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QuarterSwede

macrumors G3
Oct 1, 2005
9,783
2,033
Colorado Springs, CO
Worth buying and upgrading this white macbook?

I wouldn't. Ours is on its last leg as far as its ability to run apps decently. Get a machine that can run Yosemite decently (a Core2Duo isn't one) and it'll last you a lot longer.
 

brdeveloper

macrumors 68030
Apr 21, 2010
2,629
313
Brasil
I think it's a good option if you can buy the laptop, 250GB SSD plus 8GB of RAM for something like $600. Otherwise, I'd think on getting a 13" or even a 11" Macbook Air.
 

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,133
15,596
California
I would not. You will be up around $550 with the add ons and no idea how old the battery is in there and if it needs replacing. For around the same money I would get a two year old MacBook Air and put Yosemite on there.
 

brdeveloper

macrumors 68030
Apr 21, 2010
2,629
313
Brasil
I would not. You will be up around $550 with the add ons and no idea how old the battery is in there and if it needs replacing. For around the same money I would get a two year old MacBook Air and put Yosemite on there.

The point about the battery is worth noting. In my case, my Late-2009 Macbook cycle count is around 400. Not a brand new one, but fully functional. In fact, a Macbook Air has a better battery life, a Thunderbolt port and a slightly higher screen resolution. I suppose they are more comfortable on the lap since they doesn't heat as much as a Core 2 Duo processor.

The important thing to note is that an entry-level Macbook Air is around $1100, but you get just 128GB of (still) non-replaceable storage and 4GB of non-replaceable ram.

Regarding the white macbook, I'd personally get a 2010 one, which supports up to 16GB of ram and have a good 320M iGPU, which performs slightly better than a HD3000 and in certain cases matches a HD4000.
 

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,133
15,596
California
The important thing to note is that an entry-level Macbook Air is around $1100, but you get just 128GB of (still) non-replaceable storage and 4GB of non-replaceable ram.

I was not suggesting a new Air, I suggested a two year old model. If you look on eBay for example there are a bunch of 2012 models recently sold in the $600 range.
 

MCAsan

macrumors 601
Jul 9, 2012
4,587
442
Atlanta
The oldest laptops I refurb is 2010 white MacBooks. With an SSD and 8GB they are decent machines to use for Safari and lighter duty apps. They do Yosemite just fine. You can usually get a 2010 white Macbook on eBay for $300-400 depending on condition.
 

RobbyIdol

macrumors regular
Mar 20, 2012
248
185
Where to buy old Macbooks WITH older OS X versions?

Tried to make a new thread and commented in this post accidentally. Mods please delete, sorry! :)
 

gooser

macrumors 6502a
Jul 4, 2013
514
51
as others have said it's not the best out there for upgrading to yosemite. but when you say "upgrading" you didn't say how far you want to go with the operating system. personally i'm a big fan of 10.6 and that will run real well on those older macbooks. and i'm speaking from experience.
 
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