MacBook Pro 2009 long lifespan

[doraha]

I currently have a MacBook Pro, mid 2009 type that has been working great so far.

A year ago I upgraded the memory just to get it working faster.

Last month for the first time something went wrong when the hard-drive crashed and I had to change it. I replaced it to a SSD which is working great.

Then last week I got a notification that the battery needs to be replaced soon. It still works fine though, drains perhaps a little faster than it used to but nothing that bothers me.

I'm just wondering, do you think it would pay off to replace the battery? if I replace it, how long do you think it will live. Are there any known factors in this type that are likely to fail at this point? Processor, display card etc?

I'm just not sure if I should replace the battery (which is rater cheap compering to other things) or if I should lay this MacBook to rest and buy a new one.

What do you think?

 

[ThisOldMacHead]

A quality replacement battery should provide you with several years of useful life.

The only question that matters is - does your 'Book still provide adequate service for your needs? If so, buy a battery and keep on truckin'. A battery will be a fraction of the cost of a new Mac.

As far as predicting hardware failures... You might as well ask what stock will make you an instant millionaire tomorrow. However, in my experience most hardware failures manifest themselves within the first few years of service. Normal wear components like drives withstanding... All of my machines that have gone 3-4 years trouble free, tend to keep going for years (if not decades) more.

 

[c8rlo]

your MBP has a 1000 battery cycle count, replacing it is relatively cheap and easy to do. sounds like normal wear and tear for the RAM and HD cause of your MBP's age. i have a Mid 2010 13" running Yosemite and upgraded the RAM(8gb) and HD to an SSD(Crucial BX100 256gb) and it runs smooth and fast with a boot time of about 15-18 secs. i imagine you have an external hd or other to backup all your files in the rare occasion your SSD fails.

if you're like me, i imagine you take care of your MBP and is your daily workhorse. i mainly use mine for work, light editing and internet. IMO, i think with just replacing the battery you should be fine. i have friends with older MBs' and they're running fine with no hiccups.

 

[dunxxx]

I also have a 2009 MBP. I have since put in 8GB ram and looking to swap in a SSD here soon. Its still going strong as my web browsing computer. It was once my work rig for photo and video editing but now my 2015 rMBP takes care of that.
I'd replace the battery and keep it alive. It's still got plenty of life left.

 

[doraha]

Thanks, this was very helpful. I know it's hard to predict the failures, but I just wanted to know if the odds were more for or against me.

Thanks again.

 

[KUguardgrl13]

I replaced the battery in my mid-2009 13" almost 2 years ago, and it does pretty well. I use it for media since it has a 500gb HDD. My daily driver is a late-2013 13" rMBP that I got when I thought the 09 was dead. When I still used the 09 regularly I was constantly replacing the hard drive cable, but it seems to be fine now that it sits at home.

 

[junkw]

change the battery. You will gain the equivalent of the price in resell value anyway

 

[A4orce84]

Where does one buy a Macbook battery? The ones I found online seem to not get favorable reviews....and as far as I know you cannot buy the OEM Apple Battery online.

Thanks,
Asif

 

[snaky69]

I currently have a MacBook Pro, mid 2009 type that has been working great so far.

A year ago I upgraded the memory just to get it working faster.

Last month for the first time something went wrong when the hard-drive crashed and I had to change it. I replaced it to a SSD which is working great.

Then last week I got a notification that the battery needs to be replaced soon. It still works fine though, drains perhaps a little faster than it used to but nothing that bothers me.

I'm just wondering, do you think it would pay off to replace the battery? if I replace it, how long do you think it will live. Are there any known factors in this type that are likely to fail at this point? Processor, display card etc?

I'm just not sure if I should replace the battery (which is rater cheap compering to other things) or if I should lay this MacBook to rest and buy a new one.

What do you think?

If you do decide to replace the battery, get a genuine Apple battery.

Saving a few bucks isn't worth typing on a giant fire hazard.

 

[snaky69]

Where does one buy a Macbook battery? The ones I found online seem to not get favorable reviews....and as far as I know you cannot buy the OEM Apple Battery online.

Thanks,
Asif

You can buy OEM apple batteries online straight from Apple on models with user replaceable batteries. On more recent models the battery is glued in, so you send you laptop in and they replace the whole topcase instead for a fee. I think it's $199.

 

[tbobmccoy]

You can buy OEM apple batteries online straight from Apple on models with user replaceable batteries. On more recent models the battery is glued in, so you send you laptop in and they replace the whole topcase instead for a fee. I think it's $199.

On the 2009 MBP, they just replace the battery. However, Apple won't do it anymore. Your laptop has become legacy now that it's over 5 years old, and Apple doesn't service them anymore. I know, sad but true. 3rd party is your only option besides DIY. FWIW, the battery is easy to replace.

I also use my MBP is my daily driver still, and As a teacher who needs office mainly, the computer is better than most of the PCs my fellow teachers are using. 6 years and still going strong- I'm literally chafing out the HDD for an SSD since Amazon had such a good sale. I love this Mac!

 

[fessen]

Where does one buy a Macbook battery? The ones I found online seem to not get favorable reviews....and as far as I know you cannot buy the OEM Apple Battery online.

Thanks,
Asif

I got a 2009 MBP 17in replacement battery from laptopbatteryexpress going on 2 years ago.
Only problem I have had with it is that the battery health info displayed by the OS is not helpful -- it only shows 3 cyles used. So I have no built-in early-warning system for predicting when it will fail.

I rarely run off the battery so my use may not be typical. It's possible this replacement battery doesn't have quite as long a runtime as the original did (seems it only gets about 60% of the original runtime), but I can't say for sure because I put in a faster-spinning hard drive and twice the original memory capacity, and my use habits have changed; also, if I recall correctly, it's labeled charge capacity is lower.

For all the folks who always insist on getting only a genuine Apple replacement battery,
(a) my experience has been that Apple no longer has any interest in servicing users with this model (despite it being only 6 years old) -- can't even buy a replacement battery from Apple
(b) the ORIGINAL battery that came with the laptop swelled up and almost damaged the laptop by the time I realized what was going on. Why on earth would I want to put another crappy battery like that into my laptop?

 

[Samuelsan2001]

iFixit do genuine apple batteries for older machines...