The keyboard problem is actually a really easy one to solve, with a modicum of forward planning: order your laptop off their website, and specify the US keyboar

The keyboard problem is actually a really easy one to solve, with a modicum of forward planning: order your laptop off their website, and specify the US keyboard layout. £ and € are still easy to type, so there's no reason not to. I don't know why Apple has this option, but their UK keyboard is atrocious, so I'm not complaining. (I've never met anybody else who's taken them up on this offer, but I suppose it must be at least somewhat popular...) Once your laptop has arrived, you don't need to use the website again, which solves the other problem.