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Upgrade a late 2008 MBP or Buy Used 2018 MBP for Lightroom v5.7

L

LarryJ-VaBeach

macrumors newbie
Original poster
The new 2025 MBP that I just purchased won't run the old Adobe Lightroom v5.7 photo editing software (that I have a perpetual license for) which I used for years on a late 2008 MBP. That's ok because I haven't taken any wildlife photos since prior to the pandemic. I would still like to have the capability of using LR-5.7 occasionally so I thought I'd upgrade the 2008 MBP with RAM and an SSD drive. However, during my research I discovered that buying a used 2018 MBP might be a better choice from a quality and price perspective. The Google tells me 2018 is the last year that LR v5.7 will run flawlessly on a mac because it still had the intel processor. Then I discovered the screen failure issue with the 2016 to 2018 MacBooks. So now I'm considering adding an external screen to the mix. Now I'm perplexed as to what is the better option between the two ideas for a dedicated photo editing computer; upgrading my 2008 MBP with SSD and RAM or buying a used 2018 MBP. I also thought about adding an external screen to the winner.

I don't know much about computer hardware so I welcome other options that will allow me to continue running LR v5.7 and provided the suggestion does NOT include buying a subscription to Lightroom Classic. I won't pay for a subscription for something I will rarely use.
 
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LR 5.7 is not supported/running on Mac OS > Mojave.
A fresh install on a new Mac can also be problematic as the activation servers are not available anymore.
If you have a system with LR 5.7 running then clone it to an external SSD.
 
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next_cube said:
LR 5.7 is not supported/running on Mac OS > Mojave.
A fresh install on a new Mac can also be problematic as the activation servers are not available anymore.
If you have a system with LR 5.7 running then clone it to an external SSD.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. Are you suggesting running LR 5.7 on an external drive connected to the 2025 mac. Would that work if the external drive had an older version of mac OS. That would be ideal.
 
LarryJ-VaBeach said:
Thanks for the reply. Are you suggesting running LR 5.7 on an external drive connected to the 2025 mac. Would that work if the external drive had an older version of mac OS. That would be ideal.
Click to expand...
No, wouldn't work with a recent model. You need an Intel Mac that is supported by Mojave (eg the iMac 2019, Mac Mini 2014 etc).
I have a Mini 2014 for LR 6.
 
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next_cube said:
No, wouldn't work with a recent model. You need an Intel Mac that is supported by Mojave (eg the iMac 2019, Mac Mini 2014 etc).
I have a Mini 2014 for LR 6.
Click to expand...

OK, that's what I decided to do a day or two ago. Looking for a 2015-2018 MB that doesn't have screen issues, or maybe even adding a larger screen. My 2008 MBP can't handle 16GB of RAM.
 
I would chose a model without the T2 chip as it makes booting from external devices hassle free. I own a MBP 15" 2015 and it is still fast enough for the latest release of LR classic with an i7 and 16 GB RAM.
 
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OP:

One thing you DO NOT WANT to do is buy a used MBP with the butterfly keyboard.
DO NOT BUY:
MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2016)
MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, 2017)
MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2019)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)
ALL of these have the disastrous "butterfly keyboards" that are highly-prone to failure. Although Apple has a free replacement program running for 4 years "from new", when that time expires YOU will pay for the repair.
And it's NOT CHEAP -- $750 for even a single key gone bad.
That's because the entire top case has to be replaced... even for a single key failure!

Since ALL of these are now out-of-warranty (even the extended keyboard repair program), if the keyboard fails, you're probably out of luck. They may not even be willing to do a "paid repair" any more...

Hmmm...
If you need a Mac from "back then" that will be more reliable, I'd suggest a 2018 Mini, properly equipped with enough RAM and a large enough drive.
Much better choice!
 
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next_cube said:
I would chose a model without the T2 chip as it makes booting from external devices hassle free. I own a MBP 15" 2015 and it is still fast enough for the latest release of LR classic with an i7 and 16 GB RAM.
Click to expand...
What's the purpose of booting from an external drive. Couldn't the 2015-2017 MB internal drive be loaded with older OS that LR will function on...and wouldn't it run faster on the internal drive.
 
throAU said:
Maybe invest the hardware cost into some updated software?

I get it - perpetual license - but that doesn’t mean it will run forever on new hardware.
Click to expand...
Completely agree with this.
I get the want to keep your perpetual license up and running, but at the end of the day if you’re having to purchase additional hardware with your 2025 hardware just to keep software from several years ago running, maybe it’s time to… Upgrade to software from 2025 with the same money you would use to keep that old perpetual license working.
At the end of the day 2018 was eight years ago and the amount of time since then is just going to continue to increase.
 
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benwiggy said:
Yes. There are alternatives to Lightroom. Buying old hardware to run old software for something as commonplace as photo editing, when you have a brand new computer, is ...
Click to expand...
Lounge vibes 05 said:
Completely agree with this.
I get the want to keep your perpetual license up and running, but at the end of the day if you’re having to purchase additional hardware with your 2025 hardware just to keep software from several years ago running, maybe it’s time to… Upgrade to software from 2025 with the same money you would use to keep that old perpetual license working.
At the end of the day 2018 was eight years ago and the amount of time since then is just going to continue to increase.
Click to expand...
Enough of this nonsense. If you don't know LR and it's cataloging capabilities then you don't know what you're talking about.
 
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LarryJ-VaBeach said:
What's the purpose of booting from an external drive. Couldn't the 2015-2017 MB internal drive be loaded with older OS that LR will function on...and wouldn't it run faster on the internal drive.
Click to expand...
I like to put the latest OS on the internal drives and less frequently used ones on external storage. But, sure, you can set up multiboot on the internal drive as well.
Maybe try a fresh install of LR 5.7 on a fresh Mojave first. If you can't activate it, you can still clone your working setup.
 
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The olde Core2Duo systems are obsolete relics of the past. Get yourself something newer instead of trying to upgrade.


LarryJ-VaBeach said:
The Google tells me 2018 is the last year that LR v5.7 will run flawlessly on a mac because it still had the intel processor.
Click to expand...
The 2018 will run flawlessly because that is the last year to natively run Mojave, the last OS with support for 32-bit applications.

However 2016-2018 MBPs have keyboard reliability issues and are completely non-upgradable. Maybe not a problem if running in clamshell mode and using external storage devices, but that limits the point of having a laptop.

Also avoid the 2018 Mini. I love my i5 6-core CPU, but the 630 UHD iGPU is all kinds of pitiful. Running a 2018 MBP as a clam would be better.

I would suggest a L2013-2015 15" MBP. Good reliability, easy SSD upgrade. Maybe a little dated for the more modern versions of MacOS, but they positively fly with High Sierra / Mojave.

Honorable mention for a 2017 iMac if you can spare the desk space for infrequent use. Keeping a second boot drive with Ventura (or OpenCore Sequoia) would help keep it relevant longer when not using LR v5.7.
 
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next_cube said:
I like to put the latest OS on the internal drives and less frequently used ones on external storage. But, sure, you can set up multiboot on the internal drive as well.
Maybe try a fresh install of LR 5.7 on a fresh Mojave first. If you can't activate it, you can still clone your working setup.
Click to expand...
I see. Well, since I've already bought a new MBP I figured I'd dedicate an older mac for photography.
 
LarryJ-VaBeach said:
Enough of this nonsense. If you don't know LR and it's cataloging capabilities then you don't know what you're talking about.
Click to expand...
Then why did you even come here for advice?
You asked for advice, people are giving you advice, you can take it or move on.
A lot of people‘s advice is going to be to move on from software that was released 12 years ago on machines already known for unreliability from eight years ago, especially when either way you are having to spend money.
You can spend money on a 2018 machine that… Might leave you in the same position you’re in now very quickly, or you can future proof and purchase 2026 software that will have you set for at least the next eight years.
But you do you.
 
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padams35 said:
The olde Core2Duo systems are obsolete relics of the past. Get yourself something newer instead of trying to upgrade.



The 2018 will run flawlessly because that is the last year to natively run Mojave, the last OS with support for 32-bit applications.

However 2016-2018 MBPs have keyboard reliability issues and are completely non-upgradable. Maybe not a problem if running in clamshell mode and using external storage devices, but that limits the point of having a laptop.

Also avoid the 2018 Mini. I love my i5 6-core CPU, but the 630 UHD iGPU is all kinds of pitiful. Running a 2018 MBP as a clam would be better.

I would suggest a L2013-2015 15" MBP. Good reliability, easy SSD upgrade. Maybe a little dated for the more modern versions of MacOS, but they positively fly with High Sierra / Mojave.

Honorable mention for a 2017 iMac if you can spare the desk space for infrequent use. Keeping a second boot drive with Ventura (or OpenCore Sequoia) would help keep it relevant longer when not using LR v5.7.
Click to expand...
Thanks, good info. I looked up "as a clam".
I haven't figured out what the "L" in front of 2013-2015 means, late?
 
Lounge vibes 05 said:
Then why did you even come here for advice?
You asked for advice, people are giving you advice, you can take it or move on.
A lot of people‘s advice is going to be to move on from software that was released 12 years ago on machines already known for unreliability from eight years ago, especially when either way you are having to spend money.
You can spend money on a 2018 machine that… Might leave you in the same position you’re in now very quickly, or you can future proof and purchase 2026 software that will have you set for at least the next eight years.
But you do you.
Click to expand...
Read my first post.
Yes, I'm getting lots of useful replies and some not useful at all.
 
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Fishrrman said:
OP:

One thing you DO NOT WANT to do is buy a used MBP with the butterfly keyboard.
DO NOT BUY:
MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2016)
MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, 2017)
MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2019)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)
ALL of these have the disastrous "butterfly keyboards" that are highly-prone to failure. Although Apple has a free replacement program running for 4 years "from new", when that time expires YOU will pay for the repair.
And it's NOT CHEAP -- $750 for even a single key gone bad.
That's because the entire top case has to be replaced... even for a single key failure!

Since ALL of these are now out-of-warranty (even the extended keyboard repair program), if the keyboard fails, you're probably out of luck. They may not even be willing to do a "paid repair" any more...

Hmmm...
If you need a Mac from "back then" that will be more reliable, I'd suggest a 2018 Mini, properly equipped with enough RAM and a large enough drive.
Much better choice!
Click to expand...
I thought too that it’s odd OP mentions the flex cable issue, but not the keyboard failures.
But to be fair, my 2017 i7 Touchbar 13“ MBP didn’t have any issue with its replacement keyboard (replaced in 2019) and a keyboard cover on top.
It’s not for everyone, but I personally like the feel of that keyboard far more than on my M1 Pro.
OP could get a deal for a decent 2018 model that’s been handled properly, I’d personally do that.
Because while the flex cable may break at any time with use, you can at least mitigate keyboard issues yourself. A friend of mine recently retired his 2018 i5 for a M4 Pro, and it looked brand new and they keyboard worked flawlessly.
 
Parowdy said:
I thought too that it’s odd OP mentions the flex cable issue, but not the keyboard failures.
But to be fair, my 2017 i7 Touchbar 13“ MBP didn’t have any issue with its replacement keyboard (replaced in 2019) and a keyboard cover on top.
It’s not for everyone, but I personally like the feel of that keyboard far more than on my M1 Pro.
OP could get a deal for a decent 2018 model that’s been handled properly, I’d personally do that.
Because while the flex cable may break at any time with use, you can at least mitigate keyboard issues yourself. A friend of mine recently retired his 2018 i5 for a M4 Pro, and it looked brand new and they keyboard worked flawlessly.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I didn't have any real experience or knowledge about hardware or mac issues until I began this search, which I learned about the flex cable failure. Learned about the keyboard issue here, and many thanks to those who pointed it out. Don't know why The Google didn't mention the keyboard issue. Keyboards aren't used much in photo editing but still want one that works properly.
 
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