Buying an Apple laptop, need help with the specs

[Mlin]

I am looking to buy an Apple laptop for taking notes, writing codes (Java, C++ etc.) and running an iPhone simulator.

The cheapest deal that I have found so far is the following model:
Apple 12" iBook Laptop 1.33Ghz 1G RAM 40G HD (Single Core)
Mac OS X10.4, Tiger

It seems a lot harder to find an affordable price on an Apple laptop than a PC. I have always been using PC and so I am not familiar with the speed and performance of an Apple laptop.

I am looking for advices and experiences on the speed and performance on the laptop and/or whether it is suitable for my purpose.

Thank you very much.

 

[alust2013]

If your budget will allow it, you really will want to get an intel model (MacBook or MacBook Pro). The iBooks and PowerBooks are a bit out of date now, and I'm not sure if the iPhone stuff will run on the older PowerPC models, but it may.

 

[cubeeggs]

I’m pretty sure the iPhone simulator requires an Intel Mac.

You could get any MacBook and put 2 GB of RAM in it and it would be fast enough, and you could install up to a 750 GB hard drive upgrade, but I recommend that you make sure the keyboard is not cracked or discolored (if it is and the MacBook is under three years old, Apple will probably replace it for free, but if it is over three years old, they may or may not, and anyone who’s trying to sell it without getting it fixed is probably a moron who didn’t treat their computer well), and you should probably stay away from the first generation of MacBooks released as the Late 2006 model added a 64-bit processor and 802.11n wireless (as well as unofficial support for 3 GB of RAM). The Mid 2007 model added a slightly faster DVD burner (although some MacBooks were sold without DVD burners until 2008), the Late 2007 model has a slightly faster bus speed, better Intel graphics (I’m not sure by how much), and supports 4 GB of RAM, and the Early 2009 model got another bus speed upgrade and Nvidia integrated graphics.

My guess would be that people looking to buy MacBooks on eBay wouldn’t necessarily be able to tell the difference between an earlier model and a newer model with the same processor speed (example: http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-MACBOOK-L...ple_Laptops&hash=item3a5eb2e1d1#ht_2285wt_912 is clearly a Late 2006 MacBook because it has a Core 2 Duo and the older keyboard, but the seller claims he only knows that it’s from 2006–2009), even if the newer one has better graphics, so maybe you should try to get a newer one if you can, but seeing as you’re looking at an iBook, any of the MacBooks would be far better options.

 

[Merthyrboy]

To run the iPhone simulator you will need an intel Mac so as long as you've got a computer that does that you should be alright. I'd go with at least 2GB of RAM and you could always add an external hard drive and if you need a secondary display as well.

 

[Mlin]

Thank you all! I didn't buy that laptop.