Replaced My Keyboard on the old 1.83 CD: Keep it or go Aluminum?

[kenmitchell1969]

So about two weeks ago, my local Apple store replaced the horrendous chipping keyboard on my original Apple refurbed 1.83 GHz Core Duo Whitebook. It feels a lot better now but I can't help but wonder how long it'll be before this new keyboard starts chipping away too, especially considering the well documented issues with the plastic Macbooks.

Just as a point of information, my Whitebook is maxed out at 2GB RAM with the stock 60GB HDD and combo drive. My wife and I use this laptop pretty much daily for HOME use: typically for surfing, email, iWork stuff and Parallels/XP stuff. Outside of that, we don't do anything really CPU intensive on it - although the fans will kick in if I have too many Safari windows open, watching a video or doing something in Parallels. I do have Logic, Garageband '09 and Ableton Live installed and intended to do music on it, but I really never use them on the Macbook because the 13" screen seems a bit too small to effectively do anything with them IMO.

So...

If it were you, would you keep the old 1.83 CD or upgrade to an Aluminum Macbook?

I mean aside from the obvious aesthetic differences (Aluminum case, better screen, bigger HD and more expandable memory) would I really see a significant performance difference between my old 1.83 Core Duo vs an Aluminum 2.0 or 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo from the new DDR3 RAM and FSB - especially for how we use it?

I know I can throw a bigger HDD in it and all, but the only drawback to that is that since its a 1.83 CD, I wouldn't be able to run Snow Leopad on it when it comes out, so I'm quite confused as to what to do.

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated - especially from those that made a similar jump like I'm considering.

Thanks

 

[GfulDedFan]

If it were me, I would consider 2 options before deciding to hand over the big bucks. I'm not sure if you have AppleCare, but if you do, your MacBook is still under warranty. I'm thinking that you do because I haven't seen any core duo MacBooks for sale in the Refurb Store for a while.

1) I imagine that one of the reasons that your MacBook feels sluggish is because your hard drive is fairly full. It needs to have at least 10% free but that would be a minimum edge. I like to have more like 20% free. A nice bigger HD will run $50 to $100 bucks and I think that a 7200 rpm adds a lot of pep having had 2 different ones in mine.

2) If you feel the need to upgrade your MacBook to the newest offerings, you might consider the less expensive new white 2.0 for $999. It has almost the same specs as the 2.0 aluminum MacBook.

If you decide to keep your first gen, the only downside that I see is the combo drive instead of a Superdrive. You may want to start burning DVDs in the future and if so, you'd need an external device.

What makes you think that you won't be able to run Snow Leopard? I plan to and my MacBook is the same age as yours.

 

[kenmitchell1969]

If it were me, I would consider 2 options before deciding to hand over the big bucks. I'm not sure if you have AppleCare, but if you do, your MacBook is still under warranty. I'm thinking that you do because I haven't seen any core duo MacBooks for sale in the Refurb Store for a while.

1) I imagine that one of the reasons that your MacBook feels sluggish is because your hard drive is fairly full. It needs to have at least 10% free but that would be a minimum edge. I like to have more like 20% free. A nice bigger HD will run $50 to $100 bucks and I think that a 7200 rpm adds a lot of pep having had 2 different ones in mine.

2) If you feel the need to upgrade your MacBook to the newest offerings, you might consider the less expensive new white 2.0 for $999. It has almost the same specs as the 2.0 aluminum MacBook.

If you decide to keep your first gen, the only downside that I see is the combo drive instead of a Superdrive. You may want to start burning DVDs in the future and if so, you'd need an external device.

What makes you think that you won't be able to run Snow Leopard? I plan to and my MacBook is the same age as yours.

GfulDedFan, thanks 4 the reply.

Well first I DON'T have Applecare. I bought this refurb back in '06, so its long since expired.

My HD has about 20GB free on it. In regards to the $999 new MacBook, I wouldn't buy that because even though they updated it, its still plastic. I don't want another plastic laptop.

I'm leaning toward just getting the 2.0 or 2.4 Aluminum Macbook but I wonder if the performance of the Aluminum base model will be significantly better than mine.

 

[acfusion29]

GfulDedFan, thanks 4 the reply.

Well first I DON'T have Applecare. I bought this refurb back in '06, so its long since expired.

My HD has about 20GB free on it. In regards to the $999 new MacBook, I wouldn't buy that because even though they updated it, its still plastic. I don't want another plastic laptop.

I'm leaning toward just getting the 2.0 or 2.4 Aluminum Macbook but I wonder if the performance of the Aluminum base model will be significantly better than mine.

Yes it will be significantly better! You should maybe get a Refurb 2.0 and save yourself some money

Compared to my old blackbook, the fans rarely kick in on my Alu. MacBook. They only seem to kick in when I'm rendering a video in Final Cut.

 

[GfulDedFan]

It will be a significantly better machine in a few ways but not in others as follows:

Pros: faster processor, better graphics card, better screen, aluminum casing, larger hard drive, all in all faster machine, 64 bit

Cons: RAM is more expensive than the DDR2 to upgrade, no firewire port, relatively expensive, AppleCare available and advised at an added cost, the Pros are good IF you need them

I'm kind of in the same boat. Everything works great but it would be nice to have the latest/greatest and with Snow Leopard coming hopefully soon, it would be nice to take advantage of 64-bit technology finally. If my AppleCare runs out, which it does in August, or if it had an accident beyond AppleCare, I'd be running to Apple in a heartbeat. For now, I'm waiting it out to see if a better machine appears for the same money.

Also, I haven't had any of the casing problems that I've read about for years and I'm leaning towards the polycarbonate MacBook to save some dough.

 

[acfusion29]

It will be a significantly better machine in a few ways but not in others as follows:

Pros: faster processor, better graphics card, better screen, aluminum casing, larger hard drive, all in all faster machine, 64 bit

Cons: RAM is more expensive than the DDR2 to upgrade, no firewire port, relatively expensive, AppleCare available and advised at an added cost, the Pros are good IF you need them

I'm kind of in the same boat. Everything works great but it would be nice to have the latest/greatest and with Snow Leopard coming hopefully soon, it would be nice to take advantage of 64-bit technology finally. If my AppleCare runs out, which it does in August, or if it had an accident beyond AppleCare, I'd be running to Apple in a heartbeat. For now, I'm waiting it out to see if a better machine appears for the same money.

Also, I haven't had any of the casing problems that I've read about for years and I'm leaning towards the polycarbonate MacBook to save some dough.

I don't see how Ram can be a CON, sure it's more expensive than DDR2 but your paying more for a reason. The DDR3 RAM has an impact on your computer's performance. But anyways, to upgrade to 4GB DDR3 sticks, it's about 80 USD, which is about the same (if I remember correctly) as it was a year ago if you wanted to upgrade to 4GB DDR2.

So in conclusion, getting a RAM upgrade through Apple is a con, doing it yourself is not

 

[fibrizo]

Well, if you spend the money and just upgrade the HD now, you'll get immediate performance increases. And then save a bit and buy a new aluminum macbook when snow leopard does finally come out. That way you won't have to pay 129 for snow leopard... (you can put that money to a new HD now, which would buy you a 500gb 7200 rpm drive) and you'll have a new macbook aluminum w/snow leopard preinstalled. and who knows, they might have even refreshed it by then.

 

[sporadicMotion]

I would sell it while the keyboard is nice and new looking. It'll help it fetch a better price. Mind you, it's not like it's gonna bet all messed up all that quickly... but I would still do it within the next 2 months. The new MacBooks are nicer machines... and warranty is a good thing. This is why I sell mine before a year is up... always in warranty, no need for apple care and they hold their value pretty darn well after only 6 to 8 months (which is the time range I actually sell them in)