The Nokia Booklet could be here sooner than most people expected. Rumor, and a leaked inventory shot from Phone Arena (via Boy Genius), has it that the Booklet started shipping over to the retailer on September 25. That means some Best Buys are already stocked with the 1.6 GHz, 120 GB, Win 7-running, 12 hour battery life monster of a 3G netbook.

If the Booklet has been shipping for several days already, the official launch could be imminent. According to the same inventory shot, customers interested in a Booklet will have to shell out $599 for the privilege of owning one. That appears to just be a base price though; it's possible that users will be able to buy the netbook for cheaper as part of a cell phone/data plan.

On its own, close to $600 is a little much for what amounts to a netbook with extra-long battery life and a SIM card slot. The Booklet is a badass piece of hardware, but for that kind of money you can pick up another netbook with substantially better hardware, or a low-to-mid end CULV. I guess it all depends on how much battery life, 3G potential, and a SIM slot are worth to you.