If you are guaranteeing prices then what's the point of preorders? Basically the people preordering now are giving you a free loan because come february everyone gets the same price anyways. The only benefit of preordering now is if the buyer thinks that you won't have to lower prices and the current price will end up being less then market prices for similar devices at the time of shipping.
After a whole year of this ASIC preordering phenomenon/fiasco somehow you've managed to miss the point, lol.
Preordering gives these small companies the needed capital to develop ASIC devices. In return, the "investor" is rewarded with a place in line when the device finally ships.
Right or wrong, it's pretty much the only game in town. If you are waiting for the time when things ship the same day that you place your order, you may be waiting a very long time... unless you're content with ASICMiner Blades and USB Erupters.
After a whole year of this ASIC preordering phenomenon/fiasco somehow it's starting to feel like the companies will promise you anything and everything just to get your money. Even if it makes no sense. What's the point of them getting capital now if they guarantee to drop the prices to whatever the market price will be in the future and have to return most of that capital? I don't mind gambling but when the gamble is just some vague guarantee promise that isn't rooted in reality that's just one more hurdle to overcome besides the fact of sending non refundable to btc to some outfit in china and hoping for the best on a proposition that's many months away.