To be fair to Nintendo, could they really give a solid date that preorders will be available? They could give a date that they're going to tell retailers how many units they will provide on launch day, but it's still up to the retailers to decide when to actually start taking preorders. I don't follow that closely, but aren't preorders for new consoles typically staggered between retailers, not all at once?
Hopefully "significant" number means enough that people really trying to get one can without too much hassle...but I'm not holding my breath.
I wonder if any retailers will use the high demand and anticipated (real or not) short supply to their advantage, beyond trying to sell ridiculous bundles. It seems like a smart move to me to make preorders a Prime Exclusive on Amazon or for Target to have a preorder only for Red Card holders...and to announce this in advance. It seems like smart business sense and a way to keep loyal customers happy to do something like that with items highly in demand.