[Helmling]

Anyone here have any experience coaxing 10.9 onto older machines?

Specifically, I have an old Macbook (mid-2007) that I'd like to park at work to be a simple terminal for pages and safari (with a sprinkling of spreadsheets and the like on the side). The problem is that the new version of Pages won't run on it with its current software configuration. So I was hoping to upgrade it so it can open my documents created on my current Macbook Air.

I've read threads around the web about this being possible, but I wanted to see if anyone here had tips on the best way to accomplish it.

[Mike Wuerthele]

In general, you're turning your Mac into a Hackintosh. You install a modified EFI, copy over a preinstalled copy of Mavericks, and go.

I suspect that your Macbook may not be up to the minimum graphical standard, though. A Mac Pro tower from the same era REQUIRES a graphics card update, and the 7300GT or 2600 in those older machines were way beefier than the graphics in a Macbook.

[Helmling]

Originally Posted by EstaNightshift 

In general, you're turning your Mac into a Hackintosh. You install a modified EFI, copy over a preinstalled copy of Mavericks, and go.

I suspect that your Macbook may not be up to the minimum graphical standard, though. A Mac Pro tower from the same era REQUIRES a graphics card update, and the 7300GT or 2600 in those older machines were way beefier than the graphics in a Macbook.

Yeah, I don't mind turning this old deck into a Hackintosh. I just need to be able to create documents at school and open the files I create at home.

However, the updated sources I'm consulting say no, short of an old Mac Pro, I can't coax it onto this old Macbook.

So, what about coaxing the new Pages onto an older machine? Is there anyway to trick it into running? I'm thinking that's a "no," too, right?

[reader50]

Must you use the latest Pages on your MacBook Air? Just use the previous version of Pages on both. Seems a lot easier than doing a custom OS install.

[Helmling]

Originally Posted by reader50 

Must you use the latest Pages on your MacBook Air? Just use the previous version of Pages on both. Seems a lot easier than doing a custom OS install.

Yeah, installing Mavericks (even if it had been possible) is way too ambitious a project for me. A few notches above my skill level, I'd say.

I've been using the new Pages for a while now so I already have dozens of documents that have been updated. Going back would be problematic. I guess I'm just going to cart my new laptop to work after all (what else is the point of that super-long battery length and light-weight portability). I'd been reluctant because I used to lock my Macbook Pro (which has since been handed down to my kids who hate the old white Macbook I was looking to repurpose because it's "so slow) down on my desk and leave it there, but there's no lock on the Air so I'd have to put it up in a closet or bring it with me whenever I left the room (I teach high school).

Now, though, I'm thinking I'll install remote control software and just run my class presentations from the Air, via my PC desktop to get more use of my old . Anybody got some recommendations on which software is best for that sort of thing?

[ghporter]

Get one of these: PNY Laptop Lock. It is available in a generic "works with any laptop" version, and in a Mac-specific version. Up until I found out about this, I was hesitant to even consider a new MBP, since some of the features I want are only on the Retina version, which has no Kensington lock slot. Violá! PNY comes out with a gadget that works on any laptop, with or without a Kensington slot, and I'm back in the "MBP on my wish list" game.

[Helmling]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

Get one of these: PNY Laptop Lock. It is available in a generic "works with any laptop" version, and in a Mac-specific version. Up until I found out about this, I was hesitant to even consider a new MBP, since some of the features I want are only on the Retina version, which has no Kensington lock slot. Violá! PNY comes out with a gadget that works on any laptop, with or without a Kensington slot, and I'm back in the "MBP on my wish list" game.

So I don't get it...it's thin enough that you can snake it through the hinge? That's interesting. I might have to invest in one of those.

[jchung]

Originally Posted by Helmling 

Anyone here have any experience coaxing 10.9 onto older machines?

Specifically, I have an old Macbook (mid-2007) that I'd like to park at work to be a simple terminal for pages and safari (with a sprinkling of spreadsheets and the like on the side). The problem is that the new version of Pages won't run on it with its current software configuration. So I was hoping to upgrade it so it can open my documents created on my current Macbook Air.

I've read threads around the web about this being possible, but I wanted to see if anyone here had tips on the best way to accomplish it.

Google SFOTT (Sixty Four on Thirty Two). Its a set of scripts that will create a modified Mavericks installer on a USB drive. Basically, it installs a custom boot.efi file and modifies various plists to include your Mac Model as a valid model for installing and running Mavericks. The custom boot.efi basically does a translation of all EFI64 calls to EFI32 calls.

Its what I used to install Mavericks on my 2006 Mac Pro (MacPro1,1). Worked like a charm. One caveat though is that if you apply any OS patches/updates, it might overwrite the boot.efi and/or the plist files. In which case you would have to boot from the Mavericks Install USB and copy over the modified files again.

[P]

Thanks for that tip, looks very interesting. What GPU does your Mac have? I know that some of the default GPUs in the MP are not supported in Mavericks.

[Mike Wuerthele]

Originally Posted by jchung 

Google SFOTT (Sixty Four on Thirty Two). Its a set of scripts that will create a modified Mavericks installer on a USB drive. Basically, it installs a custom boot.efi file and modifies various plists to include your Mac Model as a valid model for installing and running Mavericks. The custom boot.efi basically does a translation of all EFI64 calls to EFI32 calls.

Its what I used to install Mavericks on my 2006 Mac Pro (MacPro1,1). Worked like a charm. One caveat though is that if you apply any OS patches/updates, it might overwrite the boot.efi and/or the plist files. In which case you would have to boot from the Mavericks Install USB and copy over the modified files again.

Holy smoke, I had no idea the tools had progressed so far. In the case of the OP, I think the WAY unsupported video card might be the biggest issue.

That said, I'm going to cram this on the Mac Pro I've been using for reviews and testing later!

[Helmling]

Originally Posted by EstaNightshift 

Holy smoke, I had no idea the tools had progressed so far. In the case of the OP, I think the WAY unsupported video card might be the biggest issue.

That said, I'm going to cram this on the Mac Pro I've been using for reviews and testing later!

Yeah, I'm afraid I'm still out on a limb. That's okay, though. I like my Air too much to leave it at home anyway.