Macbook 2,1. Do upgrades or new machine?

[innocentsheep]

So I have a late 2006 Macbook (2.0ghz C2D, 2gb RAM, 120gb HDD) that has recently been replaced with a 2011 iMac. Since getting the iMac I've been missing some of the portability, so I've been going between 3 options:

1) Get a Macbook Air
2) Get an iPad
3) Get a new battery and SSD for the Macbook

I'd mainly be using it for web browsing, skype, word processing, and MAYBE a little bit of Photoshop work. Basically something for bed/couch browsing, and the occasional library study session.

So basically, would it be silly to do upgrades on a machine that's almost 5 years old? Or would getting a new machine/device just be a better choice?

Notes: Wifi on the Macbook was being wonky until I did a clean install of Lion on it (don't really understand that myself) so I don't know if it's gonna crap out again, and battery life actually isn't that bad (around 2-3 hours) but the battery is bulging.

 

[Nels0n]

i to definitely wanna know ...because i bought my mb 2.1 from a friend he swapped out the hd for a 500 gb and im not able to install snowleopard .... and would like to know the best ram to buy cause im running 2.0 ghz with 2gb ram ....yuckkkkk

 

[alust2013]

I'd probably just keep the MacBook. New battery is a good idea, although I don't know that I would bother with a SSD for a light use machine

 

[Intell]

I second the idea of keeping the Macbook. A new battery is a good idea. An SSD is a bit much. If you still have the stock drive, I'd suggest a new 7,200 RPM hard drive. I got the Seagate Momentous 7200.4. Its one of the best upgrades I've ever gotten for my Blackbook.

 

[innocentsheep]

@Intell would I really notice a difference between 5400rpm and 7200rpm? I don't really need space on this computer, so that's why I was thinking an SSD for faster boot ups and app loads, and the fact an SSD might be better with any page outs since I only have 2gb of RAM.

I've heard of people getting new batteries, even out of warranty, by going to the Apple Store, so I'm gonna try that as soon as I can, but if that doesn't work does anyone know about these batteries? http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/apple_laptop/batteries/MacBook_13_Black It's much cheaper than the Apple batteries, and higher capacity.

 

[Intell]

@Intell would I really notice a difference between 5400rpm and 7200rpm? I don't really need space on this computer, so that's why I was thinking an SSD for faster boot ups and app loads, and the fact an SSD might be better with any page outs since I only have 2gb of RAM.

Because your Macbook has the slow SATA I which is limited to 1.5Gbps, an SSD would be a waste as it would not be used to its fullest speed. An 7200rpm drive would be faster then an 5400 drive.

 

[innocentsheep]

Because your Macbook has the slow SATA I which is limited to 1.5Gbps, an SSD would be a waste as it would not be used to its fullest speed. An 7200rpm drive would be faster then an 5400 drive.

I know 7200rpm is faster, I'm just wondering if that speed would even be noticeable (between the people I've talked to, most people are saying it's not much of a difference, but some people say it is noticeable). Good point on the SATA I thing though. Also not sure if I'd run into any compatibility issues with that because I have a fairly old machine.

 

[mcdonap]

I have a 2,1 mid 2007 MacBook. Last November I changed the HD to an SSD, and I maxed out the RAM. (4GB, matched set.)

I never had any issues with 2GB RAM - no swapping, etc., so I can't really say that I noticed any performance bump from that. While my machine may not have been the best candidate for an SSD, it made/makes a world of difference in the performance of my MB. It it so fast to boot up, and access to anything on the drive is just immediate. I've been upgrading my computers for many years, but the SSD was the most noticeable change I've ever made. If you have the means and desire to do it, I would highly recommend it.

As long as the MB is still running well, it sounds like it would still meet your needs based on what you mentioned you'd be using it for. I have no meaningful ideas about your wifi issue, but there are a lot of sharp people on this board - maybe someone has some info for you. (I'd hate to see you make all the upgrades and then have the wifi quit.)

Good luck, and keep us posted with what you end up doing.

 

[micawoli]

I would also like some advice here are the specs for my macbook:

Model Identifier: MacBook2,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.16 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 4 MB
Memory: 1 GB
Bus Speed: 667 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MB21.00A5.B07

Processor 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory 1 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM


Would it be worth it to upgrade my memory/RAM to install lion? or should I just go ahead and cave for a macbook air. I also have a new battery from apple that I got through my warranty a while ago and could swap that in as well. Any help would be great!

 

[innocentsheep]

I have a 2,1 mid 2007 MacBook. Last November I changed the HD to an SSD, and I maxed out the RAM. (4GB, matched set.)

I never had any issues with 2GB RAM - no swapping, etc., so I can't really say that I noticed any performance bump from that. While my machine may not have been the best candidate for an SSD, it made/makes a world of difference in the performance of my MB. It it so fast to boot up, and access to anything on the drive is just immediate. I've been upgrading my computers for many years, but the SSD was the most noticeable change I've ever made. If you have the means and desire to do it, I would highly recommend it.

As long as the MB is still running well, it sounds like it would still meet your needs based on what you mentioned you'd be using it for. I have no meaningful ideas about your wifi issue, but there are a lot of sharp people on this board - maybe someone has some info for you. (I'd hate to see you make all the upgrades and then have the wifi quit.)

Good luck, and keep us posted with what you end up doing.

Thanks for the input on the SSD. Would any 2.5" SSD work, or do I have to look for specific things for compatibility with my Macbook?

The wireless issue was really confusing because it seemed to only cut out on my home network (worked fine when I went to the university) and then after I did a clean install it started working fine at home again. I'm wondering if part of it has to do with the bulging battery interfering with the wireless card.

 

[Intell]

Thanks for the input on the SSD. Would any 2.5" SSD work, or do I have to look for specific things for compatibility with my Macbook?

The wireless issue was really confusing because it seemed to only cut out on my home network (worked fine when I went to the university) and then after I did a clean install it started working fine at home again. I'm wondering if part of it has to do with the bulging battery interfering with the wireless card.

Any 9.5mm SATA SSD will do.

I've had trouble with my wireless over the years. One thing that help me was getting an Apple Airport Extreme. Other than buying that, I've also found that turning off "wide band mode" or "40mhz mode" on my old non-Apple router made my Blackbook much happier with the wireless.

 

[DJLC]

I know 7200rpm is faster, I'm just wondering if that speed would even be noticeable (between the people I've talked to, most people are saying it's not much of a difference, but some people say it is noticeable). Good point on the SATA I thing though. Also not sure if I'd run into any compatibility issues with that because I have a fairly old machine.

I can say from experience that the 7200RPM drive makes a world of difference on the late '06 MacBook. I started with the stock 80GB 5400 and eventually ended up with a 500GB 7200RPM drive. Definitely worth the upgrade, both for capacity and speed. I'd never go back to a 5400RPM.

Interesting thoughts on SSDs in this thread. I was actually planning to do more or less what the OP is doing — get a new iMac for power, and upgrade the old MacBook for portability. The SSD was next on my list.