Hook: I doubt that Roche would be pleased to hear that your meter is consistently .4 higher than the lab draws. You may try letting their customer service department know -- they may replace your strips, or perhaps swap meters with you. (Of course, if you are confident that there's ALWAYS a .4 difference, you can be pretty comfortable with your readings once you subtract the .4 from the value).
There are a few models of the XS - with one made specifically for home testers. I don't have an XS, so I can't answer a 'how do you like it' question about it. I DO like the fact that it delivers results pretty quickly, doesn't require a lot of blood, has quality control built into the strips, and the strips don't require refrigeration. These are all pluses as far as I'm concerned.
Personally, I have an InRatio (the original model). It also has the same strengths as the CoaguChek XS. There's a possible advantage that the InRatio has over the CoaguChek XS (though, not having an XS or using their strips, I can't confirm this) -- the InRatio will allow you to use 'expired' strips. Quality controls on the strips will detect any problems and issue an error message if the strip has a problem. This may be a useful feature if you have to buy 48 strips and don't test weekly -- the strips may expire before you can use them up.
If (when?) I get an XS, I may return to this forum and give my impressions of the meter.