Plextor launched the M5S SSD about two weeks ago and we were among the first to review it. Plextor did not have a specific release date at the time of our review, with their press release saying mid-July (which obviously did not happen). Plextor now tells us that the M5S is available for pre-order at its own online store, with drives shipping on August 10th. Along with pre-order details come updated prices. In our review we only had MSRPs to go on. Below is an updated M5S specification table including current pre-order prices:

Plextor was able to accelerate the availability of the 128GB model, which is already available at TigerDirect at a special price of $100 with $30 mail-in rebate (Plextor's own store still says ships on August 10th and the drive is priced at $150). The retail pricing is what I expected it to be. 128GB Plextor M3 was selling for $130 before the M5S was launched, so it makes sense that the M5S will take its price spot. Once more retailers get the M5S in stock, it's possible that we'll see the price drop by $5-10, or at least more sales should be expected. I would estimate the 256GB M5S to retail for around $250, while the 64GB model will probably be a bit more expensive at ~$85-90.