Xbox 360 launch down to 400,000 units?

According to an EB Games employee in Southern California, his chain will only be able to fulfill 14 of 43 preorders on launch day; and he does not foresee fulfilling the entirety of these preorders until March. In addition, the retail employee estimates that Microsoft will only ship about 400,000 units at launch (in the US). Inventory estimates from Best Buy, Toy R Us, and Game Rush chains in Southern California seem to confirm this report—we’ve also received similar “confidential” reports from retail employees around the US.

If units do prove to be scarce throughout the holiday season, what’s your limit? How much would you be willing to spend on an Xbox 360 off of eBay? What’s 3–4 months worth?