After eons of frustration for the N900 fans, looks like the retail units are finally up for grabs in the US and elsewhere. If you happen to be in NYC or Chicago, let me save you the drive to the flagship stores: Unless you have registered for N900 with the stores, you are not gonna be getting one off the shelf at the flagship stores yet.

If you are not on the list of the flagship stores, you gotta wait like the rest of the US for the N900s to appear on the NokiaUS store as well as other retailers (Amazon, Dell, Newegg etc). While the Nokia US online store is still showing the N900 as available for pre-order, even after 48 after official US release, Nokia Italy has gone ahead and silently released the Maemo 5 device in Italy. Kudos to Nokia Italy and by the way, I wonder when Nokia US will learn a few things from their European counterparts.  With a disastrous launch like this, no wonder Nokia has a paltry share in the American handset segment.

Yeah, I did stumble upon the first retail unit from the US. Lefteyecc of Maemotalk takes the honours of capturing and distributing the first retail unit of N900 in the US, which he bought from the flagship store in NYC. Here go the couple of images of the first retail unit of N900 in the US:

For N900 fans across the Atlantic, MobilePhonesdirect have made it known that the N900 will start appearing Europe side starting December 3. Apparently Italy is no more a part of Europe or atleast thats what MobilePhonesdirect seem to think for Nokia Italy has released the N900 at their online store.

If I was anywhere in Europe, right now I would be headed to the next flight to Italy to get my hands on a retail unit of N900. Italians may be the envy of the whole world right now, for nowhere else can you grab a N900 off the shelf except in Italy. Hail Nokia Italy for the early release!