adustyhobo
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Is a 2009 MacBook Pro still a good machine?

Hi, wondering if the 13inch MacBook Pro from 2009 is still a Good machine. What if it's upgraded to a 500gb Samsung 840 SSD? Would performance be considerably better? Reason I ask is I'm looking to trade my iPad Air 2 64gb for a MacBook and I got an offer for this MacBook with that SSD and $100. Not sure if it's worth it but I really need s MacBook. Thanks

MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.2)

Posted on Dec 29, 2015 6:09 AM

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adustyhobo

Q: Is a 2009 MacBook Pro still a good machine?

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  • by dominic23,

    dominic23 dominic23 Dec 29, 2015 7:05 AM in response to adustyhobo
    Level 8 (42,122 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 29, 2015 7:05 AM in response to adustyhobo

    A 2009 MBP is a 6 years old computer.

    I wouldn't spend additional money on it.

     

    Best.

  • by getstevesattention,

    getstevesattention getstevesattention Dec 29, 2015 8:10 AM in response to adustyhobo
    Level 1 (75 points)
    Dec 29, 2015 8:10 AM in response to adustyhobo

    IMHO these 2009s are still great machines. The 13" in particular is a good choice because the Nvidia 9400M, while comparatively, not an awesome performer was a solid long lived graphics solution. An SSD will wake this notebook up and breathe new into it. I would try to talk them down on the money on top though. Go for $0 additional, and maybe settle for $50, if they are hard pressed. If you need a laptop form factor is going to make this a better choice than the iPad for you.

     

    Cheers!

  • by Allan Jones,

    Allan Jones Allan Jones Dec 29, 2015 8:17 AM in response to adustyhobo
    Level 8 (35,321 points)
    iPad
    Dec 29, 2015 8:17 AM in response to adustyhobo

    Regardless of age and/or features, make CERTAIN the seller follows all the steps in this Apple article or you stand a good chance of ending up with something as useful as a broken brick:

     

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

     

    Because of how Apple uses the App Store, iCloud, and Apple IDs to handle so many functions, buying a used Mac is dicey unless the seller follows the right steps. These forums are full of people who bought a used Mac only to find the seller had not properly prepared the unit for transfer and then disappeared. Caveat Emptor!

  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Dec 29, 2015 8:45 AM in response to adustyhobo
    Level 7 (32,367 points)
    iPad
    Dec 29, 2015 8:45 AM in response to adustyhobo

    Just to reiterate something that isn't quite clear in the Apple article linked to by Allan:

     

    Make sure the seller erases the drive and reinstalls the ORIGINAL OS version - the license for the current (downloaded from the app store) OS version is only licensed to the seller and tied to his Apple ID and it is not transferable.

     

    And, if you insist on an SSD, get one from OWC (macsales.com) which does not require a trim enabler. However, I would not spend any money on any machine that age from an unknown seller; personally, I'd check out the refurb section at the Apple online store where you can save money on machines and still get a one year warranty plus you can buy the extended Applecare protection plan.

  • by ezecutin,

    ezecutin ezecutin Dec 29, 2015 8:48 AM in response to adustyhobo
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 29, 2015 8:48 AM in response to adustyhobo

    You could add more ram; IMHO I like the old MB more than the new one.

  • by BobTheFisherman,

    BobTheFisherman BobTheFisherman Dec 29, 2015 9:32 AM in response to adustyhobo
    Level 6 (15,741 points)
    Dec 29, 2015 9:32 AM in response to adustyhobo

    I would pass on the 2009 computer. It is now almost 7 years old and regardless how good it was when newer, technology has advanced a lot in 7 years.