Recommendation to repair Macbook

[jskudera]

My wife has an older MacBook Pro 15", 2.33GHz C2D, 2GB ram, currently running 10.4.11. We had to replace the battery about 2 years ago and bought a non-OEM replacement. She always kept the charger plugged in and hardly ever used it. Long story short, the battery expanded and I realized this when the mouse clicks weren't working. I removed the battery and can use it if the power cord is plugged in.

But because of the expansion of the battery, some of the keys don't work. Shift keys, return, \...seems like the F keys are working properly. CTRL/Alt/Apple keys don't appear to be working.

She wants to start using it again, but obviously it needs some work on it. So here are a couple questions:

1. What can I do to fix the keyboard issue?
2. Can I upgrade the ram on this Macbook?
3. What version of OSX should I be running to maximize my use?

I'm knowledgeable enough to take apart the Macbook and do whatever repairs necessary (granted, they are simple enough). If it's not worth the time/money to repair, should I scrap it? And if so, how much money can I expect to get from it? Couple hundred bucks?

Much appreciated!

 

[pigoo3]

1. What can I do to fix the keyboard issue?

Probably replace the keyboard.

Go to ifixit.com for the procedure. Go to powerbookmedic.com for the part (availability & cost).

2. Can I upgrade the ram on this Macbook?

4gig of ram can be installed…but only around 3gig is addressable. So you would be going from 2gig to 3gig of ram.

3. What version of OSX should I be running to maximize my use?

Max OS on this computer is 10.7.5. If you wanted to install 10.7…you first need to install 10.6 (purchase install disk for $19)…then download 10.7 for another $19.

FYI…this computer is probably worth $250 (if working 100%). But with a no battery (non-working expanded battery)…and a faulty keyboard…this computer would of course be worth less than $250.

- To get 10.7 installed…it's going to cost $40.
- 4gig of ram upgrade is about $55
- A replacement battery is $50-$100+
- a replacement keyboard is $30-$84 on powerbookmedic (could check eBay as well)

So it's up to you. There are most of the numbers & you can decide how much of it to do.

- Nick