Q: Have Macbook 1.1, OS X 10.5.8, 2 GHz Intel Core duo, 2 GB 667 MHZ DDRZ SDRAM. Needs browser update and perhaps new hard drive. Smart to do and less than $150, or not smart to do and costly.  Time for a new computer??

You can buy a good bare drive for less than that, if you can install it yourself. Otherwise, I'd go with an external with both firewire and thunderbolt ports. That way you can use the drive either on your present Mac, or a new one. You may want to upgrade RAM. You can check that with the advisory tool in Crucial, or OWC. You can also check their prices on drives.

EDIT: It looks like you are at max RAM.

You could also install Snow Leopard OSX which is more efficient than Leopard but you still have an 'old' Macbook.  It is perfectly satisfactory for light work such as word processing, emails and web surfing, but if you need to use more resource hungry applications, it will not be up to the mark.

If the bank account has some discretionary funds do consider a newer MBP or MBA.  You can limit the expenditure somewhat by purchasing a refurbished unit (I have done so three times).  They are like new with the same warranty as a 'new/ Mac.

Ciao.

You're welcome. I'm leaning toward one myself.

With an upgrade to Snow Leopard 10.6.8, there presently is an available supported

web browser (subject to change, as obsoletism sets in) with Mozilla Firefox. - I have

similar 1st Edition MacBook1.1 (1.83GHz coreduo intel, 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD

(7200-RPM) w/ OS X 10.5.8 Leopard. - These are ideal for Snow Leopard 10.6.8.

From Apple Store online for a fee of about $20. this is the kind of DVD to include with

the older computer once it gets upgraded to Snow Leopard 10.6.8. You may be able

to find a few equally older iWorks and iLife DVDs in the secondary market to match.

{Yesterday I noticed someone had both these for sale locally, clean/used: $15 + $10.}

Amazon resellers online sometimes have those application disc sets, new old stock.

While the first-edition MacBook1.1 13-inch 1.83 GHz coreduo may be old, it runs circles

around my last edition iBook G4  12-inch 1.33GHz running the same OS X 10.5.8. In

part due to the faster hard disk drive in the Intel MacBook; plus dual core, etc. The older

iBook G4 was quick with the Tiger 10.4. it shipped with in 2005. Leopard, not so much.

There is a place for older computing hardware if you happen to need some vintage

software to perform specific tasks; or can locate older 'bargin' professional software.

One nice thing about the older Macs, is they can be used as stand alone and do not

need to share, they don't need internet recovery and can be restored at home if you

create and maintain backups locally. At least until the hardware fails beyond repair...

At any rate...

Good luck & happy computing!

The actual replacement of the internal hard disk drive isn't really difficult;

and with an upgrade full install retail Snow Leopard 10.6.3 DVD, the

setup would be as-new; the computer booted from the install DVD is a

direct way to access the Disk Utility on the install disc, and format the

new hard disk drive prior to running the installer section from that DVD.

• MacBook CoreDuo Hard Drive Replacement - iFixit:

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Core+Duo+Hard+Drive+Replacement/282

• MacBook CoreDuo RAM Replacement - iFixit:

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Core+Duo+RAM+Replacement/280

The above two sections are from the MacBook CoreDuo iFixit repair guide:

https://www.ifixit.com/Device/MacBook_Core_Duo

With a universal USB drive adapter to handle a bare hard drive, it can

be prepared for installation before the computer is taken apart, and it

also could be tested (to see if the system works, etc) and then the old

hard drive could be left as it is, running 10.5.8; with the new one 10.6.8.

A product such as  'Universal Drive Adapter USB' by newertech is a

fair example of a good item to have. See their instruction .pdf & see

how it works before looking to buy something like this:

https://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/U3NVSPATA/

NewerTech Universal Drive Adapter Manual (3.3MB PDF)

• Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard - Apple Store online ($20. US)

http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard

(This item would be the main OS X. Another part is a free download:

Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1  - info & download for 10.6.

Check for more updates once the Snow Leopard is installed; by use of

Software Update in Apple drop-down menu. The 10.6 does not include

iLife or iWorks applications, as a new Mac has in system software kit.)

There are some kinds of accessory and upgrade parts available from

OWC macsales, that have specs and examples of hardware, also they

have external drives for backup purposes; some for Time Machine and

others that would be good for other backups, clones, & archival use.

https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/powerbook-ibook-macbook/

In any event... think of it as an adventure.

Good luck & happy computing!