This is just a bit of "update forensics", while waiting, because, well... I'm a geek, I suppose?
In update #59 there's a top shot an open outer shipping box, in which ten Astro Slide boxes are visible. Below that, is a picture of a stack of such outer boxes, where each of them has a sticker with ten lines of three bar codes each. Would each barcode corresponded to an individual Astro, an outer box would contain thirty Astro units. With very slim packaging, that might have been possible. However, as shown in update #43, the individual Astro boxes seems to be the same size as those for the Cosmo and Gemini, so we can conclude that the outer boxes contains a single layer of individual Astro boxes, which means ten units per outer box.
<Nerd>
One unit per line of barcodes makes sense, as if we look closely, the rightmost barcode on each line seems to be a tad longer than the other two, suggesting it represents something else the first two. I'm guessing the two first on each line are the IMEI numbers for the dual mobile modem, and the third is either the MEID (Mobile Equipment Identifier) or the serial number of the individual Astro unit. As a MEID barcode is over 40% longer than that of a IMEI (as measured on my Cosmo box), while the serial number barcodes of the Gemini and Cosmo only were about 15% longer, I'd say the third code on each line one is likely the serial number.
</Nerd>
Anyhow, the picture in update #66 shows 20 boxes and thus depicts 200 units, out of several thousands to be made, so while progress is being made, there's still some way to go.
Update #65 mentions "Japanese, US, UK and German Astro Slide devices" being quality checked. AFAIK, no update has suggested that any other versions, perhaps beyond test samples, has been manufactured thus far. It mentions that "Further shipments of Astro perks to Japan are taking place" and that "We have also shipped the first UK Astro perks to some very early first day backers, who are not on the EE network."
Update #66 says they are testing a firmware to be factory flashed onto Astro units for the UK EE network. This seems to, at the moment, hold UK shipments back a bit. The update ends with "we hope to see first posts from US backers with their Astros by the end of next week". Thus, apparently, no US devices has actually been shipped yet. I have also seen no mention of any German Astro Slide devices shipping. So it seems that Japanese devices are shipping in some quantity, shipping of UK devices has technically begun, in very small numbers, while some US and German devices has been made, though none of those has actually shipped yet.
I doubt much will happen with any other variety until most or all of the Japanese, US, UK and German has shipped, so all of us who are waiting for some other keyboard layout, can probably snooze for yet a few weeks.
