Hmm. Compare this:
QUIT SCREWING US APPLE. The base mini in the States is $499, or £267 at today's exchange rates. On the UK store it's retailing for £339. That's a £72 markup. Even if you discount VAT, it's a £21 markup. Time to do some importing.
From my blog, last week. With this:
Whingeing British Mac fans were quick to pitch in by pointing out that the cheaper of the two Mac Mini configurations costs $499 in the US - around £267 at current exchange rates. However, UK buyers pay £339.
Of course, petitioners forget that the UK price contains sales tax, charged at a rate of 17.5 per cent, whereas the US price does not. So the comparable UK price would be £289. Still £22 more than the dollar-sterling exchange price, but a darn sight smaller differential than the moaners would have you believe. Different import duties apply too, which may also yield a higher UK price than the dollar-sterling translation would suggest.
From el Reg's article, Euro Apple fans moan over Mac Mini pricing.
The end of the article is pretty interesting, talking about the various ways that manufacturers are forcibly localising their products (region-encoded dvd players and ink cartridges, power supplies). It seems like the more multinational we come, the harder it gets to live a multinational life.