After initial rumors that Asus was going to miss its already-adjusted deadline for shipments of its highly-anticipated Transformer Prime tablet, sources at Amazon and Tiger Direct Canada indicate that the device has begun to ship out to customers who had pre-ordered the tablet. Indications are that existing pre-orders at those two retailers, at least, will be filled. However, there is still uncertainty concerning new orders for the device. Amazon’s product page states that the product “usually” ships within four to six weeks. Some customers at Best Buy are not expected to be as lucky, indicating that they were notified via email that the device has been backordered and that there would be a delay of roughly two weeks. An email obtained by one online source reads as follows:

“Thank you for your patience as we wait for our shipments of the ASUS Transformer Prime. We are receiving our first batches of the 32GB Grey model. Our inventory will be a mix of English & Bilingual packaged versions. Please note that the only difference is the packaging on the box and an extra -CBIL on the part number. The actual Transformer Prime unit itself is identical – there are no physical or specification changes otherwise.”

The Transformer Prime follows hot on the heels of the Eee Pad Transformer, which was generally well received. By some reports, the original Transformer tablet was the second best-selling tablet (behind the Apple iPad), with sales reaching a high of over 400,000 units per month. The Prime improves on the already noteworthy specs of its predecessor with its use of a quad core 1.3 Ghz processor and super IPS+ LCD screen (pixel density of 149). There is also a camera boasting 8 mega pixels and features a battery life expected to top 18 hours when the optional dock is attached. The unique dock is also listed on Amazon’s product page as “usually” available in four to six weeks.

The delay comes at a critical time, with the lucrative holiday shopping season reaching its crescendo. Asus hopes that demand will hold steady and carry over to early 2012 when the device is expected to be in brick and mortar retailers. It remains to be seen if consumers—who have been bombarded with a slew of new tablets that are already in the marketplace—will hold out until the Prime finally goes on sale.

The Prime was delayed earlier this year due to issues with its Wi-Fi reception. Initially, Asus seemed reluctant to issue a release date, but after online retailer Newegg pegged the tablet on their website to be released on December 8th, the company issued a statement giving a release date of December 19th.

“ASUS started filling the inventory pipelines this past week for our new Eee Pad Transformer Prime and will continue to do so on an expedited basis for the foreseeable future. We will reach normal inventory levels in January for the North American market based on current orders and forecasts. Based on foretasted supply schedules to our valued partners we expect pre-order allocation fulfillment to occur shortly and online or in-store availability in the very near future. We will continue to work closely with our partners to fill customer orders as quickly as possible.”