Funny thing is, if it was Microsoft it would be this thread would be full of posts saying "Microsoft are so far behind in development".
Well, the difference of perspective is there.
One company showed off what seems to be a close-to-final OS, announced a release date with a large-list of launch countries, and seems to be confident in their ability to meet preorders. And Sony ninjas ensured no leaks from their production end, be it good or bad.
One company has yet to show off their OS ( had to fake it at reveal ), yet to announce a release date, and had to cut countries launched from 21 to 13. And there's been negative leaks throughout the entire thing. Regardless of truth, it's a lingering factor.
Honestly though, the presence of actual retail kits mean nothing.