You aren't going to be getting an Xbox 360 till 2006

If you didn't have the foresight to pre-order you're Xbox 360 6-8 months in advance, I wouldn't count on getting one until 2006 (unless you're willing to pay over $500 for one, I'm not). I don't know of many stores that weren't doing the pre-order thing but I wonder if they would have taken all the preorders they have if they knew the shortgae was going to be this bad. Hmm, food for thought. Many WalMart stores are only going to be recieving single-digit shipments while other major retailers like Best Buy and Circuit City (who had some pre-order slots open today via their website, causing all kinds of technical havoc) aren't looking much better. I would say wait until the frenzy dies down and pick one up for Halo 3...you know it's coming.