it's not a terrible deal...on the other hand, if you haven't paid yet... you might want to not pay for it lol. the first comparison posted (new ibook vs. this one) wasn't entirely fair, though. it should be:
$949 (student discount) + $179 = 1128
1128* 1.08 (can't forget about taxes) = ~$1220
$1220 - $150 (amount of money you could get for the iPod mini on eBay) - $179 (rebate for iPod mini) = $890.
So you pay around $890 if you take that route...if you're a student. That makes it a $475 difference between your computer and the new ibook.