It was about a week after Michael released his review of the M8 that he also issued a followup on the problem. I ask the question of when in history have you seen a correction or acknowledgement of an issue with a review this quickly?
Those who are grousing either had no intention of buying an M8 anyway or weren't going to get them any time soon due to backlog. Any pro who relies on one product review, regardless of the source, needs to have their head examined. I really question the professionalism of any "pro" who buys the first of something and then immediately runs off WITHOUT TESTING and shoots a wedding with it.
My problem with Leica isn't so much that they failed to give Michael a courtesy call, like they did Phil, but that they went ahead and continued shipping and delivering a possibly defective product.
Where is the product testing by the manufacturer? Software gets Alpha and Beta Tested, but manufacturers are so loathe to let anything out of the lab and into the real world to see what breaks! Had this been actually tested by REAL USERS and not ENGINEERS, just maybe this problem would have been spotted earlier. Leica isn't alone in this, though. The problem is that these cameras have so much software in them that it isn't the hardware that is holding up delivery and testing, but holes and bugs in the software. How can you get out and test the hardware without the camera locking up on you?
"Gottahavititus" There are people (Michael included) which just have to have the latest/greatest item right away. Usually it works out great, but once in a while it will bite you. Guess what, with the Leica it bit you.
Leica will get the problem resolved and probably rather quickly. I can't imagine that anybody at Leica is enjoying this weekend. If, say, they get this resolved and issue swap-outs to all purchased units within three weeks, what's the harm? Just how many units could be sold and delivered so far? If it's a pro who bought the camera, shame on him/her for using it on a paying job without adequate testing anyway. Don't blame Michael, blame youself.