News without numbers: Sprint says Pre set sales record

The official word from Sprint is that the release of the Palm Pre was a huge success - so big that it set a Sprint record for a sales debut of a product.

Wow. That's impressive. Want to know how many they sold? Yup, me too. The press release issued this afternoon doesn't provide any hard numbers - no comparisons to previous product launches, no comparisons to competitor's launches, nothing.

Also see: Analysts deem Palm launch a success; Pre inventory replenishment eyed

So, I guess I should just take the company at their word, right? After all, they don't have any reason to stretch the truth or exaggerate a bit, right? Not on the day that Apple announces new prices for the iPhone - including a $99 model. From the release:

The Pre launch was a great example of the changes that have taken place at Sprint, showcased by customers delighted with both the product and their experience. With the strong customer response to the launch of Pre, as expected, Sprint has sold out in many locations. Sprint is getting the device in to its retail locations as fast as Palm can make them.

I was very bullish on Sprint over the weekend. I popped into a store to get a peek at the Pre and ended up learning about some pricing plans that could save me about $100 per month over my existing Verizon Wireless family plan.

I'm still big on the pricing plans but this news release just rubs me the wrong way. I mean, why did Sprint even bother? They talk about record sales and being sold out - but they offer no way to quantify that statement.