What to do with all these Macbooks?

[zgotts]

When I started my new job earlier this year, my company bought me a 13" Macbook Pro -- 2.66 GHz Core 2 Duo, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB 5400 RPM hard drive.

It's a very solid machine. Only thing is, I also have a 15" MBP at home that I bought 1.5 years ago. It's 2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo, 4 GB RAM, and 320 GB 7200 RPM hard drive.

I do need a computer at home, but is there really a point in having two of essentially the same computer?

Does it make sense to sell the 15" and buy the new mac mini for my home computer? (trying to think cheap yet effective). I already have a good monitor and the wireless apple keyboard and magic mouse.

Another option would be to sell the 15" and continue upgrading the 2006 13" Macbook I have. I'm hoping to put a 2.16 GHz Core 2 Duo Processor in it, which would make it slightly slower than my 15" MBP, but I think it'd still be strong enough for what I need it for.

All I use my computers for are web-surfing, organizing/listening to music, typing documents, coding HTML + CSS (and soon Javascript), and light Photoshop use.

All in all just trying to figure out what to do with the three Macbooks/Macbook Pro's I have, as it seems a little redundant to have 3.

Any insight is much appreciated! Thanks.

 

[greytmom]

Is the work computer yours, or the company's? If it is yours and they have no rights to it, then certainly it seems as though one should do the trick. If it's the company's, then I would be inclined to not use it for personal stuff.

After you answer that question, it's a fairly straightforward path to deciding what to do. Sell what you don't need, and use the money on something that you do need/want.

 

[zgotts]

True. It's technically my computer -- they have no actual licensing or software or any security type stuff on here. Only thing they have is the receipt, of course, but otherwise it's "my" computer.

I guess my question was really, what makes more sense -- buy a Mac Mini (with some upgrades to memory + hard drive) as my home computer, or use the 2006 Macbook as my home computer. Just not sure if the 2006 Macbook (2 GB RAM, 320 GB 5400 RPM hard drive, and current 1.83 GHz Core Duo but probably upgrading soon) would suffice.

Anyways, thanks for your input.

 

[greytmom]

Ok then. My personal choice for a home machine would be to buy something newer. I'm sure the 2006 is a beast (my 2007 was), but it's not going to last forever.

 

[snaky69]

Another option would be to sell the 15" and continue upgrading the 2006 13" Macbook I have. I'm hoping to put a 2.16 GHz Core 2 Duo Processor in it, which would make it slightly slower than my 15" MBP, but I think it'd still be strong enough for what I need it for.

And how exactly do you plan on doing that? You're aware that the processor is soldered directly into the logic board and isn't replacable, right?

 

[zgotts]

And how exactly do you plan on doing that? You're aware that the processor is soldered directly into the logic board and isn't replacable, right?

Yes, I am aware of that. I've done some soldering before but I'm not going to bother with the logic board, that would take some serious practice that I don't really have time for.

My thought is to figure out which is the best logic board I can buy that fits inside the 2006 Macbook casing. There are fully working logic boards on eBay for ~$180.

Based on my research so far, I think 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo is the best I can do.

 

[Young Spade]

Yes, I am aware of that. I've done some soldering before but I'm not going to bother with the logic board, that would take some serious practice that I don't really have time for.

My thought is to figure out which is the best logic board I can buy that fits inside the 2006 Macbook casing. There are fully working logic boards on eBay for ~$180.

Based on my research so far, I think 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo is the best I can do.

I think what he's suggesting is that your idea is completely insane. And illogical and unpractical.

1) Going for a Mac Mini with a SNB processor would be better than the MBPs you have now, however, for your uses, I don't think you'll see that much of an improvement.

Also, going from a lower clock speed to a higher one isn't going to give you much improvement either. They're all C2Ds, giving it an extra .5 ghz is going to do virtually nothing.


If you aren't sitting around waiting for your computer, chances are you don't need to upgrade it. I would advice looking at what you do: sure you have 2 laptops, but the smartest thing to do would be (if you really want more performance) to sell both of them and buy a new 15 inch MBP.

Going from a C2D to a C2D or doing mindless upgrades is just wasting money.

 

[zgotts]

Going from a C2D to a C2D or doing mindless upgrades is just wasting money.

The 2006 Macbook is 1.83 GHz Core Duo, not Core 2 Duo. So aside from the bump in speed, it's also just a better processor. I'm not an expert by any means, but I've got to imagine that the Core 2 Duo is a significant upgrade to the Core Duo. No?

The real question becomes whether or not I can fit the Core 2 Duo logic boards into the Core Duo Macbook casing. Pretty sure I can but need to confirm.

And just to be clear, it's not about *upgrading* on the MBP's, it's about *downsizing* (don't need 3 laptops) and making back some money while my home MBP still has value.

Thanks for your input.

 

[Young Spade]

The 2006 Macbook is 1.83 GHz Core Duo, not Core 2 Duo. So aside from the bump in speed, it's also just a better processor. I'm not an expert by any means, but I've got to imagine that the Core 2 Duo is a significant upgrade to the Core Duo. No?

The real question becomes whether or not I can fit the Core 2 Duo logic boards into the Core Duo Macbook casing. Pretty sure I can but need to confirm.

And just to be clear, it's not about *upgrading* on the MBP's, it's about *downsizing* (don't need 3 laptops) and making back some money while my home MBP still has value.

Thanks for your input.

I also have a 15" MBP at home that I bought 1.5 years ago. It's 2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo, 4 GB RAM, and 320 GB 7200 RPM hard drive.

That's what you said. And they gave you a lower spec'd MacBook Pro? Keep those two and sell the Core Duo MB that you have that's older than both of them.

 

[Wehrwolf]

Only thing is, I also have a 15" MBP at home that I bought 1.5 years ago. It's 2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo, 4 GB RAM, and 320 GB 7200 RPM hard drive.


Another option would be to sell the 15" and continue upgrading the 2006 13" Macbook I have. I'm hoping to put a 2.16 GHz Core 2 Duo Processor in it, which would make it slightly slower than my 15" MBP, but I think it'd still be strong enough for what I need it for.

Any insight is much appreciated! Thanks.

So you have a 15" MBP from ~2009, and a 13" MB from 2006 at home. What would possess you to sell the better 15" Pro and keep the crappier 13" Macbook? Even if swapping out the logic board in the 13" is possible, why? You'd gain nothing, and lose in pretty much every category.

Sell the Macbook, while you can actually still get a decent amount for it. Unless you have some kind of sentimental attachment to it, there's no point in continuing to throw money away on it. That leaves you with the 2 Pro models.

Are the 13 and 15" Pros the unibody models? If that's the case they're pretty much the same, so if you have permission to sell the 13" your company bought, then your decision comes down to screen size.

If you're not allowed to sell the 13", then that makes it easy - sell the 15" and buy a new Mini, or keep it around as your home computer.

 

[adnoh]

Dude sell your home MBP and a buy a refurb mini.

 

[zgotts]

Sell the Macbook, while you can actually still get a decent amount for it. Unless you have some kind of sentimental attachment to it, there's no point in continuing to throw money away on it.

No real sentimental attachment to it, I just like taking things apart and turning them into things they weren't before. It's a fun project, but maybe not worth the money for the limited performance I'd get out of the final product.

Dude sell your home MBP and a buy a refurb mini.

This was my original idea, or maybe even getting a new mini (I can't remember the last time I popped a disc into my comp so I don't really see why I'd need the ODD).

Is the mini good enough to be a main computer for web browsing, coding, and some light Photoshop work? Seems like it would be if I add in 4GB of RAM.

Thanks for the input everyone.