Quote: "you cant program in tier 1 on a mac at all?"
You can't compile AppGameKit BASIC code on Mac OS X. You need to do it on a Windows Machine. I'm not sure if TGC have plans for making Tier 1 compatible with mac.
The process of programming in T1 for iOS/mac in a nutshell is:
1. Write and compile BASIC code on Windows machine
2. Copy media and <projectname.byc> code over to Mac OS X
3. Set up Xcode project with the media an bytecode.
4. Compile Xcode project.
5. Play!
So you do need a Mac to make games for iOS but it's not needed to write tier 1 code.
Quote: "just got myself a second hand macbook, hoping to program some apps for ipod, ipad and mac using tier 1."
At least you'll have the right equipment for when you have programmed your app.