available release date. This is because all their pre-announcement work is done in complete silence, with no information given to the public at all. By the time they make the announcement, the deal is almost completely sealed. The devices are created, and just being finished off. Then they are prepared, shipped, and held at the retailers until the permitted release date (meaning the device may be sitting around in warehouses for some time awaiting the Official Release Date) spot on time.

By comparison, Nokia told people about this device while it was still in development, hence the apparent long lead in. This meant that the community could have input, make suggestions and begin to prepare applications. Nokia was able to respond to the input and suggestions, which meant they didn't quite make their planned release - missing by a few weeks. Then rather than calling the 'release' the date that the device goes on sale at the stores, they informed people the moment it shipped out of the factory, leaving people awaiting its arrival at the retailers.

It seems to me that the problem is that Nokia has been too transparent for you, keeping you posted about the development. when what you would have prefered is silence until the device is complete, and a 'release date' that could be absolutely certain because it was not announced until the devices were actually already in the stores.

No-one likes hanging around waiting like this. But I feel Nokia has kept us as informed as they possibly could - posibly more than was healthy for those who don't handle waiting too well.