Yuck, this is so frustratingly bad. I've been thinking all day that I'd do what I thought I never would--buy a phone off-contract. That AT&T is bumping the price of the 950 up $50, only the XL comes with the Display Dock for free, and I can use the 10% student discount, it all had me considering it. Basically, getting the 950 and Dock would cost me about $757, after tax. The 950 XL and dock would only be about $621 (10% discount, not having to buy the $100 Display Dock, lower 6.25% tax rate ordering online or getting at the MS store than the 8.5% tax rate in-town).
Now, it sounds like getting an XL will be like pulling teeth from a rabid jaguar or something. Thanksgiving release (by the way, do they open at 6 AM for real, or did you mean 6 PM?), unlikely to have stock beyond pre-orders, Online orders seem to be backordered into late-December now (didn't they already sell out of a second stock that was due December 11th or something?). So, this means I have to either:
1. Spend the extra $130-ish to get the lesser 950, but I can spread that price out on Next, rather than dropping $630-ish at once.
2. Risk driving 90+ minutes (one way) to the hellhole that is St. Louis, MO for an XL that might not be there on the most hellish shopping day of the year (Black Friday).
3. Wait an extra month for an online XL order.
Microsoft, you are officially the worst phone company I've ever dealt with. This is a flabbergasting embarrassment on your part. I'm appalled that I had to wait with my 920 for 3 years so I could experience the most incompetent mobile launch in smartphone history.