[scb]

I am in the market for a 12" ibook for general use including some recording (acoustic instruments so line in is not necessary) and programming (xcode). i know that many anticipate a new model soon, but i am considering the refurbished ibooks apple has in its store. are these a good deal in general? would i get the tiger upgrade for $9.95?
my main hesitation is that i wanted to get a bigger internal HD (probably 60 GB) and bluetooth. the bluetooth is not necessary, but it is very possible that i would want it down the road. the larger HD would be nice, but i could always have an external for stuff i don't need to carry around with me. i am planning on upgrading the RAM myself.
what are some thoughts on the refurbished products?

[Luca]

I'd go with new. Apple has a 1 GHz w/ Combo drive for $799, which is a $200 savings compared to the 1.2 GHz version... but the 1.2 GHz version comes with an Airport Extreme card, and if you buy new you will get Tiger (either for $10 separately if you order now, or included for free if you wait a week or two). I don't know if the refurbished models qualify for the up-to-date program. I'd only consider one if they do qualify, and the only way to find out would be to call Apple about it.

You can also get, for just $50 more, a 1.2 GHz iBook with the Combo drive and Airport Extreme card. $849 for this model is a better deal than $799 for the other one, given the Airport Extreme card (an $80 extra) and the 20% increase in processor speed. But then you're only $150 away from the new one, and the new ones will ship with Tiger (soon) and also give you the option for a larger hard drive.

I guess if money is really tight you can go with a refurb (again, only if they're covered by the up-to-date thing), but I would suggest buying new.