I ended up missing out on the first shipment of iPads to Toledo, OH due to similar caginess by my local retailer. After finding out on the evening news that the

I ended up missing out on the first shipment of iPads to Toledo, OH due to similar caginess by my local retailer. After finding out on the evening news that the device sold out here, I visited the store in person to complain. The store owner(?) was very apologetic to me, explaining that Apple gave them a very strict script they had to follow when fielding questions before the release. They couldn't even tell me that they were getting any at all on launch day, or that even putting down my name was pointless. (In retrospect, some of their choices of wording to me over the prior month should have tipped me off to wait before the store opened. Afterwards, the store guy confessed that they weren't even allowed to recommend that!) Things finally did work out in the end... -- Sent from my iPad ;-)