Apple MacBook (Early 2008): What's it Like 7 Years on?

[SamNeedham123]

Apple MacBook (Early 2008): What's it Like 7 Years on?

 

Since 2006, when Apple began using Intel Processors in their Personal Notebooks, there has been three major ranges: MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. In the current day, only the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro exist after the original MacBook got the axe several years ago. The "MacBook" was Apple's entry-level Notebook, and came most commonly in a White, Polycarbonate Body. There was also a Black Version for a period of time, as well as an Aluminum Version which looked very similar to its bigger brother, the MacBook Pro. In the later months of 2009, a new version of the MacBook was released - which would be the last major update to the unit until it's removal from sale. The main difference was a new body design, being now of Apple's common Unibody Structure. This MacBook that we are reviewing is an Early 2008 example, that packed a Intel Core 2 Duo running at 2.1GHz, 2GB of 667MHz DDR2 RAM, an Intel GMA X3100 GPU as well as a 120GB Hitatchi HDD. This unit is running Mac OSX Lion 10.7.5...

 

This specific unit was originally a demonstration model in an Apple Store over in Calafornia - so didn't have the easiest of lives in the world, as the chances of little kids playing with it and trying to put their fingers through the screen were highly likely. Still, the MacBook then ended up in Scotland with a company that then sold them on to customers within the UK. This one was actually a very good example, and is in much better condition than some of the units I've seen of the same age!

 

The MacBook packs a 13.3" Display that runs at 1280x800 - so not a great pixel density by today's standards, but it's nothing too horrific. With the screen closed, it measures in at 2.75cm (1.08 inches), and weights 2.27kg (5lbs). Usually, units of this specification sell for around £200 (or around $180 in the US); but this all depends on the overall condition and if it comes with extra accessories.

 

 

The typing experience of this unit is one of the best that I have come across on a Notebook. Of course, it's nothing compared to a proper, Mechanical Keyboard, but it's still good, especially for the time this machine was produced! Polycarbonate MacBooks didn't come with Backlit Keyboards, unlike the Aluminum MacBook and MacBook Pro. The keys are fairly solid when pressed, and give a satisfying noise when the key bottoms out. It is difficult to not bottom out though on this keyboard, as occasionally, the unit may miss key presses - causing you a rather large headache. To my surprise, the keys have held up rather well over the years, with only a small amount of wear beginning to show. But due to the keys being white (just like the rest of the unit), it's a pain to keep clean, as you can see in the photo, any dust shows up very clearly. Also, a tip that I'd give to people, from personal experience, make sure you buy one that has the right keyboard for your country. Trying to use a US Keyboard in the UK (with UK being set as the Keyboard Type) proves to be difficult, especially for you Twitter users who love to use the Hashtag...

 

 

Let's move onto the Trackpad, which is also one of the best I have come across.. Thanks to the pad being glass, it is not so susceptible to wear, and is a pleasure to use! The Multitouch Gestures available are very good, especially for the time that this machine was built. but the large, spacer like Left Slick Button can prove troublesome. See why when I discuss the Batteries on these units.

 

 

Let's move on to talk about Mac OSX in general, now I won't say so much about it, as Linus pretty much sums it up in his 'iSwitched to Mac' Series recently. But one of my favorite features is the ability to use Windows in Parallels or by using the Boot Camp Utility. As much as I like the Mac OSX Platform, it's sometimes useful to use Windows, especially for the kind of work I try to do. What I will give caution about is the fact that the drivers that Apple supply for Windows are actually a little difficult to find, and some of your Software will not be guaranteed to work using this kind of setup. However, the overall experience of being able to transfer from OSX to Windows is much more seamless compared to using OSX on a typical Windows Notebook (it's possible, but unless you have hardware that is Hackintosh Compatible - but even then, it might not 100% work!). The iWork and iLife Suites are surprisingly good, and don't cost that much (compared to their equivalents on the Windows Platform). Also following up on what Linus said, avoid Microsoft Office for Mac and stick with Pages, Numbers and Keynote - they're so much better to use. 

 

 

Let's move onto to discuss a very common design that one would find on any Apple Laptop (for units made within the last 10-15 years at least). Instead of hot air being blown out of the side of the unit, the screen hinge helps act as a ventilation system by helping to channel air upwards, and out of the unit (when the screen is opened) and to channel it straight out the back when the screen is closed. When I first purchased the machine, my concern was that the hot air (which in some cases, is very hot air) would potentially cause damage to the display, but I'm pleased to report that nothing has occurred yet! This hinge exhaust is the only form of ventilation I have found on the machine, which does lead the unit to run rather warm, even at the best of times. This is something I've noticed on even the recent Retina MacBook Pros. On idle, the CPU tends to run at around 50*C with the Exhaust Fan spinning at 1800rpm - which is fairly quite, and not that noticeable. However, if you run anything that puts significant load on the machine, from watching a LinusTechTips Video in HD to running Prime95 - and them temperatures shoot up. We put the MacBook under a worst case scenario in Prime95 and almost had to suspend the test immediately, as the tool that was measuring the temperature shot all the way up to 107*C until the fan had a chance to kick up to full speed (at around 6300rpm, which makes operation really loud, this is also the case when watching videos). It did eventually settle down to around 98*C, but still too hot for comfort! I do suspect that the temperatures are much higher than usual due to the Thermal Paste/Pads being present in the machine for 7 years, and therefore may have degraded over time. But heat dissipation is something I would call the Macs out for, as Apple is too busy trying to make their units as potable as possible, that they're forgetting the important things!

 

 

I would now like to move onto some issues that I have with these units, and there are several rather large issues I have. The first is probably the biggest problem, and could even potentially be the most dangerous! I would strongly recommend that you check your unit in the event of these problems, especially if you're looking to purchase a unit. It is noticeable that on some batteries, the cells within the battery begin to expand due to a chemical reaction - causing bloating of the battery in the unit. Due to these bloating batteries, there is a potential that these batteries could be at risk of explosion if the cells expand too much. What it also can cause is to damage the structure of the machine, which is what happened to my unit. When I purchased a new battery, it never did sit properly - and this battery is now also starting to suffer from the same issue as the original. But seriously, you need to change the battery as soon as possible. But these units are at such a price online now, that you'd be better off buying a whole new unit as a Genuine Battery costs £99 from Apple. So, if you discover this on a unit you look to buy, I'd recommend you walk away. Another issue it would cause is that it'd push up on the Trackpad assembly, therefore causing unintentional mouse clicks, as well as in extreme cases (like how it got to on mine), you not being able to press the Trackpad Button at all.

 

Please also take the time to note that the mechanisms that hold the batteries in place do sometimes have problems. Damage to these mechanisms can sometimes occur due to the Bloating Batteries. In some cases, the pins that go into the battery to hold it in place will become jammed. Another issue is where the pins do not go into the battery when in the locked position - stopping you from being able to keep the battery in place. The final issue (which is what I have), is that one of the pins just protrudes its housing very slightly, stopping the battery from being able to be removed. This issue can stop you from being able to do things such as changing the battery, changing the HDD or upgrading the RAM.

 

 

Another common issue with MacBooks of this vintage is to with the Magnetic Latch that they use. It's a great concept right up until the moment that damage is caused. Due to the strength of the magnets, and the structural integrity of the polycarbonate body - damage like this that you can see in the image can happen to not only the wrist pad but the bezel around the screen, too. It's nothing too major, but it can be annoying to those who want to keep their units in top condition!

 

 

Another issue that I would like to highlight is about the fact of how the unit sits on a table/desk. Due to the rubber feet having absolutely no depth to them, the polycarbonate bottom is very much susceptible to damage (as you can see in this image), rather large scratches and marks have been caused due to this. It's nothing that would cause operational problems with the machine, but can still be rather annoying!

 

The Other Bits and Pieces...

 

It's time to move on to discuss some other bits and pieces regarding this machine. The largest of which is down to a common problem with Macs, which is their upgrade potentials... This machine is significant more simple to make simple upgrades to things such as the RAM and HDDs, much easier than what some Windows based PCs I've come across are. To change the RAM or HDD, you must remove the battery and use a small Phillips Screwdriver to remove the metal band that goes around the inside of the battery compartment. From there, a RAM Upgrade is a breeze! Apple officially support up to 4GB of 667MHz DDR2 RAM, but these machines can actually support up to 6GB. The HDD would also be a simple upgrade, if it wasn't for the Hexagonal Screws that Apple choose to use, and you can't cheat by using a different screw-bit and hoping for the best, I've tried it! As most of you know, iFixIt do sell high quality tools for servicing Mac Equipment, so it's not all over.. It's just a rather large irritation!

 

I would also like to pass comment about the iSight Camera that is fitted to the MacBook, which is also surprisingly good for a unit of this age! Of course, it's no HD business, but it's certainly not awful and is usable for Skype Calls. Another useful feature it has is a small, green LED in the bezel to notify you that the camera is in use. On the other side of the camera is a small microphone - which is nothing special, but is nice to have!

 

The last point I would like to raise is especially apparent with the White Version of the MacBook. Due to the age of the unit, the plastics have began to yellow a little, and even though something like a Magic Eraser can help bring some of the plastics back up to a slightly whiter colour. Annoyingly, this doesn't work on all of the surfaces, causing the unit to sometimes look patchy with slightly different shades of white/yellow. Which can potentially be really annoying.

 

The Conclusion...

 

So, you've heard me go on for a little while about one of my personal investments, and to save your time, I'm going to sum this review up quickly. If you haven't got much to spend on a Notebook that you are going to use for basic applications such as simple web browsing - but want a Mac, then this is a great piece of kit to go with. However, if you can, I'd recommend that you either opt for a younger version using the Unibody Design or to pick up one of the Aluminium MacBooks. I'm not saying this is a bad Notebook, it's just a little out-of-date now, but it's had a good run! You can defiantly see how well it has held up compared to a budget Notebook of recent years (such as a 2013 Toshiba Satellite)!

 

I am also going to make very much clear that this Notebook would not be able to cope with rendering 1080p Videos in Premiere Pro, or playing Watchdogs or Grand Theft Auto... It won't even run a game such as Team Fortress 2, so don't expect a monster gaming system! You may be able to copy with some photo editing in Photoshop, but that is probably on the higher end of things you can do (especially with such a small amount of RAM). Another tip I'd like to leave you guys with is, use Mozilla Firefox as your browser. Safari and Google Chrome just eat up what little RAM you have, even if you've only got one or two tabs open. Stick with Firefox and you should be good!

 

Now this is the moment I turn into Linus, and head off to my Lamborghini. But guys, that's about it for this review - thanks for taking the time to read, and don't forget to Subscribe (I mean, like this post)! *Plays the LinusTechTips Outro*

[C0LL0SS0S]

Damn this is a hell of a good review, nice pics not too long text but still everything it needs to have in a review. Wow!

[dadasmithywinkle]

Another common issue with MacBooks of this vintage is to with the Magnetic Latch that they use. It's a great concept right up until the moment that damage is caused. Due to the strength of the magnets, and the structural integrity of the polycarbonate body - damage like this that you can see in the image can happen to not only the wrist pad but the bezel around the screen, too. It's nothing too major, but it can be annoying to those who want to keep their units in top condition!

Actually, take this into an Apple store and they'll replace the cracked bezel/wristpad. Good review, but for anyone looking to buy one, I'd recommend the mid-2009 non-unibody variant because it supports Yosemite. 

[SamNeedham123]

Actually, take this into an Apple store and they'll replace the cracked bezel/wristpad. Good review, but for anyone looking to buy one, I'd recommend the mid-2009 non-unibody variant because it supports Yosemite. 

 

That is a little difficult around here as the nearest proper Apple Store to me is about 90 miles away!

But I assume if they replace the wristpad, that includes a new Keyboard too (as they're a combined component on these units)?

[79wjd]

Actually, take this into an Apple store and they'll replace the cracked bezel/wristpad. Good review, but for anyone looking to buy one, I'd recommend the mid-2009 non-unibody variant because it supports Yosemite. 

It's not really worth the money. 

That is a little difficult around here as the nearest proper Apple Store to me is about 90 miles away!

But I assume if they replace the wristpad, that includes a new Keyboard too (as they're a combined component on these units)?

Yes. 

 

I just retired my Late 2007 MBP October 2013, it was still able to get things done quite well actually, but due to only have 4gb of RAM and a dual core I was forcing it to lockup and crash a few times a week due to heavy use. But with the use that most people do with it, it would still run perfectly. 

 

HDD upgrades aren't quite as simple, though, on a 2007 MBP as I have to remove the battery, unscrew the bottom RAM cover remove a two screws, then remove 18 screws around the outside of the system, then flip it over and take off the palm wrest assembly, and then I need to use a hex screw to remove the HDD. 

[flibberdipper]

How fast is it in daily tasks and whatknot?

[Guest]

Nice review OP

[dadasmithywinkle]

It's not really worth the money. 

 

It's a free replacement

[79wjd]

How fast is it in daily tasks and whatknot?

Back when I was still running mountain lion it was pretty good -- totally usable (2.2ghz T7500 c2d, 4gb 667mhz, HDD). Although, then I decided to throw in a 60gb corsair LS ssd I had lying around, and upgrade to Yosemite, and damn did it run slow...like you could feel yourself sitting there waiting for stuff to open. I then removed the ssd, and performance didn't change too much since the c2d is actually holding it back more than the hdd (with the ssd things would respond quicker, but then the time for the cpu to process everything was still the same so it felt even slower with an ssd over an hdd). 

 

 

It's a free replacement

Wait, what? how? Most Apple stores don't even have these components in stock -- I remember trying to get a few replacement keys, and I was told that they don't have any in stock and that they would be charge me x amount for it even though they pulled them off exchanged computers. 

[dadasmithywinkle]

That is a little difficult around here as the nearest proper Apple Store to me is about 90 miles away!

But I assume if they replace the wristpad, that includes a new Keyboard too (as they're a combined component on these units)?

I'm not sure, but I believe so. I was able to get mine replaced for free.

[SamNeedham123]

How fast is it in daily tasks and whatknot?

 

As long as you're not trying to do loads at once, it should usually be fine! Stay clear of Google Chrome expecially, I usually end up with about 8MB of RAM free after opening a tab for Facebook, Twitter and this Forum! 

Really, it's a great tool for younger kids to use, for homework assignments and stuff - just not power hungry people like us Tech Enthusiasts!

 

 

I'm not sure, but I believe so. I was able to get mine replaced for free.

 

Well, if I take a trip to Sheffield (my nearest Store) anytime soon, then I'll have a look into getting it sorted! Would be nice to get rid of the US Keyboard!  <_<

[flibberdipper]

As long as you're not trying to do loads at once, it should usually be fine! Stay clear of Google Chrome expecially, I usually end up with about 8MB of RAM free after opening a tab for Facebook, Twitter and this Forum! 

Really, it's a great tool for younger kids to use, for homework assignments and stuff - just not power hungry people like us Tech Enthusiasts!

 

 

 

Well, if I take a trip to Sheffield (my nearest Store) anytime soon, then I'll have a look into getting it sorted! Would be nice to get rid of the US Keyboard!  <_<

Damn. If I get a Mac Mini, I'll be going with 8GB anyways, since I blow through that much on Windows like water. Wish the 256GB SSD didn't cost so damn much.

[79wjd]

Damn. If I get a Mac Mini, I'll be going with 8GB anyways, since I blow through that much on Windows like water. Wish the 256GB SSD didn't cost so damn much.

OSX chews through memory, you should get 16gb if you plan to do anything remotely heavy. With steam, messages, skype, youtube, 12 tabs, and VLC running I usually sit between 14-16gb of RAM. 

[NeatSquidYT]

As long as you're not trying to do loads at once, it should usually be fine! Stay clear of Google Chrome expecially, I usually end up with about 8MB of RAM free after opening a tab for Facebook, Twitter and this Forum! 

Really, it's a great tool for younger kids to use, for homework assignments and stuff - just not power hungry people like us Tech Enthusiasts!

 

 

 

Well, if I take a trip to Sheffield (my nearest Store) anytime soon, then I'll have a look into getting it sorted! Would be nice to get rid of the US Keyboard!  <_<

Another guy I live really close to

[79wjd]

I'm not sure, but I believe so. I was able to get mine replaced for free.

That would definitely be nice...My MBP's palm wrest (under my right wrist) has been really worn out by sweat, and a couple keys are broken...but it's not really worth spending money on to fix imo (especially since I can't find a single real use for it).

[flibberdipper]

OSX chews through memory, you should get 16gb if you plan to do anything remotely heavy. With steam, messages, skype, youtube, 12 tabs, and VLC running I usually sit between 14-16gb of RAM. 

Daily use for it will probably be Firefox, Skype, maybe messages and some office apps. Mainly just want a good machine to get into OS X with, and none of the used stuff. I don't want some other guys hand-me-down porn splashes.

[PillowSmoke]

I think this is one of the best reviews a member has done so far. I'm not sure anyone else on the forums has written a review that was this extensive.

[Mew]

You forgot to mention battery life

[KRImSIN]

I'm running a laptop almost exactly like that except it has

1gb 667 Mhz DDR2 SDRAM.

[79wjd]

You forgot to mention battery life

After 7 years, probably non-existant. 

 

I know my 15" 2007 MBP's original battery lasted like 15-20 minutes (after 5~ years), while the one I replaced it with a few years back lasts about 1-2 hours (after 2 years) depending on use. 

[Flight1sim]

Aw, We used to use these laptops at school!

[SamNeedham123]

Aw, We used to use these laptops at school!

 

Do you remember how well they held up? Nothing beats a load of kids messing about with some tech to see how well built it is! 

[Flight1sim]

Do you remember how well they held up? Nothing beats a load of kids messing about with some tech to see how well built it is! 

They were amazing, once a kid threw the laptop on the floor really hard (He was in the special education class, it wasn't really his fault ;C) and the think still worked! ;D

[Kherm]

My friend has this exact model, and he claims it is faster than my brand new 2 in 1 because its "a mac"

 

But otherwise, what a great review!

[SamNeedham123]

They were amazing, once a kid threw the laptop on the floor really hard (He was in the special education class, it wasn't really his fault ;C) and the think still worked! ;D

 

Oh lord! Most of the technology at our school stays strapped to the desks! But the HDDs do have the preservation mode where the drive stops if it detects a sudden movement - so that may have helped!

 

 

My friend has this exact model, and he claims it is faster than my brand new 2 in 1 because its "a mac"

 

But otherwise, what a great review!

 

I think you may have to offer to do some Benchmarks, and prove the guy wrong!