2008 white Macbook 4,1 - realistic expectations?

[volkwagen1300]

I'm being gifted a 2008 MacBook 4,1 - white one with Core 2 Duo. It needs a battery but otherwise owner says it's fine. He has a Snow Leopard CD that goes with it.

Since it's free, I'm willing to invest in a battery, RAM, and swap in an SSD to get this going. I'm thinking I could use it kind of like an iPad - browse web, Skype, email, YouTube videos when I'm in the garage or workshop. Or possibly import audio from LPs and convert to digital format.

Will this MacBook be able to do it? Looking around the web, finding an old version of Skype may be a challenge. Any other issues with YouTube or web stuff? I also get the impression to keep it 10.6 instead of upgrading to 10.7/Lion.

Thanks!

 

[mar58]

I still have the same one in black with Snow Leopard. I don't use it often but I think it'll work fine for the usage you describe. Mine will actually recognize 6 GB of RAM but I can't tell much difference between 4 and 6. Definitely install a SSD in place of the HDD...makes a huge difference in performance. You'll probably need to use Chrome or Firefox, etc., as your browser. I've found that Safari won't recognize or bring up some web sites. One thing I came across that literally brings that MacBook back to life is to install Chrome on a USB (easily googled and easily done) and boot from that. It honestly flies as a Chrome Book and you'll have both Snow Leopard and Chrome Browser available on one machine. Enjoy, hard to beat free for sure.

 

[Argyboy]

I also came across one of these recently and currently have PCLinuxOS running on it with the KDE desktop environment. Absolutely flies with 4GB RAM and an SSD. The benefit of this over Snow Leopard or Lion is that you can use all modern applications, obviously. Hoping to get a few years out of it as a backup/family device running Linux.

 

[volkwagen1300]

Sounds like my expectations are realistic and I have a couple of options. My plan for now is to do the upgrades and see how it runs - will take the advice to use chrome instead of safari browser. if I need more speed, I'll try the chromeOS idea since it's simpler than Linux, although I have to admit I've never used Linux and this sounds like the ideal time to try in this low cost/low stakes situation.

Thanks for the replies!

 

[MacUser2525]

I have to admit I've never used Linux and this sounds like the ideal time to try in this low cost/low stakes situation.

Thanks for the replies!

And the best part is you can put that on USB stick too, then run a live session off it, before you ever install, to try it out.

 

[volkwagen1300]

OK, laptop is in my possession. Pretty clean and it came with original boot discs, and I have an old Snow Leopard 10.6 upgrade disc I bought years ago.

My question - if I just put in a new blank SSD, can I boot from the original boot discs (10.5) and will it format the new drive? If so, this would be easy and I can upgrade to 10.6 with my own disc.

Other option - can I put in the new blank SSD and boot/format from the 10.6 disc? I'm getting conflicting information - I thought it was just an upgrade disc and needed a computer already running MacOS, but some sources say it will boot.

Or, I could CCC the drive as-is (boots into 10.6) but I would need to get an enclosure etc. which I don't have. Trying to spend as little $ as possible.

thanks to all who replied, I'm not really a computer guy but figured this would be a good time to learn this stuff. Information is kind of scattered around so I appreciate the help clarifying things.

 

[MultiFinder17]

If you have a Snow Leopard disk (a white one with a picture of a cat on the front, not a grey one) then yes, you can boot off that and install away. Even the disks labeled as "upgrade disks" can do so.

 

[volkwagen1300]

Can I just take the SSD out of the box and put it in the computer and install 10.6 from the disc, or do I need to get an enclosure and format it first?

 

[MacUser2525]

Can I just take the SSD out of the box and put it in the computer and install 10.6 from the disc, or do I need to get an enclosure and format it first?

Should be fine doing so that is how install disks work. They allow you to start the installer when you want to do a completely fresh install on new drive. Best to put it in and start it up then you will know for certain it will allow you to start an install.

 

[volkwagen1300]

One more question - will any 2.5" SSD with a SATA style connection

work or do I need something else? ​

Best Buy has a Sata III, link

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[MacUser2525]

One more question - will any 2.5" SSD with a SATA style connection
work or do I need something else?
Best Buy has a Sata III, link

Best Buy: SanDisk PLUS 240GB Internal SATA Solid State Drive SDSSDA-240G-G26

Shop SanDisk PLUS 240GB Internal SATA Solid State Drive at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. Price Match Guarantee.

www.bestbuy.com

They all should work just at the lower maximum speeds of a computer that old. That said it will be a night and day difference a SSD is just so much faster at loading the information of the drive it will make you think you have bought newer faster computer.

 

[volkwagen1300]

UPDATE: Ordered a 250 GB hard drive, RAM, and a battery from OWC. I ended up booting the computer with the new battery and while it was on, inserted the Snow Leopard disc. I then shut it down, swapped in the new hard drive, and booted from the SL disc - took about 30 minutes to install. It's working fine now. Downloaded Chrome browser directly from Google and despite warnings on the website that it wasn't supported, it installed OK and isn't half bad - it barely loaded web pages before and the whole computer is definitely faster. Next challenge is to find an old version of Skype, Microsoft doesn't support anything for OS X 10.9 and below.

FWIW - OWC sent a SATA II hard drive. Browsing around the web on whether a SATA III drive would work in such an old computer, I got the impression that the answer is "probably" but not "definitely". In this case I felt better ordering from a site that specializes in components for older Macs.

 

[0403979]

Hello, developer and MacBook4,1 user here. You can run up to 10.15 Catalina on your MacBook although versions newer than 10.8 will not have graphics acceleration. Some helpful links: https://github.com/rmc-team/macos-patcher (by me) https://www.discord.gg/XbbWAsE

 

[Argyboy]

Hello, developer and MacBook4,1 user here. You can run up to 10.15 Catalina on your MacBook although versions newer than 10.8 will not have graphics acceleration. Some helpful links: https://github.com/rmc-team/macos-patcher (by me) https://www.discord.gg/XbbWAsE

Very kind, thank you! Whats general web browsing performance like on a MacBook 4.1 running High Sierra or Mojave without graphics acceleration, could you tell us?

 

[0403979]

Very kind, thank you! Whats general web browsing performance like on a MacBook 4.1 running High Sierra or Mojave without graphics acceleration, could you tell us?

Pretty good with an SSD and 4GB of RAM (highly recommended) actually.

 

[volkwagen1300]

I still have the same one in black with Snow Leopard. I don't use it often but I think it'll work fine for the usage you describe. Mine will actually recognize 6 GB of RAM but I can't tell much difference between 4 and 6. Definitely install a SSD in place of the HDD...makes a huge difference in performance. You'll probably need to use Chrome or Firefox, etc., as your browser. I've found that Safari won't recognize or bring up some web sites. One thing I came across that literally brings that MacBook back to life is to install Chrome on a USB (easily googled and easily done) and boot from that. It honestly flies as a Chrome Book and you'll have both Snow Leopard and Chrome Browser available on one machine. Enjoy, hard to beat free for sure.

Another update - laptop boots quickly into SL, have 3GB of RAM, and can confirm Safari is useless. Chrome browser works fine. I downloaded Neverware onto an 8GB USB drive (did this on my iMac) and when I boot from it on the laptop, it's very unstable. Sometimes I don't make it past the Cloudready screen, sometimes Chromium opens up and I get the browser home screen but then it freezes.

Anyone have an idea why it won't run chromium? If I can't solve this I will move on to trying Linux from the USB.

 

[mar58]

Another update - laptop boots quickly into SL, have 3GB of RAM, and can confirm Safari is useless. Chrome browser works fine. I downloaded Neverware onto an 8GB USB drive (did this on my iMac) and when I boot from it on the laptop, it's very unstable. Sometimes I don't make it past the Cloudready screen, sometimes Chromium opens up and I get the browser home screen but then it freezes.

Anyone have an idea why it won't run chromium? If I can't solve this I will move on to trying Linux from the USB.

Not sure that what I'm going to say will resolve your problem but I had trouble even installing Neverware on a 8GB USB even though, if I remember correctly, their site states that you can. I had no issues whatsoever when I installed it on a 16GB drive and it booted just fine. I have no idea why unless it needs a little head room to operate correctly. If this doesn't work then I'm all out of ideas and hope someone can help you out. Although I don't think running Linux is a bad idea at all. I hadn't considered it until you brought it up and am now looking into it myself.

 

[volkwagen1300]

Not sure that what I'm going to say will resolve your problem but I had trouble even installing Neverware on a 8GB USB even though, if I remember correctly, their site states that you can. I had no issues whatsoever when I installed it on a 16GB drive and it booted just fine. I have no idea why unless it needs a little head room to operate correctly. If this doesn't work then I'm all out of ideas and hope someone can help you out. Although I don't think running Linux is a bad idea at all. I hadn't considered it until you brought it up and am now looking into it myself.

UPDATE: Tried putting Chrome boot on a 16GB USB drive and it works fine now. Thanks! Unfortunately Skype for Chrome won't access the built in webcam so still can't do that. However, found an old version of Audacity that will run in 10.6 so I can use it to conveniently bring in audio from LPs.

 

[Argyboy]

Screenshot of my PCLinuxOS desktop - nice Snow Leopard background and dock. Really works well on this old MacBook! KDE Plasma 5 desktop is super smooth.

 

[Mendota]

I love KDE Plasma. It is my favorite Linux distro. I have enjoyed since it use to be Mandrake. Have fun.

 

[kge420]

View attachment 879642

Screenshot of my PCLinuxOS desktop - nice Snow Leopard background and dock. Really works well on this old MacBook! KDE Plasma 5 desktop is super smooth.

How is the boot up time? Have one of these MacBooks that I’m playing around with and put an install of Ubuntu on it. Boot time is wayyyy long.

 

[TimothyL]

I'm being gifted a 2008 MacBook 4,1 - white one with Core 2 Duo. It needs a battery but otherwise owner says it's fine. He has a Snow Leopard CD that goes with it.

Since it's free, I'm willing to invest in a battery, RAM, and swap in an SSD to get this going. I'm thinking I could use it kind of like an iPad - browse web, Skype, email, YouTube videos when I'm in the garage or workshop. Or possibly import audio from LPs and convert to digital format.

Will this MacBook be able to do it? Looking around the web, finding an old version of Skype may be a challenge. Any other issues with YouTube or web stuff? I also get the impression to keep it 10.6 instead of upgrading to 10.7/Lion.

Thanks!

Those are still good solid machines for the age. Might be slow but still works right? I’d put in a ssd, as much ram as I can, and put on lion and you should be good to go!

 

[ScreenSavers]

MLPostFactor

 

[Argyboy]

How is the boot up time? Have one of these MacBooks that I’m playing around with and put an install of Ubuntu on it. Boot time is wayyyy long.

Pretty good. You might need to set a new boot parameter if you're having a very long boot time. Check this out:

https://forum.mxlinux.org/viewtopic.php?t=47348

Make sure the relevant line looks like this:


GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="video=SVIDEO-1:d"

Then, run sudo update-grub and reboot. See if its any better.

 

[kge420]

Pretty good. You might need to set a new boot parameter if you're having a very long boot time. Check this out:

https://forum.mxlinux.org/viewtopic.php?t=47348

Make sure the relevant line looks like this:


GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="video=SVIDEO-1:d"

Then, run sudo update-grub and reboot. See if its any better.

Thanks, I’ll give that a look.
For the record it has a spinning hdd, 3 go ram and no OS X partition. 500mb efi partition and the remaining allocated space is ubuntu