Revitalizing an old Macbook Pro

[WiseOne]

Well not so old but it's SOOOO crazy slow since I was dumb enough to accept all the free system upgrades.  It's a 15" late 2011, 2.5 core i7, with 4 gb memory.

I just took out the optical drive as there was a disc stuck in it that couldn't eject, and that kept trying to spin up.  I ran across an article about installing a new SSD into the hard drive space, and then moving the existing hard drive to the optical drive bay with a specially designed enclosure:

http://www.macworld.com/article/2082572 ... ond-h.html

The cost for the enclosure plus SSD is about $100:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20 ... DMBSSD120/

plus an external SATA enclosure to clone the current hard drive onto the SSD.

Is this a sensible thing to do?  And, would this do a better job of speeding up my laptop than upping memory to 8Gb (which would cost another $100)?  Either or both upgrades sound much better than buying a new laptop, which is of course what Apple wants very much for me to do.

[Pointedstick]

The best possible thing you can do to speed up a few-years-old computer is to replace the hard drive with an SSD. It has to be your boot volume. The difference is astonishing. Moving the old hard drive to the space previously taken up by the optical drive should be fine if you need a ton of additional space, but the SSD itself is what's going to result in a breathtaking improvement. Going from 4 GB to 8 GB of RAM may help a bit if you run a ton of programs or a few very resource-intensive ones (e.g. a web browser with 50 tabs ), but the SSD is the real winner.

[WiseOne]

Thanks PS!!!  I'm ordering the SSD as we speak.  Probably will help with battery life too.

I'm happy about how easy it was to perform surgery on a Macbook.  There are useful step by step pictures on FIXIT that helped a lot.  I've really struggled with previous laptops.  The one exception is the battery, there's a big notice on it that you're not supposed to change it.  Hopefully that can be dealt with as well, when the time comes.

[Pointedstick]

You're very welcome! And you should be able to change the battery if and when the time comes, no problem. I'd stay away from Chinese knockoffs for that, though. El cheapo batteries can actually be dangerous!

[craigr]

I upgraded my 2011 MacBook Pro with a 512SSD and it is absolutely the single best upgrade I've ever done to any computer:

https://web.archive.org/web/20160324133 ... e-upgrade/

It was so much faster that it basically cost Apple a new upgrade for the next several years. I have no need to change anything now and it was well worth the price.

[gizmo_rat]

Whilst you have the screwdrivers out it's probably worth upping the memory to at least 8GB, it's cheap and I found it does give a noticeable lift.
I'm still running a 2009 MBP (with an ssd and 8GB) because there hasn't been a compelling reason to replace it. Battery life has noticeably tapered in the last year, but that aside I think it'll be OK for another couple of years. I'll contrast that with other laptops I've had / seen that are mechanically worn to the point of exhaustion after a couple of years. 
   

[Pointedstick]

I'll contrast that with other laptops I've had / seen that are mechanically worn to the point of exhaustion after a couple of years. 
 

That's very true. One of the biggest values in Apple laptops in my opinion comes from the rock-solid construction. My wife has a flimsy HP that's gotten dinged up all over the place and is starting to experience "old computer" quirks like losing WiFi or USB functionality until restarted even though it's barely a year old. I have family members who absolutely torture their MacBook laptops through neglect, spilling Chinese food on them, etc, and the poor computers just don't die.

[dualstow]

You won't regret it, WiseOne, but get RAM, too.

I tried out Linux and SSD at the same time by having a modest 40GB solid state drive put into a Zareason brand laptop. Very fast.

I have an early 2009 Mac mini -- typing on it now -- that got somewhat slow so I bumped the RAM up from 2GB to 8GB. (Officially, it's only supposed to go up to 4GB, but the store knew otherwise).

Plan B was to put in an SSD, but now the thing is 5 1/2 years old and hasn't slowed down. Because of the age of the machine, I thought it might be better to start with a new processor. Not a fancy processor, since an ok one is fine when combined with lots of RAM and an SSD.

In September, I stupidly bought a new mini with the maximum allowable RAM (16GB) -- RAM is now soldered in and not changeable --  and an SSD. It's a great machine, I just bought it too soon. I read the about.mac guy's blog and I was led to believe that something strange was coming out, like a cheap version of the Mac Pro desktop with its crazy form factor. So, I went ahead and bought a normal machine. A few months later, they dropped the price on mini's by $100, so I could have just bought one of those with a hybrid drive.

Well, one of these days, I'll take it off the shelf and use it. 

[WiseOne]

Thanks Craig!!  Glad I hadn't yet pushed the button on the SSD order.  The 480 Gb crucial is not much more than 240 Gb ($179 vs $99) so I might just go for it - sounds like between the memory & SSD this laptop has plenty of life left in it.  Absolutely the macbook pro is the laptop of choice - I went through two prior Thinkpads/Lenovo laptops that only lasted 2-3 years before expensive things started failing.  And always about 1 month after the warranty expired :-).

Like you, I'm definitely planning to do a clean install of Yosemite.  I re-downloaded the installer and found this page detailing exactly how to make a bootable USB stick:

http://osxdaily.com/2014/10/16/make-os- ... all-drive/

The procedure is then to install the SSD, put the existing hard drive into the data doubler and install that into the optical drive bay, then boot either from the old drive or the USB stick and do a clean install on the SSD.  I should have all my old apps and such on the existing hard drive and won't have to rush to reinstall everything.

Also decided to save a copy into Dropbox, as I'm not sure how long Apple plans to allow free downloads of Yosemite.

[Pointedstick]

Honestly, you don't need to do an erase install when you're just planning to upgrade an existing system's hard drive/SSD. I remember the days when doing it could make the system a little bit snappier and more stable, but nowadays, the upgrade install is really, really rock solid. That's one of the major advantages over Linux in my book (along with Spotlight, Time Machine, Quick Look, iMessage and selection of games IMHO).

Doing a clean install on the SSD and then using Migration Assistant (/Applications/Utilites/Migration Assistant) to migrate your data from the other hard drive would be my recommendation. It should work seamlessly and you will most likely be surprised by how fast it is. I always am!

At this point, I should say, full disclosure: I am a full-time Apple engineer.

[craigr]

I'll contrast that with other laptops I've had / seen that are mechanically worn to the point of exhaustion after a couple of years. 
 

That's very true. One of the biggest values in Apple laptops in my opinion comes from the rock-solid construction. My wife has a flimsy HP that's gotten dinged up all over the place and is starting to experience "old computer" quirks like losing WiFi or USB functionality until restarted even though it's barely a year old. I have family members who absolutely torture their MacBook laptops through neglect, spilling Chinese food on them, etc, and the poor computers just don't die.

Yep. The reason I only buy Macs is because they easily last 3X longer in terms of useful life. In the end, the Apple products are cheaper than trying to save money up front by buying a generic PC.

Heck, even if I was a hard core Windows user, I'd still consider getting a Mac to run Windows simply because of the longevity vs. a Windows specific machine.

I still have a 2009 iMac that just needs a hybrid drive upgrade and should give me several more years of service. The laptops last far longer than competing products. My 2011 mac I suspect an easy five years of life. This is saying something for me as I use it everyday and have literally taken this particular laptop all over the planet (even to Antarctica!).

The processor speeds are so fast that unless you are doing serious rendering work or gaming, the upgrade cycle is really limited to the speed of the HD and RAM now.

[craigr]

Thanks Craig!!  Glad I hadn't yet pushed the button on the SSD order.  The 480 Gb crucial is not much more than 240 Gb ($179 vs $99) so I might just go for it - sounds like between the memory & SSD this laptop has plenty of life left in it.  Absolutely the macbook pro is the laptop of choice - I went through two prior Thinkpads/Lenovo laptops that only lasted 2-3 years before expensive things started failing.  And always about 1 month after the warranty expired :-).

Honestly if you can swing the largest drive (about 1TB now) or next smaller size (usually best price vs. storage price) in the SSD, I'd do a stretch for it. You'll use the space, and the performance boost will make your laptop seem like a new machine. If you can spend the extra up front you'll get many years of use from the machine. 

[Tyler]

I second all of the SSD recommendations.  Updating the boot drive on my home computer was one of the best upgrades I can remember.

Apple's build quality for laptops is pretty stellar.  However, the things to be careful about when looking at a new Apple device are how they enjoy making devices beautiful but hard to upgrade, and usually require expensive proprietary adapters.  They're masters at hooking you into the new product treadmill. 

That said, their single best product, IMHO, is the MacBook Pro.  I tried to switch a work laptop over to a MacBook Pro a few years ago, knowing full-well that I'd be using Windows exclusively via Boot Camp (for critical SW not available in Mac OS).  I personally did not have a good experience and eventually switched back to my trusty PC.  But I've always admired Apple's build quality and reliability and would definitely recommend it for people whose software needs fall under the Apple umbrella.

[MachineGhost]

At this point, I should say, full disclosure: I am a full-time Apple engineer.

I'm really surprised at the amount of Apple fanboys on this here forum.   But I have to agree that the reliability seems superior and an order of magnitude better than non-Apple PCs.  You're paying a premium for a reason.  It would have been expected for "my way or the highway" Steve Jobs to have bucked the race to the bottom quality trend over the last two decades.

I've always been a build from scratch to control the quality issues, but I may consider an Apple next time.  I miss it when America used to stand for quality.

[Mountaineer]

I got an SSD from OWC (Other World Computing) for my mid-2009 MacBook Pro. Major improvement. Excellent company to work with. Apple specific drives. Great service and pre-buying advice.

... Mountaineer

[Pointedstick]

I've always been a build from scratch to control the quality issues, but I may consider an Apple next time.  I miss it when America used to stand for quality.

Don't throw America out just yet; you can still scratchbuild a desktop with rock solid components to your specifications and have it work for a decade, just not with a laptop. I have a Linux box that I built a few years ago for about $600 including an SSD and it's among the best computers I've ever had. The only problems are its lack of portability and some niggling software annoyances vs Mac OS X.

[dualstow]

I hope to hear more news about Apple relocating some manufacturing to the U.S.

[WiseOne]

Honestly, you don't need to do an erase install when you're just planning to upgrade an existing system's hard drive/SSD. I remember the days when doing it could make the system a little bit snappier and more stable, but nowadays, the upgrade install is really, really rock solid.

That surprises me.  There have been several comments on Apple's forums from their support team recommending clean installs.  I've had a steadily increasing number of nagging little glitches and figured the clean install route was safest.

One nice thing about Mac OS is that applications are just executables, and most of the "cruft" should be in the Library directory...I've though about just blowing away the whole directory so it would rebuild from scratch.

Of course, Windows is the queen of cruft...it amazes me that Microsoft has never thought to fix DOS, or replace it with something more sensible.  Apple did the right thing by selling quality products, and I hope they stick with that plan.  Of course, for most people it's simply a high priced status symbol.  I know many people who are struggling with old Macbooks and never thought to upgrade - even a PhD biomedical engineer!  (he was going to buy a new laptop over Christmas even though his is newer than mine.  I told him what to do instead.)

[Pointedstick]

One nice thing about Mac OS is that applications are just executables, and most of the "cruft" should be in the Library directory...I've though about just blowing away the whole directory so it would rebuild from scratch.

Heh. Don't do that.

If you're comfortable doing a clean install, then by all means, go right ahead. It won't hurt anything. I'll be impressed. You'd be part of the extreme minority capable of doing it without messing everything up. Meanwhile I'm here cleaning out my sister's Mac after she infected herself with a trojan horse by downloading sketchy software...

[dualstow]

Apple did the right thing by selling quality products, and I hope they stick with that plan.  Of course, for most people it's simply a high priced status symbol.

For me, it's about the hassle-free operating system. I never owned a Mac before it was Unix-based.
Even though I love my new android phone, I had to laugh when pop-ups interrupted my first attempt to dial a number. Reminded me of Windows.

[WiseOne]

One nice thing about Mac OS is that applications are just executables, and most of the "cruft" should be in the Library directory...I've though about just blowing away the whole directory so it would rebuild from scratch.

Heh. Don't do that.

If you're comfortable doing a clean install, then by all means, go right ahead. It won't hurt anything. I'll be impressed. You'd be part of the extreme minority capable of doing it without messing everything up. Meanwhile I'm here cleaning out my sister's Mac after she infected herself with a trojan horse by downloading sketchy software...

I've done a lot of clean installs for Windows and Linux boxes, but never Mac.  No risk though, if it doesn't work out I'll just clone the old drive to the new one.

That's a pain - don't forget to tell your sister to change account numbers, passwords etc if she had any of that on her computer.  My mother once got a phone call from a scammer claiming to be from Microsoft with news that her computer was infected by a virus.  The scammer then induces to victim to give the caller remote access to "fix" the problem.  After a bit of time she realized it was a scam, hung up, and then called me right away.  I told her to switch off her modem, then we assessed for damage and discovered that the caller had deleted most of her Dropbox.  I contacted Dropbox and they restored everything.  Then I had her put fraud alerts on her accounts, call the banks to change account numbers etc - because who knows what the scammer managed to steal.  What a fiasco.  I'd say that the new hard drive and clean Windows re-install was the easy part.  My mother was mortified, but woe be to the next scammer who tries something like that on her!

[MachineGhost]

What a fiasco.  I'd say that the new hard drive and clean Windows re-install was the easy part.  My mother was mortified, but woe be to the next scammer who tries something like that on her!

You can NEVER been too paranoid when it comes to PC & Internet security (and I know a lot of people around here think I go overboard).  Although the average consumer loss due to identity theft is only $2K, when it comes to being a medical patient, its $20K.  What was it Willy Sutton said???

[Pointedstick]

The fact is that being paranoid is the only thing that actually helps. Nothing can save you from yourself if YOU are the weak link in the chain.

[Benko]

The fact is that being paranoid is the only thing that actually helps. Nothing can save you from yourself if YOU are the weak link in the chain.

Actually MACs try, since in order to change almost anything you have to enter a password.  Having to enter a password should be a clue.

[Pointedstick]

The fact is that being paranoid is the only thing that actually helps. Nothing can save you from yourself if YOU are the weak link in the chain.

Actually MACs try, since in order to change almost anything you have to enter a password.  Having to enter a password should be a clue.

You would think so, but in my experience the frequency with which you are asked for your password trains people to just automatically enter it whenever they see the prompt. Windows has the same problem with those full-screen UAC "allow or deny?" popups.