Exchange rates

I still can't get over how much of a difference there is in the price of things between US and UK.
Basically, I've only had this laptop I'm using atm for a year, and it's running out of steam a bit. It's been an amazing machine, Dell 8600 Inspiron with upgraded gfx card. Plays the games I like, get work done, usual stuff. Doom3 needed a few tweaks to make the speed playable though, and only having 512mb is slowing me down a fair bit on development (running SQL/IIS/.net/VirtualPC sessions(to test tricky bits as other users logging in under different security credentials, saves me a ton of time). Machines well travelled too, with a fair selection of DelMonte/banana stickers to help slow down the wristpad wearing down (the plastic's smooth as silk now), but the hinge brackets are starting to show signs of fatigue with teeny cracks. Time for a new machine, after all, this is my own machine, work can get me a monster (also been using it for demo's so I REALLY should get a nice looking machine). So, went back to Dell to have a rummage around and it's truly amazing how many prices you can find for the same piece of kit (and the confusion amount of special offers they have and coupons you can apply). Last year, I got this machine for 800quid, pretty good price, though I blew 90 quid later on a new gfx card upgrade (alot easier to upgrade than I thought it'd be). This year, the new Inspiron 9300 started looking pretty sweet. Geforce 6800 so HL2 (Amazing game) and my old favourite of Everquest should play well. Few options played with and it seemed a good replacement. Then I looked at the dell.co.uk's site for the same machine...
Suffice to say there's a bit of a difference between the two prices. I'd post a link but it'll no doubt change by the time you look at it, but worth a look anyway. Goto www.dell.com and lookup the 9300, configure it barebones, do the same on www.dell.co.uk and notice there's a price different of around 400quid (with today's exchange rate as it is atm).
Scary stuff.