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Any use for an old MacBook?

Yes it is. It’s my everyday music source too, along with a Chromecast audio device.
Incredibly durable. I’ve got two that have been in use since 2014. Even battery life remains acceptable after all this time.
Windows 11 runs fine, it’s really snappy on this machine with VmWare free. With Windows 10 Bootcamp is fine.
If it’s got a mechanical HDD replace it with an SSD.
 
Mike P said:
Is there any demand/use for an old MacBook like this and is it worth anything?
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That dates from when Apple made good serviceable kit, assuming it is in good condition it would be worth throwing a bit more RAM and an SSD at and using it as a Linux netbook, music server or whatever.

I’ve recently retired a more powerful mid-2012 example of the same form-factor and it was the best computer I’ve ever owned. I really liked that thing, to the point I’m keeping it boxed up as part of my old computer collection. I’m too locked-in to the Apple ecosystem to want to run Linux, which is an expensive place to be. I ended up spending an absurd £2.3k on an M3 Pro replacement, a thought that still makes me feel physically sick even though it is a business expense that will pay for itself. I just hope it is as useful for as long…
 
Thanks for the replies folks. That's good to know. I had a hunch it might be good as a music server.

Yes it's a really high quality feeling well made device and a pleasure to use, which is why my wife has kept it so long. She moans about the cheap feel of her new HP.

If anyone fancies it we'd like to sell it. Any advice on a fair value would be appreciated.
 
Tony L said:
That dates from when Apple made good serviceable kit, assuming it is in good condition it would be worth throwing a bit more RAM and an SSD at and using it as a Linux netbook, music server or whatever.

I’ve recently retired a more powerful mid-2012 example of the same form-factor and it was the best computer I’ve ever owned. I really liked that thing, to the point I’m keeping it boxed up as part of my old computer collection. I’m too locked-in to the Apple ecosystem to want to run Linux, which is an expensive place to be. I ended up spending an absurd £2.3k on an M3 Pro replacement, a thought that still makes me feel physically sick even though it is a business expense that will pay for itself. I just hope it is as useful for as long…
Click to expand...
You can try and practice Linux on that old Mac without actually installing it. I like Mint because it appeals to both Windows and MacOS users. Download Linux Mint Live to a USB stick and boot it on your Mac via Startup Manager and from there you can familiarise yourself with it.

Download Linux Mint 21.3 - Linux Mint

Linux Mint is an elegant, easy to use, up to date and comfortable desktop operating system.
www.linuxmint.com www.linuxmint.com

I prefer the spicy version.

DV
 
Darth Vader said:
You can try and practice Linux on that old Mac without actually installing it. I like Mint because it appeals to both Windows and MacOS users. Download Linux Mint Live to a USB stick and boot it on your Mac via Startup Manager and from there you can familiarise yourself with it.
Click to expand...

I’m not too bad with Linux to be honest, I‘ve been using it off and on since the late ‘90s and I used a bit of Xenix prior to that. I’m real rusty, but I can still find my way around via a terminal etc. More recently I’ve had a Raspberry Pi (since the Pi2), currently got a 8GB Pi5 as a backup/emergency computer. When I say I’m locked in I mean I do 95% of my day to day computing on an iPad or iPhone, so love the integration, plus I have Logic Pro on the MacBook, and whilst I don’t do much in it these days I’d hate to be without it. The combination is enough to keep me paying daft Apple prices, but as long as the reliability stays good the TCO is not bad at all, especially since Moore’s Law is pretty much broken now.
 
Another option - I sometimes list old laptops on eBay for parts (though they work, just). They always sell.
 
I’ve got a 15” one from the same year. I’ve maxed out the ram, stuck a SSD in it and loaded Linux on it. It comes in handy for all sorts of stuff.
 
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