Retromac: i m going to buy a brand new 2010 Macbook 15. Advices

[Retromac2008]

Is it still a good machine ?
I m going to pay 300euro for a 2010 Macbook Pro 15 with NVIDIA GT 9600m.

good looking don t you agree ?

is someone still using this ?

[doublepost=1498820556][/doublepost]it s a fair upgrade too!
i was using a 2008 Macbook Air (the best design ever in my opinion)

 

[maflynn]

If memory serves me, the 2010 had a high rate of gpu failures. Though I guess if the machine you have an eye on is till working, 7 years after the fact, then its probably not going to fail now.

 

[tanphu194]

Your specs seems to be wrong. The one with 9600m should be 2009, as the 2010 has the GT330M. I would not advice getting it new, as it's pretty much obsolete now. I don't know about the 2009 15", but the 13" can no longer update the OS.
And anything larger than 13" from 2010-2012 is more prone to failure, esp. 2010 and 2011 models. Also, the 2010 15" model runs quite hot under video heavy tasks.

 

[Retromac2008]

If memory serves me, the 2010 had a high rate of gpu failures. Though I guess if the machine you have an eye on is till working, 7 years after the fact, then its probably not going to fail now.

was it a 9600m problem ?

the old 8600m on 2008 MBP non unibody was incredibly prone to failure, is the 9600m on the same boat ?

i hope to have no problems, my old macbook air 2008 in sign is broken too (2 months ago it stopped working at all)

 

[maflynn]

was it a 9600m problem ?

I'm not sure, I vaguely recall it and if you google 2010 macbook pro gpu problem you get some hits.

 

[Ejkramer]

Is it still a good machine ?
I m going to pay 300euro for a 2010 Macbook Pro 15 with NVIDIA GT 9600m.

good looking don t you agree ?

is someone still using this ?

[doublepost=1498820556][/doublepost]it s a fair upgrade too!
i was using a 2008 Macbook Air (the best design ever in my opinion)

We have 2 machine still in use. We put a 1tb ssd inside and Upgrade of ram as much as possible. They run still great and we could put the latest Mac OS on also.

 

[TechZeke]

Is it still a good machine ?
I m going to pay 300euro for a 2010 Macbook Pro 15 with NVIDIA GT 9600m.

good looking don t you agree ?

is someone still using this ?

[doublepost=1498820556][/doublepost]it s a fair upgrade too!
i was using a 2008 Macbook Air (the best design ever in my opinion)

Sounds like a 2009. The 2010 15" has a GT 330(I know for sure because my good friend has one.)

Also, if it were me, I'd spend a few hundred more and find a 2012 15" model with the GT 650M. You'll get USB 3, and the thing will last forever with a RAM and SSD upgrade.

 

[jerryk]

I would have a hard time using this again.

My last memory of the 2010 15 was how slow it got over time. 20 seconds to log in, seeing the beachball bounce 6 or 7 times launching apps... Then the screen is so low res.

An SSD (and maybe some memory) will cure a lot of the performance issues, but the screen. Once you see retina you cannot go back. And you have added $200+ additional to the price on a machine with a questionable GPU.

If you need a machine, I would try to get a see what your money will get you in a 13 inch with retina display.

 

[Fishrrman]

Do this if you want, but I don't think it's a good buy, even for that little money.

The computer is already 7-8 years old, it might suffer a failure at any time.

Better to take that money and put it towards something new(er).

 

[dudeslife]

gpu panics imminent.
[doublepost=1498848885][/doublepost]

Though I guess if the machine you have an eye on is till working, 7 years after the fact, then its probably not going to fail now.

not true. my 2010 gpu panics began last month...

 

[dunkuk]

I have a Mid 2010 2.4 white macbook (not a pro) and it is good for pretty much everything. Very good screen. If it has the same screen quality as the white unibody then I would say go for it. Mine has an SSD which probably helps the speed. It is no less responsive than the i7 Macbook Pro I have.

 

[windows4ever]

My understanding is the 2009 unibody 15" models had the same graphics failure problems that the 15" 2008 Macbook Pros had. A core 2 duo is simply too slow nowadays, even for web browsing.

 

[dunkuk]

My understanding is the 2009 unibody 15" models had the same graphics failure problems that the 15" 2008 Macbook Pros had. A core 2 duo is simply too slow nowadays, even for web browsing.

Ive got no idea where you have got that from, I use a 2.4ghz core duo every day, I run my business from it and it will even run Logic Audio with no problem at all. I run Yosemite on it as I do on my newer mac. To be honest the 2.4ghz Core Duo is just as responsive as my newer Macbook pro with an i7, I was a bit disappointed with the new one to be honest. Might even sell the new one and buy another older one as they are about £300 cheaper!

 

[EugW]

Unless that thing has an SSD and 8 GB RAM, I probably wouldn't bother. Or at least bare minimum 4 GB RAM could be used for very light usage, if you have a spare SSD lying around that you can put in it.

Ive got no idea where you have got that from, I use a 2.4ghz core duo every day, I run my business from it and it will even run Logic Audio with no problem at all. I run Yosemite on it as I do on my newer mac. To be honest the 2.4ghz Core Duo is just as responsive as my newer Macbook pro with an i7, I was a bit disappointed with the new one to be honest. Might even sell the new one and buy another older one as they are about £300 cheaper!

My 2017 Core m3 MacBook runs circles around my 2009 Core 2 Duo 2.26 GHz MacBook Pro with GeForce 9400M and SSD, plus the Core m3 MacBook has a Retina screen. The 2009 machine is usable, but overall is not even in the same league as the MacBook.

 

[ZapNZs]

I know pricing is different here in the States than elsewhere, but do they have killer good deals on new 2015 MacBook Airs where you are at?

I ask because, here in the States, the price you are paying + the price of a SSD upgrade + the price of a RAM upgrade would total not much more than the price of a new MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM and a PCIe SSD (this model has seen upwards of 40% off on really good sales from a few retailers.) And as it comes with a warranty...

If you do go with this computer, and it were to fail a few months after purchase, are you comfortable putting a few hundred more Euros into a logic board replacement or purchasing another system outright?

 

[Sterkenburg]

I personally would not bother with an obsolete model: you won't be able to upgrade the OS and in the event of any failure the cost of a repair would be easily worth more than the machine itself. Furthermore, chances are that you will have to install a good SSD and a RAM upgrade to make that Mac run decently, which means investing additional money that would be much better spent on a more modern machine.

I definitely suggest to get a model from 2012 or later, nothing older. And in case a MacBook Air (rather than a MBP) is fine for your usage, you can find even more recent models for really good prices.

 

[muratura]

2010? Really?!
It's pretty old as computers go, even if it is an Apple. And it has the potential to fail due to the GPU.
If you get it free and want to put some ram and ssd that you have lying around then okay, it's a good machine for media consumption...
Otherwise, your money would be better spent getting a newer model.
As the bunny guy and others have said - get the cheapest Macbook Air (8GB ram and 128GB ssd) either new or refurb and it's gonna fly!!

 

[CSeye]

In April or early May 2010, I purchased a new i5 MBP with the GT330M. It worked great for Logic Pro and Adobe CS6.

The first version of Logic Pro X, (released in 2013) consistently crashed on launch or soon after. The Apple store staff identifed the issue as a malfunctioning motherboard. I relunctantly paid $300 to have it replaced, but it's still going strong with macOS Sierra, without any signs of trouble.

Early on, I replaced the internal hard drive with a 512 GB SSD, and later added a second internal drive via the OWC Data Doubler.

I had my eye on the 2015 MBP but held off. The 2017 MBP is now getting my attention. But so is the 2017 iMac.
Keeping this old model working as the original owner made sense.

 

[ozreth]

Absolutely not.

I am writing this from my 2010 13" with 500gb SSD and 8gb of RAM. Yes, it still runs well and the upgrades really helped keep it relevant into 2017. However, as new OS's are rolled out and as I start running new and updated applications, it is now showing it's age even with these upgrades. The icing on the cake is that soon I won't be able to upgrade to new operating systems. I am very happy that this machine served me so well for 7 years, but next year I will most certainly be upgrading. Why would you jump into a machine that has long since passed it's prime? Just save awhile longer and put the money into something newer.

Obviously the 15" model is going to be a little more powerful than my 13", but at 7 years old it's mostly a moot point.

 

[Elise]

Good looking? Sorry no it really isn't.

Just stump up the dough and buy a recent Mac.

 

[imaginex20]

I would not get anything with USB 2.0 ports. I would at least get a 2012 and up that has USB 3.0

 

[Uddername]

For the love of God, don't do it. Pretty much every 2010 and 2011 15" model fails horrifically these days due to the graphics card.

Instead purchase 13" or 15" 2012 models. If money is an issue then 2011 13" is also okay, as long as you have SSD or SSHD upgrade.

 

[Retromac2008]

thanks for every reply pple, i m totally convinced: too risk with 15" macbook pro 2009-2010. (nvidia gpu failure)





someone said to wait and buy a newer model, but as you can see from my nickname, this is not my "style"
( )

i bought a cheaper Macbook late 2009 for 180euro, with included a second new apple charger (value 75e alone)

i love this design, probably the best ever created.


now i really want to know if you think i did worse !

too cheap?

 

[Populus]

That's the first Policarbonate unibody design. Great design, although I'd have purchased a 2010 one (I have the 2010 machine in aluminum unibody and works great).

For 180€ I think you made a good choice. It supports Sierra and High Sierra. Now put it an SSD and 8GB of RAM and enjoy your little white Mac.

 

[poematik13]

Wow these things are old.

My mom has the 2009 white MB and it's annoyingly slow even with an SSD and 8GB RAM. The screen is also total *******, very narrow viewing angles and the colors are way off. And the trackpad is mushy after 8 years of heavy use.

They were great for their time, but using one today is a chore. That 2010 MBP runs very hot btw, and the battery life is a fraction of a 2017 model. You'll also be dealing with defective GPU's in the 2010 and 2011 15" models.

Can't even imagine dealing with USB 2.0 and wifi a/b/g/n in ****ing 2017 lol

The only usable "retro" macs are the 2012 models, as they have sata 3 ports, TB1, and USB 3 so you can actually be productive with them. The screens are also decent.