Black MacBooks - Experiences?

I'll be buying a new MacBook as soon as Apple announces the Leopard upgrade (and provides a voucher for a free bump). I really like how the black MacBooks look, and the price difference (only $50 more for black with a similar configuration) isn't that big of a deal. The postings that I've read about paint flaking and chipping have me concerned, however.
For those of you who own black MacBooks, would you recommend them? Would you buy black again after your experiences with your existing laptop?
I plan on keeping this for a few years, and know that the white finish holds up really well - just want to make sure, given the cost, that it will still be presentable after a couple of years.

I haven't had any problems yet with mine, and it was a Refurb... Some people say that the edges are "too sharp" and it hurts when your hand/palm sits on them, but they really aren't that bad and you shouldn't be having your hands resting in that area anyways (If you aren't typing you can move them elsewhere, they are your hands...).
I think this is where people were getting the peeling (where it first started) and also it is the same area that you use to open the MacBook up with your fingers (possibly causing the "paint to peel" effect).
But I don't think there are that many people compared to the number of Black MacBooks out there, that actually have this problem. My suggestion for if it starts happening, and I wasn't going to freak out about doing a "minor" fix to my laptop, I would just take some clear nail polish (or the "top coat" that they sell) and use it over the exposed area and over the edges of the matte black coat a bit. Make sure it looks smooth on the edges at least (even if not a straight line), the material underneath is supposedly Black too, just more shiny/polished like the white MacBooks, so the clear polish shouldn't make it much more shiny/glossy than it would look without a fix.
This way you at least get to seal it, and possibly reinforce the areas that were peeling (by adding another layer of material with different thickness and durability) as well as possibly preventing the top coat of the MacBook to keep peeling (just think of a bad sunburn and how it peels, if you can get it when the edges of the coating are still flat and attached- which will soon lift up and tear more- then you can possibly nip it in the bud).
Also, if you were to do this, you would want to make sure that you were really careful, have it in a safe place where it wouldn't be disturbed and could stay to dry for hours (away from pets etc), make sure everything could still be opened up ("don't paint the windows shut") and all that type of stuff. But just thinking of this offhand, I don't see any real problems in doing this (you would want to make sure that the nail polish wouldn't "eat away" at any of the layers of coating of course) and it is cheap and should be great for catching any areas from peeling before it gets too bad...

Similar Messages

What are the typical temerature ranges for the black Macbooks?

Hello everyone,
Posting this as a one-year owner of one of the earlier black MacBooks (Macbook 2,1 - mid 2007 - 2GHz Core 2 Duo) just wondering what the typical temperature ranges are for at idle and under load for this line of machine?
I have modified the device slightly, putting a 120GB solid state drive, toping it out with 3GB of RAM and have Lion installed on it. I use it for a mixture of general web browsing and work (which does include running a Windows XP virtual machine in Fusion 4 although again, nothing heavier than testing websites in IE/Chrome/Firefox/Safari) and have just become a bit aware of the temperatures.. At idle (nothing running at all) the system is at ~40C and under load about 70C-80C, with the fan running flat out to cool it down. Watching YouTube videos does also put it up at this temperature, but I understand that Flash and OSX do not play nicely. I have opened up the device and blown compressed air into and around the fan intakes to clean it out, and most (if not all) of the time it is on a flat surface with adequate ventalation.
I'm really wandering whether these temperatures are typical for this range of MacBook, as from experience a laptop of this spec should not be getting this hot.. Also a question for anyone that would be kind enough to take a stab - would it be worth me replacing the thermal paste on the CPU/GPU with some Arctiv Silver? I'd be comfortable doing that if it would benefit my heat issues. I've had a Google about this and the results are a mixed bag..
Thanks for anyone kind enough to take a look at this!

Okay well in lieu of any answers since I posted this (I am aware it was only a short while ago) but at the rate posts get buried on here, I wanted to post my own findings.
Various posts across the we show that the white series of these MacBooks operate at around 50C-55C at idle and under load reach up to 80C. Apple says that it should shutdown at ~90C - the highest I have ever seen my MacBook get is 87C, so temperature wise:
Idle: 50-55C
Under load: 70C-80C
Thermal Shutdown: 90C
With the fans being noisy when under load, apparently there are two main "families" of the black MacBook. The earlier models (of which my one is) run at the above temperatures with a fan speed of ~6800RPM being fully open and ~1200RPM being idle. The Santa Rosa MacBooks however being a later model have a much more efficient - albeit more noisy - fan module. I daresay the Santa Rosa black MacBooks are more common being the newer model.
So my findings - my temperatures of reaching 70C-80C are normal for the work I do. The fan speed being up to 6800RPM is fine - and the noise is just a trait of this line of MacBook sadly.

Aperture with Black Macbook

I'm using the Aperture trial with a new black Macbook, 2 gb RAM, OS 10.4.9. I've reviewed other posts re using Aperture with a Macbook, and have seen mixed results.
I really like this app and want to purchase it, but certain simple operations that should be smooth are choppy. Eg., when the import screen opens after inserting a card into the card reader, or simply opening or closing stacks, it is slow and choppy.
Is this everyone's experience using a Macbook with 2gb RAM? Am I missing something that could help (other than future improvements, possibly leopard, etc). I am using it with an Apple 20" cinema display. Thanks...

Thanks... I'm really torn here. I absolutely want to buy aperture, but it is painfully slow at times. I checked it out at the local apple store today, and on both an imac and macbook pro it worked fine. But on the Macbook, it's frequently slow and not smooth.
I think at least some of this would be easy to fix. For example, that import screen that opens in an animated fashion looks great- IF the hardware is sufficient. On the macbook it just goes way too slow. There should be at least an option to disable those "candy" graphics that require the better video card.
I just downloaded Lightroom to look at. Frankly, I wasn't even going to, as I know aperture will integrate well with what I do. Perhaps Apple will improve those speed issues for those of us who are "serious amateurs" and use the macbook with its limited graphic capability....

Finger Grease and Black Macbook

Hey folks! I just bought my first Mac yesterday (a black Macbook), and noticed a bit of a problem and was wondering if there was some solution. It appears as though the grease from my fingers (hey, you can't blame me, I'm a young guy going through puberty haha) is leaving sort of "marks" on both the keys and the mousepad. If I look at the mousepad from any angle, I can clearly see that certain spots and almost "worn," whereas other spots where I don't put my fingers as frequently look fine. Is there any solution to this? Any type of keyboard/mousepad cleaner to try to get rid of these marks? I knew that this would eventually happen, but I didn't expect to see it after only one day of use! Thanks in advance!

hey it happens to the best of us. by paying a little extra for that pretty blackbook, you have to pay the price of trying to keep it clean. dont feel bad, i go through the same experience with my black razor. it is just a question if you are anal about keeping it clean. i have a white macbook and i still clean it after evey time i use it, it is just the way that i am. i was the same way till my ibook died. all i do is get the pledge multi thingy spray that is safe for electronics or endust is fine... and all you do is spray some on a clean undershirt... the soft white kind and while your macbook is off and unplugged, just wipe that baby down. just be sure not to do it to the screen for fear of leaving smudges. but that should work and also keep that smell down that some people complain of with all the grease from you hands. hope it helps!

Just switched to Mac :: one week w/ a black Macbook

Hello all...
I just switched to Mac from Windows XP last weekend. I've used Macs before but never owned one of my own (big difference), so I started the hideous task of transferring my data from my XP notebook to the Macbook.
Before buying the Macbook, I had no doubt looked at Windows-based notebooks by HP and Dell. I've always had excellent service w/ HP so I had priced out a few w/ them--nothing "excited" me, not even Vista. I looked at Dell's site b/c the XPS notebooks look nice, but I couldn't find anything even remotely reasonably priced for the size I wanted (12"-14"...total coincidence that the MB is 13").
I belong to a union and we get special pricing (12% off) through Dell on notebooks, so naturally I decided to check it out; it ended up being "more" than the Macbook for the same components by about $100. I was floored b/c I always "assumed" that Macs were always more money than PCs, esp. Dells. I'm not knocking on Dell, but it was surprising that their Inspiron-series was more part-for-part than the Macbook. HP was the closer to the price of the Macbook, but the MB was still cheaper.
My g/f and I headed over to the local Apple Store and I finally got a good look at the Macbooks in person--black sold me. It looks a lot like the old Thinkpad-black I remember from college which I always drooled over but couldn't afford. The matte finish is just gorgeous and the keyboard has a nice feel to it. The touchpad is HUGE compared to my HP and I like that you can right-click w/ two fingers, and scroll from anywhere on the touchpad.
After about two days, we noticed a small seem seperation at the top of the screen, a little to the right of the camera (which by the way is awesome...the camera, not the seperation). We boxed it up and took it back to the apple store, where they just plain took care of everything--very good customer service. We got the new one and the gentleman insisted that we check it before it left the store, which we did at the Genius Bar and all was good. Other than this little "hiccup", it's been a smooth experience and I even managed to get some work done in between playing w/ iPhoto and Garageband. We also picked up a Airport Extreme and my g/f got a new iPod.
Anyway, that's all, I just thought I'd share that. It's good to be part of the family.
Cheers..
John
13" Core 2 Black Macbook Mac OS X (10.4.9) 14" Core Duo HP Notebook XP SP2

Congrats!
I also just purchased my first mac about a week ago. I have been a windows user my whole life and sort of bought this mac 'on a whim'. I went through two gateway desktops that had both hardware and software problems (ie; nothing ran right on Vista...).
I picked up my macbook since it was the same price (and actually faster) than the gateway (sans the nicer graphics card).
Needless to say, i'm not looking back. Mine has a minor vibration, though I hear most with my drive do. I absolutely love it. I'm not going back to windows (though i will use bootcamp to set up dualboot for my windows-only apps and gaming).
ENJOY!

Black MacBook keyboard jumps back spaces or up a few lines

My 2008 Black MacBook (MacBook 4,1) has developed an annoying tendency recently: whenever I am typing, and it matters not whether it is in Mozilla Thunderbird, LibreOffice or posts in Facebook, etc., it jumps back several spaces or up a few lines. At first I thought that perhaps the position of my hands while typing were touching something that causes this, but I can't figure out what would do that (as in what keyboard command would cause this). So, I am thinking itis something wrong with the BlackBook's keyboard itself.
Any hints as to what?
Thanks!

Welcome to Apple Support Communities. We're all users here.
It could be caused by a bulging battery pack. When the battery is bulging noticeably, it can distort the keyboard/trackpad topcase enough to cause the keyboard/trackpad problem you describe.
To check, turn the computer off and remove the battery, then connect to the power adapter, and turn it back on. If the problem goes away with the battery removed, you need a new battery. Note that it can be difficult or impossible to re-install a badly-distorted battery.
While you can use the computer without a battery until you get a replacement, you might notice a decrease in performance. http://techcrunch.com/2008/11/22/macbook-performance-drops-37-percent-without-ba ttery-installed/
Replacement batteries are $129 from Apple, and less expensive alternatives are available from other sources. There are many threads in Apple Support Communities that list lower-cost sources. In my own experience, when the original battery on my mid-2007 MacBook began to bulge a bit after 4 years and 500+ cycles, without causing the keyboard problem, I replaced it with a lower-cost alternative. The replacement swelled enough to cause the erratic keyboard problem within 18 months and less than 200 cycles. So now I'm back to an Apple replacement.
Message was edited by: kostby

BLACK MACBOOK,APPLE STORE,SELL

i have noticed that they dont sell refurbished black macbooks anymore, i need to know if there is anywhere i can get them (without bidding like ebay). Also i wonder what do they do with the nice leftover stack that doesnt get sold???? do they dispose of the extras after a new generation is released,Give them away,or sell it to 3rd party sellers. i personally THINK that they sell it to sellers.

Hi jjbat87,
The list on Apple's website for refurbished products changes regularly... dare I say multiple times a day. There were a few instances when I was searching for a computer where I'd check it regularly and would see some products at 8:00am that weren't there by 2:00pm, only to see new products that weren't listed at 8:00am.
I've seen black MacBooks on a fairly regular occurrence, certainly enough to where within a week or two they'll be up there. Just bookmark this page and check it a couple of times a week:
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook
Also, from my experience, Apple updates the content of the page between 2:20-4:00am. At least during the week, I'd imagine to ensure fresh pickings for the east coasts at 7:30am (those post times are California time). I've seen some of the older MacBooks gone within 25 minutes of being posted. Especially when the older, white iMacs go up for $699... they're gone within an hour.

My Macbook experience

I've had my Macbook for almost two weeks, and after spending a lot of quality time getting to know it, I thought I'd share my thoughts for anyone who is on the fence.
I've never had a laptop before. I loved playing with my friend's Powerbook 12" whenever I had the chance, but I always thought the Powerbooks/iBooks were too underpowered for the price. The iBooks were total crap to me, especially after I played with one on display. I hated the clicker on the trackpad and was disappointed with the screen resolution and brightness (on the PB too). Seemed cheap, felt cheap, and technically was cheap. So when I got a computer last year, even though I wanted a laptop, I got an iMac. I loved that little guy and even though the Superdrive gave me some problems with reading discs and the fans got loud sometimes, I have to admit it was hard to say goodbye to it. I sold it on Craigslist with plans to get a Macbook.
I ended up getting the White 2.0 Macbook and upgraded the RAM to 2 gigs. I love the way this thing is built. Everything seems to mesh well together, from the screen to the keyboard, to the case. I have to admit, I had serious reservations about buying a white laptop. I've already had my girlfriend get ink on my wristpad (wash your hands before using it!) and scrubbed it off with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Consequently, you can see some of the finish has worn off if you tilt the Macbook to the right angle. Drives me crazy, but if it ever gets worse Applecare said that you can replace it for $89. Not bad. The keys are great and they feel better than the Powerbook's and more responsive. The trackpad is HUGE! I love having a two-finger right click and can never imagine having a laptop without it or two-finger scrolling.
This computer is a champion. It takes almost everything I can throw at it. It still impresses me every time I download or watch a movie and can do anything else without seeing a major slowdown. I don't get bummed everytime I have to restart, since restarts now take only 20 seconds. No joke. Photoshop CS (not CS2) seems to work pretty good. Of course my G5 runs circles around it with CS, but not very big circles. It's usable, but I generally close everything else when I use it. Universal apps FLY on this thing. iLife '06 is really impressive, especially since my girlfriend is a shutterbug and we play a lot with iPhoto. Frontrow...it's cool, but not that great. I downloaded MediaCentral and have only demoed it, but it seems like everything Frontrow could be. Search for it! I was seriously worried about the GMA 950 integrated graphics when I bought this computer, but I don't think it's a big deal now. I don't play computer games much, that's what my Xbox 360 is for. I downloaded Civilization 3 and find that with the RAM installed it works great. Oh and this thing is quiet! My G5 had fans that drove me nuts when I was trying to sleep. I'd describe myself as having very sensitive hearing and when the fans kick up during installs they are still quieter and less annoying than my G5 was. You never hear them during normal use unless the temps get over the 80 degree barrier. Even then they stay on for only about 30 seconds while the temps drop.
So what don't I like? This is my second Macbook. The first one had a terrible trackpad button and was flimsy and didn't register clicks well on the sides.It's been said before, so I won't drive it home, but this guy is hot. Yes you won't be able to keep it on your lap for a long time, but it's better that way. That heat can make you sterile, so use a desk or a lap stand. I'm buying one soon. The hard drive is small. So small I can imagine few people will not upgrade it. I was going to buy a bigger drive this week, but there was a deal on a 300 GB internal drive (that I made into an external)...and I was overdue for a backup. I can say that upgrading the memory is easy, but you have to really push the sticks in there pretty hard. Hard enough to leave marks on your finger for a while, but if you're lucky you only have to do it once. The screen gets dirty and scratches easily. The case does too, but you'll get over it.
This is a great computer for the money and a more than worth successor to the iBook/PB 12". I have no problem recommending it to anyone who asks. It does have some downsides, but it's a Macbook Pro minus the graphics card for almost $1000 less! Seriously, this little computer can outpace my year old G5 and costs the same as it did when I bought it. It's the most functional, flexible computer I've ever had. Barring serious problems down the line, I'm really happy with it!

your mackbook experience sounds really lame!
Actually his MacBook experience comes off as very knowledgeable and believable, especially for an experienced Mac user.
check out the inquirer, do a search on the macbook,
read(big key), you'll see all the problems that you
have are the same as eveyone else.
The Inquirer isn't really a reliable or well-respected source for Mac users. 95% of all MacBook users haven't had problems, its the small majority of who have and of those, the largest majority don't even own or use a MacBook and are here trolling.
i really like the part about apple wanting to charge
you $89 to replace their faulty finished case.
Hey, you screw up the case and want it replaced, $89 is a small price to pay. Try getting a replacement for one of Lenovo's newer ThinkPads and you're talking $250 and up. I own three of those machines and haven't opened them since buying my BlackBook.
as for runnig hot, that's a HUGE problem. it's a
laptop, not a desk top, it should be on your lap!
remember all that cash-money you paid to have a
laptop??
No, it's a notebook dubbed a "MacBook" and it is no hotter than any other laptop on the market today. Dell notebooks are hotter as are ThinkPads. And with the latter you have to run an MS operating system which makes them a poor choice for the notebook user.
So when are you going to stop using your Microsoft machine and actually buy a Mac machine?
Tim...

I have a 2008 black macbook and access UK tv through a purchased proxy site. I want to buy a sony bravia internet connected tv to watch the channels in more comfort. Sony tell me this won't work - that the tv cannot capture my macbook content. Any advice?

I have a 2008 black MacBook and acess UK tv through a puchased proxy. I want to purchase a Sony Bravia internet connected tv and stream the site through a tv - Sony tell me this won't work - that a latest model tv cannot capture content and sites from a MacBook - is this true???? Surely there is a solution? Any help or advice welcome.

They are correct. The only stream you can wireless connect the TV to a Mac is through an AppleTV, and that's purchased content on iTunes, and your own homemade content that is H.264 MPEG-4 that is 1800kbps. Conversion of commercial video to that format is illegal, and hence how can not be stated on the forum. Alternatively, as long as the TV is HDMI, you can wired connect it to your MacBook using the same advice here:
https://discussions.apple.com/message/16531141#16531141

Black Macbook out to Sony Bravia Question

So I just bought a new Sony Bravia 22" LCD TV. I'm excited to use the TV as a monitor for my computer, or at least so that I can play back Hulu or other such videos on the TV. The TV supports VGA in as a "PC" input as well as 2 HDMI ports. I know I need to get an adapter for the mini DVI port on my Macbook, however I'm not sure whether to go the route of mini DVI to VGA or mini DVI to DVI with a DVI-HDMI cable to the computer. I know in both cases I will need a separate audio cable so that's not the issue. The TV says that it has a native 720p resolution. I think the highest VGA resolution supported by the TV is 1360x768, but the HDMI is higher I think. Thanks for your help

I also have a black macbook and I recently purchased a 42" Sony Bravia TV and I have a few questions...
So I think I need 3 things:
- the mini DVI to VGA cable
- the VGA to VGA cable (that will connect to my TV right? how long of a cable is useful?)
- another cable for the audio...
What do I need to get for the audio portion? Someone told me to get a 3.5mm AV RCA Cable with the red/white that connect to the ports on my TV and then the headphone jack on my laptop.
Advice? Thanks!

Quick review of my wife's new Black MacBook

OK - so SWMBO chose Black last night at the Apple Store. Store upgraded the stock 512MB (2x 256MB sticks) with 2x 512MB sticks and ran memory test to ensure all was AOK - it was.
This MacBook replaced her 14" iBook G3 700MHz with 30gig HD, DVD-ROM/CD-RW and 640MB memory running Mac OS X 10.4.6 with all latest Apple updates.
First impressions during use and transferring wife's files from her old iBook.
1. Startup was flawless and connected FW400 cable between MacBook and iBook and restarted iBook in Target mode and selected to have all of wife's home files transferred along with other network settings etc. Transfer completed without problems.
2. As soon as startup completed I Restarted (re-booted) and selected Software update. Geeeesh - there was a lot of stuff that Apple hadn't installed on this stock machine. Downloaded and installed all this stuff without problems.
3. Now I ran Monolingual to remove all languages except English. This freed up some 3.2 GB of HD space. This took around 30 mins and placed a great deal of stress on the CPUs and HD. CPU activity was well above 80% (using Top.app) and Monolingual chewed up lots of physical RAM and started eventually to cause pageouts on the 1gig of physical RAM. The top left quadrant of the MacBook got very hot. The lower surface of the quadrant was extremely hot and would be bothersome had it been on my lap. The cooling fan could be heard during most of the time Monolingual was running. I believe the Monolingual also removed a large number of language files - as many as 287,000 as before running it I recall seeing 437,000 files and now only have 154,000 files (can't be absolutely sure about these numbers as I did not log them at the time). However, if this is true then not only do you get some 3.2 gig of HD space back a huge reduction in file count which helps with SpotLight indexing and anything else that has to scan the file system structure.
4. Ran SuperDuper to backup the HD to and external FW400 LaCie 60gig pocket HD. Took about 30 mins. The first run at this caused SuperDuper to complain it could correct the internal HD's permissions. So I quit SuperDuper and launched Disk Utility and ran Repair permissions. This completed with errors and then launched SuperDuper a second time and it did not have problems with the HD permissions. I observed that SuperDuper (not a universal binary) ran far quicker on the MacBook than it did on the iBook - I would say around 2x faster. After SuperDuper cloned the MacBook's HD I then verified I could boot up from the external FW400 LaCie drive. This worked flawlessly.
5. QT Pro didn't come across from wife's iBook so had to reset the QuickTime Pro registration key.
6. The MacBook screen real estate is less than the 14" iBook. It really is the height of the MacBook's screen that causes this. The MacBook's screen is same width as the iBook but is about 1.5" less in height. Overall the MacBook feels, looks and is smaller than the 14" iBook. The MacBook's screen display is clearer and brighter than the iBook's. The MacBook's screen display is very vibrant and more colorful than the iBook for sure.
7. Opening the MacBook screen/lid takes a bit of getting used to compared to the method needed for the iBook.
8. Keys are flush with the MacBook's outer surface which means they do not contact the screen when screen closed. The iBook's keys aren't and stick up some and can over time mark the screen with finger tip grease etc.
9. MacBook's trackpad is larger than the iBook's and very welcomed - as is the two-finger scrolling feature.
10. Adding a pic for accounts was fun as the iSight feature is by default used to capture a mug shot of yourself if you so desire.
11. Performance of MacBook compared to iBook 14" 700MHz is not very noticeable IMO when doing Safari and Mail type activities. Things do happen with more snappyness though. Yes - SuperDuper ran 2x faster but normal use of MacBook so far doesn't tell me it's 2x2000MHz/700MHz or some 5.7x faster wrt CPU clock rates. I'm sure the MacBook is faster at doing CPU intensive things but have not done any scientific performance testing to post results. I get the feeling that this MacBook is maybe 2x to 3x faster and more snappier than the iBook. The Disk Inventory X utility screams on this MacBook.
12. MacBook is lighter, thinner and more easily handled than the 14" iBook. It will also fit into the iBook 14" Bootq bag I bought for wife last Christmas.
13. My wife likes the MacBook very much after a morning of use. She maintains the Black MacBook is cool looking and more professional looking than the White and pleased she chose the Black.
14. We are both very pleased with the Black MacBook purchase at this time.
The 14" iBook is now to be handed down to daughter #1 as a birthday+Xmas present.

Update to my item 4 as there were some typo errors in it (sorry about that).
4. Ran SuperDuper to backup the HD to and external FW400 LaCie 60gig pocket HD. Took about 30 mins. The first run at this caused SuperDuper to complain it could not correct the internal HD's permissions. So I quit SuperDuper and launched Disk Utility and ran Repair permissions. This completed without errors and then launched SuperDuper a second time and it did not have problems with the HD permissions. I observed that SuperDuper (it's a universal binary) ran far quicker on the MacBook than it did on the iBook - I would say around 2x faster. After SuperDuper cloned the MacBook's HD I then verified I could boot up from the external FW400 LaCie drive. This worked flawlessly.

Dead Hard Drive on Black MacBook

Can any one give any pointers as to how to replace a dead hard drive in a (approximately) two year old Black MacBook? Service guy trying to charge me £250+ to do it.
Any help would be most appreciated.

It's super easy.
Go here and buy this HHD (I have bought 3 of them for my Mac laptops)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136314
Go here for simple instruction on installing it.
http://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/macbook13_memhd/
One thing to remember is to re-format the HHD once installed using your install Disk #1. Reformat using GUID. Very simple to do. Can be installed in less than 10 minutes with the right tools (highly recommend buying the from OWC), and another few hours to reinstall everything.
Right tools from here.
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer%20Technology/TOOLKIT11/
Message was edited by: D/FW

How I copied all my Outlook Express data to my new Black MacBook

Hi there!
I just made the jump to the "Apple side" buying a shiny new Black Macbook, and having already got a lot of usefull information from this forum, I just wanted to give my little contribution...
Here follows how I managed to copy ALL my Microsoft Outlook Express messages, settings and accounts from my "old" PC to my new MacBook:
I just installed Mozilla Thunderbird on my PC and let the automated "import" function transfer all my data from Outlook Express; then I installed Thunderbird to the MacBook too (skipping all the setup procedures that start at the first run of the program).
Then, on the "PC side", I located the folder where all the Thunderbird profile data is stored: it is something like "xxxxxxxx.default" (in my case "voakmfhs.default") and is stored in "C:\Documents and Settings\Windows_User\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles"
So it was just a matter of copying all the "xxxxxxxx.default" folder from the PC to the Mac (on the "Mac side" just search for the "Thunderbird" folder and then open the "Profiles" subfolder where you have to copy all the stuff)
The last step is to edit the Thunderbird "profiles.ini" file on the Mac, replacing the name of default folder that was assigned during the installation (which you can safely delete), with the name of the one copied from the PC...
For any further question, feel free to ask
Hope this is of some help!
Ciao for now
Sergio

Transferring from old to new
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2109

Black MacBook hard drive and RAM upgrade

I am looking to upgrade my black MacBook- 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo.
I would like to increase the RAM - (currently have 1 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM) and would like to put in a new hard drive -( currently have 150 GB) I am wondering what hardware to get.
I think I would like to increase the RAM to 4GB and the HD to 500 GB. anyone have strong opinions on increased memory and/or hard drive? There seems to be enough info out there on the actual upgrade process, but am not sure what to actually buy for this upgrade.
thanks

I like dealing with [*Other World Computing*|http://macsales.com> for all of my Mac upgrading needs. Their products are tested and guaranteed for all of the Mac models including yours. They also have excellent instructional videos. Check them out at the link provided. -GDF

Shall i put a 7200rpm hard drive into my black macbook for logic pro?

hi, i bought high spec black macbook refurbished which came with a 5400rpm drive inside it.
Im using logic pro, and its been running fine with small projects, but when i have a medium sized project using several vst instruments and exs24s using many audio samples, all of which are running off the internal.... i get error messages, system overload messages...and i am unable to bounce to audio file (in logic pro)
im thinking its the slow hard drive which is causing the main problems.
I have 2gb ram. It also takes sometimes over 5 mins to open this logic file. And then some!
Or is this poor performance par for the course, if using just ONE internal drive, for both system files and audio storage....... ?
Are there possible probs which may arise from taking out the 5400 drive and fitting a faster 7200 drive in to my macbook? I hear it will heat up more....so could this mess with other macbook componets?? the excess heat...... or are macbooks bulit to handle 7200rpm drives too??? dont remember is 7200 was an optional upgrade with my model or not......
2.4ghz intelcore2duo.
Anybody fitted a 7200 drive into their macbooks???? all running ok??
Would i simply put the new hard drive in..... and then boot up from boot dvds and my time machine backup....to have a full up to date system, all apps and file intact as they are now???? Im worried it will get messy and problems...... my current drive is packed to rafters with apps and files and work i have done......i dont want to lose a thing.....would it be a simple easy fool proof transition to faster hard drive????
And could i still use the current hard drive? With an enclosure??
Ive heard people have ripped out the opticla dvd drive and fitted ANOTHER hard drive into their macbooks, so the laptop housing two hard drives..... that sounds good...but crazy..... maybe later ill do that....as i hardly use the cd/dvd drive...... and you can always hook it up with wire if need be......
any tips or advice....would be most kind and helpful.
thankyou.

I used Carbon Copy Cloner- do not use Time Machine for this- to make a bootable clone of the drive inside my Macbook Pro, and then installed the new, faster drive. I then booted from the cloned drive, and cloned that back into the fresh internal drive. That being said:
1) I only did this since I bought the laptop used, and didn't get the install OS discs. I would have started fresh and installed everything myself, but then again, it wasn't my laptop, and I didn't care about what was on it. You might.
2) You need to clone to an external Firewire drive if you want to make a bootable clone. Do not use USB. Do not use Time Machine, as its backups are not able to be booted from.
3) The whole replace the internal DVD drive with another sounds pretty iffy to me. Just use the Firewire drive you'll now be having at you disposal for a variety of things, including possibly recording to. I can advise once I know what your interface is, if any, and if you've got a Macbook or a Macbook Pro- I forgot to look.
You will get much better results with a 7200 RPM drive, by the way. You can certainly use the old drive in some sort of enclosure, although it's still a slow drive and all, so I wouldn't really invest much into it. Maybe put it in a USB enclosure and use it for backups, or for transporting material, or for cracking walnuts, maybe, if you have a walnut tree.
Even in this fancy computer age, there is still nothing better than a freshly roasted walnut or pecan. Good luck, L

Black MacBooks - Experiences?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for