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Uses for retired 2009 MacBook Pro? [Specifically, when I already own an RPi4]
Its screen and touchpad work as well as they always have, even though it's largely been gathering dust beneath my desk for the past two years. It's obsolete and too slow for modern (read: under 7 years old) macOS, but it's not broken.
I could install Linux and set up a server, but my Pi has already filled that role.
This topic came to mind because a friend sent two truly broken laptops—including a MBP of similar vintage to the one discussed here—home with me to send to electronics recycling. Kicking about for other opinions before I add this computer to the pile.
Depending on what you want from a server, it still might be worth it compared to the pi. I really like laptops as servers (except for cost). It has a built in uninterruptible power supply. If you need to debug it, you already have a keyboard and screen attached. Depending on the CPU, it might actually be more powerful than your pi. You can almost certainly install more ram on it than your pi has. You don’t have to deal with arm (I really like arm, but it can be annoying for some server things). I think that generation has an internal 2.5 in drive, so you can throw an ssd in there and have a very nice server setup.
About a year before I replaced it, I upgraded to an SSD in 2019. IIRC, its processor is technically more powerful than the Pi, but the Pi’s stripped-down software meant the Pi often had an advantage for desktop use. Pi was consistent and predictable in its slowness; Mac was much faster once all the startup apps launched, but then had massive latency spikes and kernel panics (probably from my aftermarket RAM upgrade going bad) as it kept being used.
Will want to power it up to check how much RAM I installed way back when I upgraded it. Don’t remember if 8 (tie with Pi) or 16.
If you are using a Linux distro on your pi there is very little software that can only be run on the pi as far as desktop stuff goes. In fact there is an official PC/Mac port of Raspberry Pi OS so you can get the same exact software running on it.
In any case if this is going to be a server you won’t really want to be bothering with the desktop at all.
Raspberry Pi OS for x86 hasn’t been updated in years, I wouldn’t recommend using it.
I like having a remote desktop UI for ripping CDs. Manual file management comes easier to me when it's visual. More importantly, it allows me to check that the metadata grabber chose the correct image as the album art.
One big benefit with Pis as servers is that they consume so little power. It feels like just enough computing power without wasting any. Nice and lean. My main NAS, media server, Kodi thing, WebDAV server is a pi 400 and it rarely has a problem running all services.
Portable retro gaming? Should handle quite a few emulators. Just get some controllers to play and you are good to go.
Any distro you’d recommend? I think keeping Mac OS, unless I reverted to Snow Leopard or something, would be too resource-hogging.
The best performance/feature balance for low-powered machines continues to be Lubuntu, so probably that
I have fond memories of Xubuntu from almost 20 years ago, when my family's superannuated Dell desktop had its XP install break. Time to research how XFCE and LXDE in 2025.
I was just going to ask this about a Mac mini from roughly the same time period. I have an aging mini A1347 that wont take any more updates and cant install a ton of stuff. I already have a home server and a pi acting as a pihole. Any recommendations?
I have the same mini. I put Ubuntu on it and I use it as: testing server for different silly stuff and scripts; Plex server;
If you are in the Google space, may want to see how ChromeOS plays on it?
https://chromeos.google/products/chromeos-flex/
Or try another Linux laptop to compile or web browse on while your main machine is doing something else or if you have a kid, maybe that's their machine for now?
You could also run a Plex server or a router replacement or make it into a home entertainment box, but that may be better for the Pi depending on your setup.
Depends greatly on your needs, but you could put an older lighter release of Mac OS on it, load it up with compatible software from Macintosh Garden, and use it as a little time-frozen no-internet “zen pod” free of notifications, need to update things, and other distractions.
I’ve never gone through with it but I’ve considered doing something similar with one of my old machines. In my case I’d probably install OS X 10.9 Mavericks (one of my favorites and the last non-flat-UI release) with an old version of Photoshop from back before it became a hopelessly bloated connection-required monstrosity (CS2 maybe) and use it as a distraction-free creative machine.
If you have any non-Apple devices, you can bridge iMessage to them using BlueBubbles or OpenBubbles.
I'm pretty all-in on the fruity garden for my personal devices, but that's a worthwhile suggestion. I occasionally need to use shared PCs for work.
Another screen might be cool, if you're only using one? I have an old Mac sitting around too, and I've been wanting to try freshening it up, and using it as a
distractionmulti-tasking enhancement, I could keep my AI helper open there, or play videos on the side. I think there are a bunch of apps that control another screen using the same touch pad and keyboardMaybe as a TV-like display? I'm absolutely spoiled by Retina displays and find using standard DPI displays to be too ugly, so I probably wouldn't want it as something I look at for text edting. Probably for watching videos, though.
what about OpenCore and an update? https://dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher/MODELS.html
I did that once, to sync my music collection to an iPhone 11 that was too news for iTunes to sync. I now have a 14. May be worth doing again.
oh nice. I never know what to do with old systems either. I have an old NUC tilting a fan right now.