Q: I have 1 2010 Macbook and I have been unable to install new OS. I am on 10.6.8. and get an error message to say it will not install on this computer. Thanks

The computer has value to someone who does not need a newer OS X and does not use

the latest iDevices; so the old iTunes app and other stuff would be a good deal, as it is.

Without more information on the model number and build year, to suggest any other later

OS X upgrade (since there may be one or two; if nothing shows on the Mac App Store)

however without more product information, such as About this Mac may show you, the

details on my side of this are lacking.

• How to identify MacBook models - Apple Support

{this support page shows old original series -- and also new retina 12-in macbook}

Is this your MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2010) computer model?

Introduced    May 2010

Discontinued    July 2011

Model Identifier    MacBook7,1

Model Number    A1342

EMC    2395

Order Number    MC516LL/A

The support page link above also includes how to identify details in a separate link in it

that suggests how to find the serial number and other specifications. Sites such as the

http://everymac.com include most if not ALL Apple product specifications.

If the computer you have is a Mid-2010 13-inch MacBook, it could run the newest OS X

however if the old hard disk drive is full of old saved stuff, you'd want to get an external

hard drive and create an archive of that; perhaps a full system clone. However if you

use a Time Machine, that may help in some instances. The original hard drive may be

getting worn out, so it could be a good idea to have it replaced with a new larger capacity

hard drive. Also, the memory chips could be upgraded to a higher total capacity, too.

These things would give the MacBook an advantage with current or newer OS X.

So the computer is far from the rubbish. Those are still worth something, too, if sold to

an individual and not some buy-it-cheap.com. If you do choose to be rid of the macbook:

• What to do before selling or giving away your Mac - Apple Support

• How to prepare your Mac for sale:

http://www.thesafemac.com/how-to-prepare-your-mac-for-sale/

Upgrade the browser: your model can use Firefox from Mozilla, it sees updates...

• How to Download and Install Firefox on Mac - Mozilla Firefox help:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-download-and-install-firefox-mac

Anyway, the computer is new enough to be of good use.

Most of mine are older than that!

If it truly is a 2010 MacBook then you can get updates, but updates are only provided for recent OS versions.  You need to upgrade to a newer OS version which with a 2010 MacBook could be anything right up to the newest.

Software update, upgrade--what's the difference? - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1444

OS X: Updating OS X and Mac App Store apps - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1338

Reference releases; update vs. upgrade

Current OSX general upgrade information, including system requirements - http://www.apple.com/osx/how-to-upgrade/

You can upgrade to El Capitan by downloading it from the App Store.

One option is to create a new partition (~30- 50 GB), install the new OS, and ‘test drive’ it. If you like/don’t like it it, you can then remove the partition. Do a backup before you do anything. By doing this, if you don’t like it you won’t have to go though the revert process.

Check to make sure your applications are compatible.

Application Compatibility

Applications Compatibility (2)

El Capitan 10.11 Compatibility information

Open Disk Utility, select your hard drive (step 1), then the Partition tab (step 2), and select the partition. Using the /// at the bottom move it up (step 3) until the size box decrease by about 50 GB. Select the newly created space and hit the + button (step 4). Name it something and select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as the format (step 5). Then hit the Apply button(step 6). Download the installer from the App Store and when it starts, point it at the new partition. You might want to make a copy of the installer outside the Applications folder to avoid having to re-download it in the future. Once installed, go to System Preferences/Startup Disk, select the new partition and reboot. Test away.