• Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Register for our forum. Even if you don't want to post, you can still 'Like' and react to posts.

Macbook Pro...El Capitain...et al


Mark_88

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2007
Messages
18,554
Reaction score
240
Points
63
Age
68
Location
Ontario, Canada
Vehicle Year
2007
Make / Model
Dordge
Engine Size
3.3 Fuel Injected
Transmission
Automatic
My credo
Love Thy Neighbor
My Windows PC (GX520) finally bit the dust after someone tried moving it and the monitor fell, pulling the video card a bit too hard...still works just enough to get heated up before it starts cutting out on the video...

I've had this Macbook Pro 15" (late 2007) sitting around for about two years now so I decided to buy a new battery and see what else I can upgrade...

EDIT: corrected OS version...to X.11...

Took me about 8 hours, but I downloaded OS X.11.1 and installed it...a few hours of getting familiar with everything and finally working fine...except!

The keyboard and touchpad were driving me crazy...I couldn't type more than three or four words and it would skip back to the beginning and start from there...if I wasn't watching...lol

So, I thought this was a hardware issue...went through everything and couldn't find any way to reset the keyboard (thought some keys were mapped)...

Finally figured out what was wrong...the touchpad is so sensitive that if I so much as rested the edge of my thumb on the pad it would cause all the jumping and whatnot I was getting...

So...I thought I'd try my Logitech USB keyboard...fairly new with some nice features like volume control and such for Windows (some actually work on the Macbook but I haven't tested them yet)...first thing I did was try to find drivers on the web...found an Apple website for downloads...drivers for all manner of things...all wireless...:icon_confused:

Today, after trying for ten minutes to type a simple reply...I decided to try to just plug the keyboard in...wow!

El Capitain has the drivers built in (not exactly the Logitech) and it works...so does my two button mouse...:icon_bounceblue:

So...kind of happy I upgraded the OS and now that the mouse and keyboard are working...I can type without all the frustration...

Now...the monitor...Macs have a DVI-D port (I think) for external monitors...the old ones, anyways...and I happen to have a DVI-D to HDMI cable...no idea where it came from...but I looked at them today and noticed they were $50 or so...so now I think I might go out and buy a monitor that will take the HDMI cable...maybe even a small TV...yeah!

All kinds of possibles there...
 
Last edited:


alwaysFlOoReD

Forum Staff Member
TRS Forum Moderator
TRS Banner 2012-2015
TRS 20th Anniversary
Joined
Apr 13, 2009
Messages
13,868
Reaction score
5,029
Points
113
Location
Calgary, Canada
Vehicle Year
'91, '80, '06
Make / Model
Ford, GMC,Dodge
Engine Size
4.0,4.0,5.7
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Glad it came together for you. My lap top is getting to the point of needing replacement too. A couple screws have fallen out the back and the heat has warped the case where the screws used to hold it together. I have some paper balled up stuffed in behind where the power cord goes to hold the inner part from moving too much so it will charge. I also get the cursor jumping and because I don't look at the screen when I type there is sometime some major revision work to do. I thought it was some software glitch but what you say about the sensitivity of the touch screen makes sense. I'll have to see if I can turn it off as I never use it.
 

Mark_88

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2007
Messages
18,554
Reaction score
240
Points
63
Age
68
Location
Ontario, Canada
Vehicle Year
2007
Make / Model
Dordge
Engine Size
3.3 Fuel Injected
Transmission
Automatic
My credo
Love Thy Neighbor
Working much better with the external keyboard.

Does you laptop have usb ports? I would just find a USB keyboard and try using that if you can...

My hands are too big and I'm not "sensitive" enough to know when my thumb or even a hair from my thumb is resting ever so lightly on the touchpad...lol

Most newer machines allow for external stuff...may need a usb hub to attach more than one thing....the Macbook only has two usb ports so it I need to put my thumb drive on it to pull files or pics I would need to remove either the keyboard or the mouse to do that...or get something for the thunderbolt (or firewire, not sure what it is yet) ports...I have two of those...

Biggest problem for all the Mac stuff is everything is so expensive to buy...and there isn't a "used computer" store in town any more...
 

Mac Guy

New Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2009
Messages
22
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
SE Michigan
Vehicle Year
1994
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
2.3L
Transmission
Manual
Quick advice offered on upgrades for this model. Buy an SSD (EVO 850 or MX200) and 4gb of RAM. While it can take up to 6gb of RAM, you really won't see a speed advantage. Save the money on the RAM and put it towards the largest SSD you can afford.

www.macsales.com for RAM and whoever is running the best online sale for the SSD. Macs aren't more expensive when compared to other quality computers. Most people want cheap rather than inexpensive and thats what they end up with.

The 2007 MacBook Pro used to have a setting in System Preferences>trackpad that you could click to "ignore accidental input". I believe that disappeared in OS 10.9/Mavericks.
 

Mark_88

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2007
Messages
18,554
Reaction score
240
Points
63
Age
68
Location
Ontario, Canada
Vehicle Year
2007
Make / Model
Dordge
Engine Size
3.3 Fuel Injected
Transmission
Automatic
My credo
Love Thy Neighbor
Thanks, that's actually good advice. I priced RAM and can get 4 gigs for about $50. Working on getting down there some day soon.

The SSD is another option that I was considering but put off for other projects. I can check the prices on-line and call the guy next week...
 

Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Staff online

Member & Vendor Upgrades

For a small yearly donation, you can support this forum and receive a 'Supporting Member' banner, or become a 'Supporting Vendor' and promote your products here. Click the banner to find out how.

Truck of The Month


Kirby N.
March Truck of The Month

Recently Featured

Want to see your truck here? Share your photos and details in the forum.

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Events

25th Anniversary Sponsors

Check Out The TRS Store


Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad


Amazon Deals

Top