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Updating a late 2008 Macbook

C

christyyyjoy

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 19, 2010
5
0
My sister's late 2008 Macbook is starting to get pretty slow, so I'd like to update it for her. So far, my plan is:

* Upgrade from 1GB RAM to 4GB
* Replace harddrive with SSD
* Upgrade OS to Lion (is it true that Mountain Lion won't work on her machine?)

And I also wanted to get her a hardshell case to just physically make it look like something new. However, I'm having a really hard time finding hardshell cases for anything that isn't the Unibody Macbook. Does anyone know where I can find an older hardshell case? I've looked on eBay, the Incase website, and the Speck website.

Thanks for any recommendations you may have!
 
christyyyjoy said:
My sister's late 2008 Macbook is starting to get pretty slow, so I'd like to update it for her. So far, my plan is:

* Upgrade from 1GB RAM to 4GB
* Replace harddrive with SSD
* Upgrade OS to Lion (is it true that Mountain Lion won't work on her machine?)
Click to expand...
You can install up to 8GB of RAM, if you wish.
You can find specs on all Apple products, including maximum RAM and maximum supported OS:

It should run ML:
OS X Mountain Lion Technical Specifications
General Requirements
  • OS X v10.6.8 or later
  • 2GB of memory
  • 8GB of available space
  • Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.
  • Some features require a compatible Internet service provider; fees may apply.
Supported Models
  • iMac (Mid 2007 or newer)
  • MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer)
  • MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
  • Xserve (Early 2009)
  • MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
  • Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
  • Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
Click to expand...

For app compatibility: App Compatibility Table
 
Thanks so much for all of these resources! With the search being upgraded/disabled on Macrumors, I was having trouble looking for all the information I wanted.
 
christyyyjoy said:
Thanks so much for all of these resources! With the search being upgraded/disabled on Macrumors, I was having trouble looking for all the information I wanted.
Click to expand...
You can still use Google to search the forum. Just add the following to any Google search: site:forums.macrumors.com
 
I have the same problem but I'm trying to decide if it would be better to just buy a new computer. My hard drive is filling up, programs are crashing, and I want to make those same changes but its already 4 years old. I like computers but I don't trust myself to fix it. Should I just move on?
 
BigQid said:
I have the same problem but I'm trying to decide if it would be better to just buy a new computer. My hard drive is filling up, programs are crashing, and I want to make those same changes but its already 4 years old. I like computers but I don't trust myself to fix it. Should I just move on?
Click to expand...

Consider an SSD, decent brands can be picked up relatively cheaply now. It will breathe life into your ageing Mac.

You can always install into a new Mac anyway if you are still not happy :)
 
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