devan_s13

Q: MacBook 5.1......is it worth updating/upgrading ?

Hi all,

 

I am new to apple products other than iphones so when explaining anything to me I do not mind at all if you pretend you are teaching a small child.

 

Up until recently I only ever had PC's. My laptop recently totally gave up on me so my sister was kind enough to donate me her MacBook 5.1

 

One of the problems I faced was I could not use iTunes due to the operating system being too old and was lead to believe the operating system could not be updated. Which to be honest I could live with, beggars cant be choosers and I was happy to be able to browse the next and use word excel etc.

 

So a couple of days ago, I discovered actually I can update the OS, by purchasing Snow Leopard and then once installing that I could then further upgrade from there, brilliant I thought. Also somewhere I have read I can run a maximum of 4GB RAM and other places I have read I can run 8GB of RAM.

 

So I guess what I would really like to know from anyone with any experience is that, what is the maximum amount of RAM I can install ? Also if I were to purchase Snow Leopard and then do the further OS upgrades how far can I upgrade to. And most of all I would like to know if it is actually worth me doing any of this ? Or shall I just be content with what I have, is the money spent updating OS and RAM worth the end results for a laptop that was produced in 2008 ?

 

Below I have copied and pasted the Hardware Overview and System Software Overview, I left out the serial number and Hardware UUID I didnt think they were relevant.

 

I look forward to any advice.

Thank you

 

Hardware Overview:

 

  Model Name: MacBook

  Model Identifier: MacBook5,1

  Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo

  Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz

  Number Of Processors: 1

  Total Number Of Cores: 2

  L2 Cache: 3 MB

  Memory: 2 GB

  Bus Speed: 1.07 GHz

  Boot ROM Version: MB51.007D.B03

  SMC Version (system): 1.40f2


System Software Overview:

 

  System Version: Mac OS X 10.5.8 (9L31a)

  Kernel Version: Darwin 9.8.0

  Boot Volume: Macintosh HD

  Boot Mode: Normal

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Oct 22, 2014 1:23 PM

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Q: MacBook 5.1......is it worth updating/upgrading ?

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  • by Kappy,Helpful

    Kappy Kappy Oct 22, 2014 1:29 PM in response to devan_s13
    Level 10 (271,392 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 22, 2014 1:29 PM in response to devan_s13
    Maximum Memory8.0 GB (Actual) 4.0 GB (Apple)
    Memory Slots2 - 204-pin PC3-8500 (1066 MHz) DDR3 SO-DIMM

     

    Upgrading to Snow Leopard

     

    You can purchase Snow Leopard through the Apple Store: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard - Apple Store (U.S.). The price is $19.99 plus tax. You will be sent physical media by mail after placing your order.

     

    After you install Snow Leopard you will have to download and install the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 to update Snow Leopard to 10.6.8 and give you access to the App Store. Access to the App Store enables you to download Mavericks if your computer meets the requirements.

     

         Snow Leopard General Requirements

     

           1. Mac computer with an Intel processor

           2. 1GB of memory

           3. 5GB of available disk space

           4. DVD drive for installation

           5. Some features require a compatible Internet service provider;

               fees may apply.

           6. Some features require Apple’s iCloud services; fees and

               terms apply.

     

    Upgrading to Mavericks

     

    You can upgrade to Mavericks from Lion or directly from Snow Leopard. Mavericks can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for FREE.

     

    Upgrading to Mavericks/Yosemite

     

    To upgrade to Mavericks you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or Lion installed. Download Mavericks/Yosemite from the App Store. Sign in using your Apple ID. Mavericks is free. The file is quite large, over 5 GBs, so allow some time to download. It would be preferable to use Ethernet because it is nearly four times faster than wireless.

     

        OS X Mavericks- System Requirements

     

          Macs that can be upgraded to OS X Mavericks/Yosemite

     

             1. iMac (Mid 2007 or newer) - Model Identifier 7,1 or later

             2. MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer) - Model Identifier 5,1 or later

             3. MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later

             4. MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer) - Model Identifier 2,1 or later

             5. Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later

             6. Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later

             7. Xserve (Early 2009) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later

     

    To find the model identifier open System Profiler in the Utilities folder. It's displayed in the panel on the right.

     

         Are my applications compatible?

     

             See App Compatibility Table - RoaringApps.

     

    The decision is for you to make. You can determine costs. You will need more RAM, preferably the most your computer can use if you plan to upgrade to Mavericks/Yosemite.

  • by devan_s13,

    devan_s13 devan_s13 Oct 22, 2014 1:44 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 22, 2014 1:44 PM in response to Kappy

    Hi Kappy,

     

    Thank you for such a detailed and speedy response.

     

    I appreciate the decision is mine to make. For no more than around £80 I will be able to purchase the 2 x 4GB and also the Snow Leopard OS.

     

    Being new to MacBooks' I am asking will I see a significant amount of performance increase, that type of thing ?

     

    I currently own an iphone 4S but I have no intention of installing IOS 8.1 because I know it will turn my functioning phone into a brick, will the same happen to my MacBook ?

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Oct 22, 2014 1:54 PM in response to devan_s13
    Level 10 (271,392 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 22, 2014 1:54 PM in response to devan_s13

    Adding RAM only makes it possible to run more programs concurrently.  It doesn't speed up the computer nor make games run faster.  What it can do is prevent the system from having to use disk-based VM when it runs out of RAM, because you are trying to run too many applications concurrently or using applications that are extremely RAM dependent.  It will improve the performance of applications that run mostly in RAM or when loading programs. Only better designed or more current hardware can make it truly faster.


    Your assumption about your phone is ill-based. I have two iPads, iPad Air, two iPhone 5Cs and an iPod Touch all running 8.1 without any problems. In fact since upgrading every iDevice I have owned since the first ones, I have never experienced an upgrade problem. I typically have over 70 non-Apple apps installed on all of them. I'm sorry to tell you that "what you know" isn't very accurate.

  • by devan_s13,

    devan_s13 devan_s13 Oct 22, 2014 2:14 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 22, 2014 2:14 PM in response to Kappy

    My biggest dilema around my MacBook is that, do I spend the money or do I add the £80 towards a new laptop.

     

    I don't mind hearing "what I know" not to be accurate, as long as what you are telling me is constructive I am happy with any criticisms . I have upgraded previous IOS phones in the past, my own personal experience has not always been good. My most successful upgrade was IOS 6 to IOS 7 which caused me minimal problems, except that my contacts randomly disappear and appear whenever they feel like it ( I'm learning to live with it ).  I have read numerous articles online when deciding to go to 8.1. From what I gather understandably that 8.1 is suited towards newer models and would cause a strain on a 4s.

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Oct 22, 2014 2:28 PM in response to devan_s13
    Level 10 (271,392 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 22, 2014 2:28 PM in response to devan_s13

    Not being a Brit I don't know how far £80 goes to buying a new computer there. The question is how long would you be able to use your computer computer versus the amount of time until you could reasonably hope to upgrade it. Divide £80 by the difference in days and that's the marginal cost in pounds/day for waiting versus updating your hardware now.

  • by devan_s13,

    devan_s13 devan_s13 Oct 22, 2014 3:32 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 22, 2014 3:32 PM in response to Kappy

    Thanks for the advice. It's likely I will upgrade the laptop until it dies.

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Oct 22, 2014 3:49 PM in response to devan_s13
    Level 10 (271,392 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 22, 2014 3:49 PM in response to devan_s13

    Ha! You've answered your own question, then.