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Oldest mbp that will run Lion?

C

camardelle

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 17, 2011
359
6
Texas
I'm thinking I want a mpb to travel with. When I travel it's usually by motorcycle and I like to stay in touch with the rest of the world. I don't really want to take my 2011 mbp with me on the road, or camping, so what is the oldest version (model #?) would I use that can still run Lion?

Price is always a concern. Thanks for the help.
 
camardelle said:
I'm thinking I want a mpb to travel with. When I travel it's usually by motorcycle and I like to stay in touch with the rest of the world. I don't really want to take my 2011 mbp with me on the road, or camping, so what is the oldest version (model #?) would I use that can still run Lion?

Price is always a concern. Thanks for the help.
Click to expand...
Mac OS X Lion System Requirements
In order to install Mac OS X 10.7 you will need:

  • Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor
  • 2GB of RAM
  • Mac OS X 10.6.6 or later with the Mac App Store installed
  • At least 4GB of additional disk space to accommodate the download, but more is obviously recommended
You can find specs on all Apple products, including newest OS version supported:
While I've never had a problem carrying my MBP on the road, I recommend a MacBook Air or at least a MacBook or MBP with a SSD, as they're less likely to be affected by bumps or vibration than a HDD.
 
Last edited:
So April 2010 or better, right? That's what I'm gathering from the link above to Wikipedia at least.
 
Wow - you guys make answering a question so much more complicated than it needs to be. :confused:

He asked what is the OLDEST MBP he can run Lion on.

Answer: MacBook Pro 2.2 - 2006 - Model Number: A1211. Has a Core 2 Duo chip and 2GB ram - upgrade able to 4GB.
 
Tander said:
Wow - you guys make answering a question so much more complicated than it needs to be. :confused:
Click to expand...

Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime.

GGJ was just giving the OP the websites that have the pertinent information. Who knows what the OP wants in terms of screen size, regular or pro, etc.

My opinion to stay ahead of the curve is to get something that can run ML as well. Or at least whatever the latest rumor is for ML's system requirments.

Here's a quick page that has some system requirements for ML.
 
Tander said:
Wow - you guys make answering a question so much more complicated than it needs to be. :confused:

He asked what is the OLDEST MBP he can run Lion on.

Answer: MacBook Pro 2.2 - 2006 - Model Number: A1211. Has a Core 2 Duo chip and 2GB ram - upgrade able to 4GB.
Click to expand...

GG is pretty helpfull he has helped me more than once, im sure if he knew the exact model he would of posted it along with those links.

The link not only will help the OP with his question but help him and others with other questions before they even have to be asked.
 
Tander said:
Wow - you guys make answering a question so much more complicated than it needs to be. :confused:

He asked what is the OLDEST MBP he can run Lion on.

Answer: MacBook Pro 2.2 - 2006 - Model Number: A1211. Has a Core 2 Duo chip and 2GB ram - upgrade able to 4GB.
Click to expand...
That answer is in the first link I posted. It's really quite simple if you point, click and read.
 
If your concern is with running the latest OS, you should consider which ones will be potentially dropped with Mountain Lion, unless Lion will remain acceptable at that time.
 
camardelle said:
I'm thinking I want a mpb to travel with. When I travel it's usually by motorcycle and I like to stay in touch with the rest of the world. I don't really want to take my 2011 mbp with me on the road, or camping, so what is the oldest version (model #?) would I use that can still run Lion?

Price is always a concern. Thanks for the help.
Click to expand...

Why do you need Lion? If price's a concern, I mean.
 
Tons of thanks to GGJ and the rest of you for all your help...and help me you did. I had already looked at the link to Wikipedia but not being qualified to work at the genius bar I was looking for a little direction. :p This board is always helpful to me and I really appreciate the assistance.

Thanks also to Tander for the model number which I was not able to figure out. It's tough being a noob and having a number to reference makes searching on Craigslist, ebay or even here on the marketplace easier.

And I agree with ftoak about teaching a man to fish which everyone here is so helpful to us with. Thanks!
 
hafr said:
Why do you need Lion? If price's a concern, I mean.
Click to expand...

Price in reference to Apple. LOL I could easily get a netbook for travel for substantially less than what a used mbp will sell for. If I'm going to spend the cash I'd like to stay consistent with what I'm currently using which is Lion. :apple:
 
I guess you right. We need to also help others learn more. My bad.
And no problem with regards to model number.
 
ftaok said:
Full iCloud support, perhaps?
Click to expand...
True, I didn't even think about that :)

camardelle said:
Price in reference to Apple. LOL I could easily get a netbook for travel for substantially less than what a used mbp will sell for. If I'm going to spend the cash I'd like to stay consistent with what I'm currently using which is Lion. :apple:
Click to expand...
You were the one saying price was a concern, not me. I'm just saying that if you don't lock yourself into Lion, but rather choose to use an older version of OS X, you could an even older laptop and still be true to Apple.

But I guess if you're looking for functions that only exists in Lion, that would answer my initial question.
 
If you also plan to be able to upgrade to 10.8 later keep in mind that it will require a 64bit CPU and 64bit EFI so while some 2006 Macbook Pros will support Lion they will not support Mountain Lion (no 64Bit EFI).
 
with Lion as the criterion, i think you should take into consideration an mbp that is upgradeable to at least 8gb of ram as Lion is a bit of a resource hog, and while the stated minimum requirements is 2gb, I find in practice that the bare min is 4gb. In fact, I just upgraded both of my clients' mbp's to 8gb to make sure it runs smoothly. It's so cheap now (<$50 shipped from newegg) there is no reason not to upgrade.

you might also consider a unibody mbp for the all-glass trackpad if you like using all the gestures, which would limit you to late '08 and newer mbp's, iirc.
 
I guess that since Lion has been the only Apple OS I've used I've leaned towards it. Maybe I should be thinking Leopard to save money? I want to use the MBP while camping n my bike so I don't mind buying (and might prefer) an older laptop to stay in touch and such.

Any input? Is Leopard that much different?
 
ftaok said:
Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime.
Click to expand...

However, one must consider the man's situation. He may well wish to dine one last time before he dies, and doesn't need the hassle for such a simple request.
 
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