Went to akihabara the other day. The top spec TR5 is < 260,000 Yen, which is only 1,300 UKP, approx 2,500 USD(?). Which to me is pretty bloody good deal considering you get:

1.1ghz
512mb ram,
DVD-R/RW
40GB HDD
Office 2003

only downer is XP home and Jap keyboard!

also the RAM…shouldn’t it be 1 gig ?

I don’t think what you saw is the top spec.  I think that is one of those store who buy from “individual” who needs cash by selling their sony TR to the store while this individual purchased this notebook from SonyStyle using his credit card.  This is pretty common in Japan.

The top spec of TR5 can be only purchased from SonyStyle Japan.

Hi, uk users should be able to pick up a tr5 from dabs for about £1400 + vat http://www.dabs.com/uk/channels/hardware/notebooksandtablets/productView.htm?quicklinx=35CN . This is an english specced machine as well, and a piece of advice for anyone looking to buy, ask work to buy the machine and write of the vat, meaning the total cost of the laptop is £1400 in the uk.