Well, it is now the 20th of December and I have no shipping notification for a Press.  However, Sam did list a 9-day window for the first shipments (Dec 19 - 28) in their latest blog post.  My order number is definitely in the very first part of that range of orders, but I'm not worried about a pre-Christmas delivery.

As for the Cube 3d gen, they have released a new firmware update and things are looking pretty good, not only for single color but also dual color builds.  I suspect they have a big backup of cartridge orders and thus it will take some time to fufill those.  However, check out cubifyfans.blogspot.com and you can see Tom Meek's progress.

Same here no update on my Press shipping, i emailed support today to see if they even have arrived from Overseas to begin shipping, i will let you know if i hear an update. The longer i wait the more interested in the Cube 3 i become!

EDIT: Support emailed me back about an hour after i emailed them stating they are still within the window for shipping them out on time but would not respond weather or not they have actually arrived in the united states yet. Also they told me the solidoodle software for the press will be released when the first units start shipping. Cant wait to get the email that mine has shipped

So does anyone have one of these units in the UK and if so whats your story with the cartridge/filament issue?

As for the Cube 3d gen, they have released a new firmware update and things are looking pretty good, not only for single color but also dual color builds.  I suspect they have a big backup of cartridge orders and thus it will take some time to fufill those.  However, check out cubifyfans.blogspot.com and you can see Tom Meek's progress.

Just wanted a back up plan incase the press i get dosent work properly or as advertised. Iv also noticed the quality of the prints coming out of the Cube 3 are really good. You should do a comparison video once your press arrives!

Wow just saw the pictures of the vase you printed the resolution and quality is nice

3D Systems actually bought a plastics formulator in Ohio to supply the Cube filament.  From what I have seen of early batches, there were problems with the consistency of mechanical properties.  Small segments of filament were brittle and would crumble under the stress of the rollers and drive wheel in the cartridge.  When this happened, the filament stopped feeding and there was no means for a user, short of disassembling the cartridge, to get it working again. Yes, this machine is sort of like the classic Bowden approach but with a nozzle that is integral to the cartridge.  Changing filament is a snap.  And while the cartridges are proprietary as before, I will be saving the extruder components in the cartridge for reuse - they are rather incredible for a one-time use cartridge.

The client software is still a bit schizophrenic but it has improved steadily.  The 200 micron "standard" setting is quite good and it will do 70 micron layers, but be ready to wait - the print time goes way up.  Dual nozzle / dual color prints are still problematic, but the plastic/cartridge issue is certainly a key to solving it. 

BTW I'm also waiting for a Solidoodle Press and will post comparisons when I get it.  I'm in the early part of the orders, so with any luck I'll have mine before the end of December.