Well, I figured I would try to connect tonight, just for the hell of it. When I went to sign in to XBL, I got a "System Update is available" message. When I clicked yes, it told me there was an error connecting (obviously due to having the NXE early).
What I take this to mean, is they have...
Worked perfect for me off my USB drive. I love the new look...it just seems easier and more pleasant to navigate. Time to get a bigger hard drive I think.