Robert Watcher
Well-known member
The basic white Macbook that I purchased new for $1000 in 2007 before heading to Costa Rica the first time - - - just keeps on going with all the abuse I give it. It has been a work horse in my extensive travels and my professional portrait, wedding and commercial work. For months on end many times, it has staying turned on for 24 hours a day.
The last few months in Nicaragua, the internal hard drive was struggling and making lots of noise in the severe heat. I was positive that it would die at any time, and that was unsettling. I have always been dissatisfied as a result of having to swap out files and limit the number and size of files that I could keep on the small hard drive. As well the battery started bulged and has reduced capacity of sometimes a bit over half an hour run time.
So I was determined that I needed an up to date replacement, and could justify getting a new one. Instead though, I decided to replace the failing small 80GB hard drive with a larger 750GB hard drive that ran at a faster 7200RPM, than the built-in Apple hard drive. As for the bulging battery that could be replaced for a fair hunk of change from Apple - - - I found many "replacement" batteries on eBay.
With the upgrade from Tiger to Snow Leopard (so that I could better handle Olympus HD video) last fall - - - it runs better than ever. Cost for everything? $110. Time to copy the almost full 80GB hard drive over to the 750GB with Super Duper? a couple of hours unattended. Install the 750GB HD? 3 minutes tops. Put the battery in? 5 seconds. Well worth the effort.
The last few months in Nicaragua, the internal hard drive was struggling and making lots of noise in the severe heat. I was positive that it would die at any time, and that was unsettling. I have always been dissatisfied as a result of having to swap out files and limit the number and size of files that I could keep on the small hard drive. As well the battery started bulged and has reduced capacity of sometimes a bit over half an hour run time.
So I was determined that I needed an up to date replacement, and could justify getting a new one. Instead though, I decided to replace the failing small 80GB hard drive with a larger 750GB hard drive that ran at a faster 7200RPM, than the built-in Apple hard drive. As for the bulging battery that could be replaced for a fair hunk of change from Apple - - - I found many "replacement" batteries on eBay.
With the upgrade from Tiger to Snow Leopard (so that I could better handle Olympus HD video) last fall - - - it runs better than ever. Cost for everything? $110. Time to copy the almost full 80GB hard drive over to the 750GB with Super Duper? a couple of hours unattended. Install the 750GB HD? 3 minutes tops. Put the battery in? 5 seconds. Well worth the effort.