Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Old MBP as Windows machine or buy new one?

bf109k4

bf109k4

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 12, 2018
7
3
Hi everyone,

I have a Mid-2009 15" Macbook Pro with the 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo. I know, it's a joke in 2018, but I need some advise.

I need a new Windows laptop, but I'm on a budget. I'm thinking about installing Windows 10 on the Macbook and using that. However, I do want to install a SSD and 8GB of ram in it. Total cost of doing so would be about $100.

With my available funds, I would likely have to buy a used or low-end Windows laptop anyways. However, they would be newer and have newer processors. I could also sell the Macbook. The reason why I'm indecisive about this is because the Macbook is in absolutely mint condition. It's been kept in a case its entire life and does not even have one scratch. Everything works. I just don't know how much life can I still expect out of it if I were to keep using it. And I don't know how Windows 10 will run on the old Core 2 duo and NVidia 9400M.

What do you think? Upgrade Macbook, get a used or low-end Windows laptop, or sell Macbook?
 
  • Like
Reactions: MBP_187
bf109k4 said:
However, I do want to install a SSD and 8GB of ram in it. Total cost of doing so would be about $100.
Click to expand...
100 dollars to get 8GB of ram AND an SSD? That seems way too cheap. What size SSD and what's the price?

What is your budget for a windows machine?
What is the planned usage, i.e., wat will you be using it for? Its hard to say what will work better when we don't know what that work will be.
 
Sell your Mac for a good price and get you a winders laptop with Win 10 on it..Don't think you can do that for $100 either..
 
Sorry for not clarifying. In regards to the SSD, I was thinking of getting a 128GB one for about $50 from Amazon. And 8GB of 1066MHz ram is also about $50 or $60 from Amazon.

I don't have a lot of files, so 128GB is enough for me. Also, I will be using the Macbook mostly for document editing, and running circuit simulation and microcontroller programs like MultiSim, Eagle, Arduino, etc. And watching Youtube videos. I don't do any video editing or gaming.

In regards to my budget for a Windows machine, I want to stay under $200, if possible. I'm really tight on funds at the moment.
 
Don't forget that it will cost you at least 119 dollars for a windows 10 license as well, so you're still looking at 200 dollar dollars to upgrade your mac to a windows machine.

I have no idea how much you can get for a 2009 laptop, I suspect you would be lucky you got a couple of hundred dollars. Personally, I think buying any windows machine for under 500 is going to be an exercise in frustration.
 
  • Like
Reactions: keysofanxiety and bf109k4
I can get a Windows 10 license from here, if I just download the ISO file from another Windows machine. I can do that from a friend's computer.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

If I were to sell the Macbook, I feel like it would only get $300 max, from what I'm seeing on Ebay. Anyone who pays over $300 for a 2009 laptop wouldn't be very smart, IMO.
 
You still need to buy a license, MS will give you 30 days but you need to enter the license code.
 
Really? I've done this process numerous times on Windows machines and never once did I have to buy a license after 30 days.
 
You can buy a Windows activation code from about 5 to 20 dollars at many places on eBay.
Or if you want to go legal route, you can buy used Windows licenses. At least in Europe.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MBP_187 and bf109k4
The best OS for that is macOS. Either stick with 10.11 El Capitan or install 10.12 Sierra on it. With 8 GB RAM and SSD, it will run fine. Do you absolutely need to use Windows 10?

Putting Windows 10 on it is not ideal. And trying to get a third party $250 Windows machine will just get you junk.

Would a Windows VM work?
 
  • Like
Reactions: bf109k4
I'm not worried about getting the Windows operating system itself. I have many options to get it. I can always go to the IT office in my school and ask to use the installation CD. I just have to sit there until installation is complete.
[doublepost=1527423065][/doublepost]@EugW
There are applications that I use, mostly engineering ones, that don't support MacOS. That is the reason why I need to either install Windows or get a Windows machine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: opeter and MBP_187
bf109k4 said:
@EugW
There are applications that I use, mostly engineering ones, that don't support MacOS. That is the reason why I need to either install Windows or get a Windows machine.
Click to expand...
Can you use a Windows VM? How about Boot Camp for dual boot (which might be a chore installing for that machine, and you’d probably want a bigger SSD).

If not then try to find a decent refurb Win 10 machine with warranty. Does it have to be a laptop? It seems to me refurb desktops with acceptable performance are easier to find.
 
If want a windows machine, sell your old mbp and get a windows machine.

The price a 3 or 4 year old windows machine can be just few hundred. And it will have windows license. And it will run Windows better than a Mac. The vendor will have better windows drivers and have tested them on more applications. Plus any applications you buy may not have been tested on a MacBook, especially such an old one.

You might also check the Memorial Day sales and see if there are good deals.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: bf109k4
Sell the MacBook for a couple hundred, and then get a used Thinkpad T420 or T430 for about the same cost.

Then, spend your $100 on the RAM and SSD, and put them into the Thinkpad.

I got a T420 for $150 CAD last year. 6 months later, I bought a T430 for $175 CAD. A couple months after that, I got a T430s for $190 CAD. In my case, I had old RAM and SSDs laying around that I used with the hardware (except the T430s. That was purchased for a relative. Those things will be their responsibility.)

Businesses will either purchase every 3 years or every 5 years. It’s those that do it every 5 years that are getting rid of all those systems from 2012 and 2013 now. So, if you keep an eye out, you can get some decent deals on hardware that still performs nicely with an SSD and maybe some extra RAM.

Also, there’s a whole bunch of Thinkpads selling now, like the T440 and others ending in 40, that were new in 2014. Stay away from them. The trackpad on those is one large single pad, with no physical buttons for primary/secondary. There was such a huge outcry from Lenovo customers, that Lenovo got rid of it with the 2015 and newer systems, going back to their physical button design. Unfortunately, those 2014 systems are now popping up on eBay, and are absolute crap, IMO, due to that trackpad design.

The bigger wild card for this route will be the battery. You’ll most likely have to budget in a battery as well, but they can be relatively inexpensive, depending on things like capacity, warranty, and vendor. However, it will be a much newer system, and be noticeably faster than any Core 2 Duo unit.

Totally forgot ... the T420 and T430 that I got each came with a dock and keys.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: MultiFinder17, jerryk, MBP_187 and 1 other person
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back