While I don't expect Nikon USA to pay any/much attention to internet discussions such as this one,
tis a way for us to express frustration about the uncertainty of acquiring a major piece of gear (D4/D800/D800e).
The combination of serious imbalances between initial supply and demand with an apparently new allocation scheme to retailers has pre-order customers and dealers riled up or at least wasting a lot of time thinking about when a delivery may happen.
So, when it is time for Nikon to start shipping the D600 or next high-end DX model, what could they do different?
initial thoughts:
sell only to a hundred or so reviewers plus NPS members at first, then delay further distribution until a large stockpile has been produced that can satisfy the market;
charge a premium for the first six months (take the lead from the scalpers and speculators);
permit pre-orders only through the Nikon store or a couple of efficient vendors so that there are only a couple of pre-order queues that are fully transparent and fulfilled in order;
encourage their Authorized Dealers to provide information to customers about their pre-order position;
etc.
Anyhow, there's got to be better ways than the current situation. Suggestions?