macbook 3.1 late 2007

I am upgrading memory to 6GB and to a 128G SSD hardrive. I am wanting to start from scratch and upgrade to Maybe Lion. I am using a OS x 10.5.8 now and do not have enough memory to even update Itunes. Now I do not have a disk for when i put the new harddrive in. Should i just buy a Lion in Itunes store? Will that give me what I need or is there any easy way to copy it to an USB and use that on start up?

Since you are currently running 10.5.8…you do not have access to the Mac App Store…which means you cannot download Lion. For access…you need at least OS 10.6.6 (Snow Leopard).

So what you need to do is:

- Purchase an OS 10.6 install disk:

Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard - Apple Store (U.S.)

- Install 10.6
- Update to 10.6.8 (via software update)
- Then download & install Lion

* Nick

p.s. I wanted to mention. You're spending a lot of money upgrading a computer that's 7 years old…and worth about $200-$250.

Thanks Nick , I was given this computer and spent $200 on the memory and hard drive. I was thinking it would be just as good as a new PC and didn't have the money right now for a 1000 Mac computer. I hope I am not just waisting my money( your opinion is much appreciated). Mostly my kids play on it and it was too slow for them. I installed the memory and hard drive and the file with a question mark was blinking it that when i should put the Mac OS x 10.6 Snow Leopard disk in?

buffy3 said:

Thanks Nick , I was given this computer and spent $200 on the memory and hard drive. I was thinking it would be just as good as a new PC and didn't have the money right now for a 1000 Mac computer.

Click to expand...

That's about what I figured you would be spending on the ram & SSD.

The plan wouldn't be for you to buy a brand new $1000 computer. It would be to sell the computer for $200-$250...take the $200 spent on ram & SSD...and buy a better/newer used MacBook Pro for $400-$500.

I mean for what you have invested so far in this computer ($200) is not terrible. But personally if I had gotten this computer for free...I would have just upgraded the ram to 4gig (about $50 bucks)...and called it a day. I wouldn't have done the 6gig of ram and SSD.

buffy3 said:

I installed the memory and hard drive and the file with a question mark was blinking it that when i should put the Mac OS x 10.6 Snow Leopard disk in?

Click to expand...

When you removed the old hard drive (with OS 10.5.8 on it)...and installed the SSD...now there is no OS on the SSD for the computer to boot from. So yes...if you had the OS 10.6 Snow Leoaprd install disk...this is when you would use it. To format the SSD...and install the OS onto the SSD.

- Nick

As far as the slowness. The ram and SSD upgrades will help. But it is still a 7 year-old computer. With older architecture, slower cpu, and older/slower graphics.

I happen to have a 2008 MacBook (slightly newer than your's)...with 4gig of ram...and a "shrimpy" 40gig HD I popped in it. It is very similar to your MacBook (slightly faster cpu, same graphics hardware)...running OS 10.7.5 (Lion). And it does pretty good for it's age.

So your 2007 MacBook with the upgrades should be pretty useable for many tasks. But if things get to be too graphics intensive...this is where it will show its age.

This is why if you were able to sell the computer + the upgrade money...you could buy something used a couple years newer...and be much more capable (for basically the same money you currently have invested).

But like I said...the 2007 will be fine for many tasks (at the moment). And it can be a hassle to sell a computer...and then try to find an newer used one. So it's up to you...and how much effort you want to put into a project like this..

HTH,

- Nick

Nice job on the upgrades..

I am looking at getting a older macbook one of the white ones for use with snow leopard and lion and using sixty four on thirty two to install mavericks there not bad machines but a ssd makes great speed upgrades

Nick If i kept my current hard drive and just went to 4 GB memory how would I erase the hard drive? I would like to keep Word. I tried doing the Time Machine for a backup and used a USB but it didnt have enough memory for storage. It said i needed 44 GB for a backup disk

You use the original OS X.5 leopard DVD, or the OS X.6 Snow Leopard after you purchase it. Boot from the DVD by yolding down 'C' after the chime, leave Installer, go to Utilities and run Erase and format Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Even if you do a backup to an external, be aware using Migration Assistant and similar, Office will in all probability require use of the activation code so keep it handy.