Update 2009 Macbook Pro
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13-inch model
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Upgrade 2009 Macbook Pro
Updating your physical RAM, especially with an older MacBook Pro (prior to 2013 models), would help, but that can get expensive and isn’t always necessary.Try identifying programs that are using the most memory and swapping them for an alternative like replacing Firefox with Safari.
13.3-inch1
Apple M1 chip
Also available with Intel Core i5 or i7 processor
Up to 16GB2
Up to 2TB2
The MacBook Pro 'Core 2 Duo' 2.26 13' (SD/Firewire 800 - Mid-2009) features a 45 nm 'Penryn' 2.26 GHz Intel 'Core 2 Duo' processor (P7550 or P8400), with two independent processor 'cores' on a single silicon chip, a 3 MB shared 'on chip' level 2 cache, a 1066 MHz frontside bus, 2 GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-8500) installed in pairs (two 1 GB. Right-side USB-C ports on a 16-inch MacBook Pro. Photo via hardware zone.com.sg. Do you have a recent MacBook Pro?While these powerful notebooks have USB-C / Thunderbolt 3 ports on both sides, we’re going to tell you why you should charge your MacBook Pro using the ports on the right side.
Up to 20 hours4
Backlit Magic Keyboard, Touch Bar, Touch ID, and Force Touch trackpad
Backlit Magic Keyboard, Touch Bar, Touch ID, and Force Touch trackpad
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Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch 'Core 2 Duo' 2.26 (SD/FW) Specs
Identifiers: Mid-2009 13' - MB990LL/A - MacBookPro5,5 - A1278 - 2326*
All MacBook Pro 13-Inch Models | All 2009 Models | Dynamically Compare This Mac to Others
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The MacBook Pro 'Core 2 Duo' 2.26 13' (SD/Firewire 800 - Mid-2009) features a 45 nm 'Penryn' 2.26 GHz Intel 'Core 2 Duo' processor (P7550 or P8400), with two independent processor 'cores' on a single silicon chip, a 3 MB shared 'on chip' level 2 cache, a 1066 MHz frontside bus, 2 GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-8500) installed in pairs (two 1 GB modules), a 160 GB Serial ATA (5400 RPM) hard drive, an 8X DL 'SuperDrive', a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M 'graphics processor with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory', integrated iSight, and an LED-backlit 13.3' widescreen TFT active-matrix 'glossy' display (1280x800 native resolution).
Connectivity includes AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Gigabit Ethernet, a Firewire '800' port, two USB 2.0 ports, the same 'combined optical digital output/headphone out (user-selectable analog audio line in)' port used by the iPhone, a 'Mini DisplayPort' that supports an external display at 2560x1600, and an SD card slot.
Although this model is packed in essentially the same 'Unibody' case design -- one milled from a single block of aluminum -- as the 13-Inch 'non-Pro' MacBook that it replaced, and it has the same backlit keyboard and 'no button' glass 'multi-touch' trackpad with support for 'four finger' gestures and programmable 'zones', and a very similar internal architecture, there are notable differences as well. The 'Mid-2009' 13-Inch MacBook Pro models support more RAM, have an improved display (said to have '60% greater color gamut'), and have a non-swappable battery design that provides 7 hours of battery life (up from 5 hours). They also add the aforementioned SD card slot and a Firewire '800' port, but drop the previously standard optical digital audio input capabilities.
Also see:
- What are the differences between the 'Mid-2009' 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo models?
- What are the differences between the 'SD/Firewire 800 - Mid-2009' 13-Inch MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo models and the 'Late 2008/Unibody' non-Pro MacBook notebooks that they replaced?
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- Tech Specs
- Ports
- Global Original Prices
- Popular Q&As
Click on a category for related details. The most commonly needed info is 'open' by default, but all info is important. Asterisks (*) reference data in details fields.
| Introduction Date: | June 8, 2009 | Discontinued Date: | April 13, 2010 |
| Details: | The 'Introduction Date' refers to the date a model was introduced via press release. The 'Discontinued Date' refers to the date a model either was replaced by a subsequent system or production otherwise ended. Also see: All Macs introduced in 2009. |
| Details: | Also see: All models with a 64-Bit processor courtesy of EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Sort. |
| Details: | Geekbench 2 benchmarks are in 32-bit and 64-bit modes, respectively. These numbers reflect an average of user provided 32-bit and 64-bit results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all 32-bit and 64-bit Geekbench 2 user submissions for Macs with the MacBookPro5,5 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare Geekbench 2 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
| Details: | These Geekbench 3 benchmarks are in 32-bit mode and are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all 32-bit single core and multicore Geekbench 3 user submissions for Macs with the MacBookPro5,5 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare 32-bit Geekbench 3 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
| Details: | These Geekbench 3 benchmarks are in 64-bit mode and are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all 64-bit single core and multicore Geekbench 3 user submissions for Macs with the MacBookPro5,5 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare 64-bit Geekbench 3 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
| Details: | These Geekbench 4 benchmarks are are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. All Geekbench 4 benchmarks are 64-bit. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all single core and multicore Geekbench 4 user submissions for Macs with the MacBookPro5,5 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare Geekbench 4 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
| Details: | These Geekbench 5 benchmarks are are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. All Geekbench 5 benchmarks for the Mac are 64-bit. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all single core and multicore Geekbench 5 user submissions for Macs with the MacBookPro5,5 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare Geekbench 5 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison. |
| Processor Speed: | 2.26 GHz | Processor Type: | Core 2 Duo (P7550*) |
| Details: | *These systems have a 2.26 GHz Intel 'Core 2 Duo' 45 nm 'Penryn' processor. Specifically, some have a P7550 whereas others have a P8400. Both include two independent processor 'cores' on a single silicon chip. Also see: How fast are the 'Mid-2009' 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo models compared to one another? How fast are they compared to the models each replaced? |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | Also see: Can you upgrade the processor in the 'Unibody' MacBook Pro? |
| System Bus Speed: | 1066 MHz | Cache Bus Speed: | 2.26 GHz (Built-in) |
| ROM/Firmware Type: | EFI | EFI Architecture: | 64-Bit |
| L1 Cache: | 32k/32k | L2/L3 Cache: | 3 MB (on chip) |
| Details: | Includes a 3 MB shared 'on chip' level 2 cache that runs at processor speed. |
| Details: | Supports 1066 MHz PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM. Also see: How do you upgrade the RAM in the 'Mid-2009' 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo models? How much RAM of what type do they support? |
| Details: | 2 GB of RAM is installed as two 1 GB modules, no slots free. In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells memory -- as well as other upgrades -- for this MacBook Pro. In the UK, site sponsor Flexx sells memory and other upgrades for this MacBook Pro. In Canada, site sponsor CanadaRAM sells memory and other upgrades for this MacBook Pro. In Germany, site sponsor CompuRAM sells memory and other upgrades for this MacBook Pro. In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit sells memory and other upgrades for this MacBook Pro. Also see: Actual Max RAM of All G3 & Later Macs. |
| Details: | Apple recommends that one install RAM in matched pairs for optimum performance. |
| Details: | This model has a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M that shares memory with the system. Also see: What type of video processor is provided by the 'Unibody' MacBook Pro models? Is it upgradable? Which models have 'dedicated' and 'integrated' video memory? |
| Details: | Apple reports that 'memory available to Mac OS X may vary depending on graphics needs. Minimum graphics memory usage is 256 MB'. |
| Built-in Display: | 13.3' Widescreen | Native Resolution: | 1280x800 |
| Details: | 13.3' color widescreen LED-backlit TFT active-matrix 'glossy' display with a 1280 by 800 native resolution. Apple heralded this display as providing '60% greater color gamut' than the 'Unibody' MacBook models that this system replaced. Apple reports that this system also supports '1152 by 720, 1024 by 640, and 800 by 500 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio stretched; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio stretched.' In the UK, site sponsor ALB Repair offers component-level logic board repair, display repair, and other repair services for this MacBook Pro. No fix, no fee! In Germany, site sponsor Conodi provides high quality Mac and PC repair services as well as remote home office setup and troubleshooting. In-person and mail order repair services include the display, motherboard, water damage and more for this MacBook Pro. In Spain, site sponsor iRepairs provides affordable repair and data recovery services. In-person and by mail repair services include the display, battery, keyboard, motherboard, and more for this MacBook Pro. In Singapore, site sponsor Esmond Service Centre provides highly regarded repairs for the display, motherboard, battery, water damage issues, and more, all with a free estimate and fast turnaround for this MacBook Pro. |
| 2nd Display Support: | Dual/Mirroring | 2nd Max. Resolution: | 2560x1600 |
| Details: | The maximum resolution supported on an external display is 2560x1600. |
| Standard Storage: | 160 GB HDD | Std. Storage Speed: | 5400 RPM |
| Details: | By custom configuration, this model also could be configured with a 250 GB, 320 GB, or 500 GB Serial ATA hard drive for an additional US$50, US$100, or US$200, respectively. It also could be configured with a 128 GB SSD or 256 GB SSD for an additional US$400 or US$850, respectively. Also see: How do you upgrade the hard drive in the 'Mid-2009' 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo models? What type of hard drive do these models support? Can one replace the hard drive with an SSD? In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells storage upgrades for this MacBook Pro. In the UK, site sponsor Flexx sells storage upgrades for this MacBook Pro. In Canada, site sponsor CanadaRAM sells SSDs and other upgrades for this MacBook Pro. In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit sells storage upgrades for this MacBook Pro. Also see: SSD Compatibility Guide for All G3 & Later Macs. |
| Storage Dimensions: | 2.5' (9.5 mm) | Storage Interface: | Serial ATA (3 Gb/s) |
| Details: | This model supports a single SATA II (3 Gb/s) 2.5' hard drive or SSD that is up to 9.5 mm thick. |
| Standard Optical: | 8X DL 'SuperDrive' | Standard Disk: | None |
| Details: | Apple reports that this slot-loading 'SuperDrive' (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) has a maxium write speed of '8x DVD-R, DVD+R; 4x DVD-R DL (double layer), DVD+R DL (double layer), DVD-RW, DVD+RW; 24x CD-R; 10x CD-RW' and a maximum read speed of '8x DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-ROM; 6x DVD-ROM (double layer DVD-9), DVD-R DL (double layer), DVD+R DL (double layer), DVD-RW, and DVD+RW; 24x CD'. Site sponsor Other World Computing offers a 'Data Doubler' mounting kit that may be of interest. It makes it simple to install a second hard drive or SSD in the optical drive bay of this MacBook Pro. |
| Standard Modem: | None | Standard Ethernet: | 10/100/1000Base-T |
| Details: | External Apple USB Modem (56.6k v.92) was available for US$49. |
| Standard AirPort: | 802.11a/b/g/n | Standard Bluetooth: | 2.1+EDR |
| Details: | AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR standard. Also see: What is 802.11n? How is it different from 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11a? |
| Details: | Two 480-Mbps USB 2.0 ports, one 800-Mbps Firewire '800' port. |
| Details: | This model has an SD card slot. No expansion bays are provided. In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells a wide variety of external expansion options and accessories, including docks, adapters, cables, input devices, cases, and more for this MacBook Pro. In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit offers an extensive selection of external expansion options and accessories like docks, stands, chargers, cases, security products, and more for this MacBook Pro. Also see: Are SD Card slot storage expansion options available for the 'Unibody' MacBook Pro models? Which are compatible? Is this type of storage a good idea for these models? |
| Incl. Keyboard: | Full-size | Incl. Input: | Trackpad (4 Finger) |
| Details: | Apple reports that the integrated keyboard has '78 (US) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys, 4 arrow keys (inverted 'T' arrangement).' It does not have an embedded numeric keypad. This keyboard is backlit. The glass 'multi-touch' trackpad supports 'supports two-finger scrolling, pinch, rotate, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities'. |
| Details: | This MacBook Pro uses a black and silver 'unibody' case design milled from a single piece of aluminum with a 'catchless' magnetic latch. |
| Apple Order No: | MB990LL/A | Apple Subfamily: | Mid-2009 13' |
| Details: | The Apple order number should be unique to this system. |
| Apple Model No: | A1278 (EMC 2326*) | Model ID: | MacBookPro5,5 |
| Details: | *Please note that these identifiers refer to more than one model. In this case, please also note that the EMC number is not externally listed on the notebook so it cannot be used readily for identification. Also see: All Macs with the A1278 Model Number, the 2326* EMC Number, and the MacBookPro5,5 Model Identifier. For more about these identifiers and how to locate them on each Mac, please refer to EveryMac.com's Mac Identification section. |
| Details: | Apple originally reported that this model had a '58-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery' that provides '7 hours of wireless productivity,' which the company quietly changed to later report a 60-watt-hour battery with the same estimated battery life. Also see: What is the 'real-world' battery life of the 'Mid-2009' 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo models? How does the battery life of each compare to the model each replaced? In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells quality batteries for this MacBook Pro. In the UK, site sponsor Flexx is a local distributor of OWC batteries for this MacBook Pro. In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit is a local distributor of OWC batteries for this MacBook Pro. |
| Pre-Installed MacOS: | X 10.5.7 (9J3050) | Maximum MacOS: | X 10.11.x* |
| Details: | *This system fully supports the last version of OS X 10.8 'Mountain Lion' as well as OS X 10.9 'Mavericks' except for 'Power Nap' and 'AirPlay Mirroring' (which also requires an Apple TV 2nd Gen or higher). It also supports the last version of OS X 10.10 'Yosemite' and OS X 10.11 'El Capitan' -- including Mac-to-Mac AirDrop capability -- but no other advanced features are supported. It is not capable of running macOS Sierra (10.12) or subsequent versions of the macOS at all. Please note that OS X 'Lion' 10.7 and subsequent versions of OS X are not capable of running Mac OS X apps originally written for the PowerPC processor as these operating systems do not support the 'Rosetta' environment. To run PowerPC applications on this Mac, it will be necessary to use Mac OS X 10.6 'Snow Leopard' or earlier. Also see: Which Macs are compatible with OS X El Capitan (10.11)? What are the system requirements? Which Macs support which features? |
| Minimum Windows: | XP SP2 (32-Bit)* | Maximum Windows: | 7 (64-Bit)* |
| Details: | *Apple's Boot Camp 4 formally supports the 32-bit version of Windows XP SP2 as well as the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7. However, the system does meet Microsoft's minimum requirements for Windows 8 and readers have reported successfully running the 32-Bit and 64-bit versions of this operating system with appropriate drivers. |
| MacOS 9 Support: | None | Windows Support: | Boot/Virtualization |
| Details: | Also see: Are there any third-party programs to run Mac OS 9/Classic applications on Intel Macs? Site sponsor OHS specializes in heavily upgraded Macs capable of running both Mac OS X and Mac OS 9 applications. For more on running Windows on Intel Macs, please refer to the exhaustive Windows on Mac Q&A. |
| Dimensions: | 0.95 x 12.78 x 8.94 | Avg. Weight: | 4.5 lbs (2.04 kg) |
| Details: | In inches while closed - height by width by depth, (2.41 cm, 32.5 cm, 22.7 cm). |
| Original Price (US): | US$1199 | Est. Current Retail: | US$250-US$350 |
| Details: | Please note that on average the estimated current retail pricing of used systems is updated twice a year (please refer to the date on the bottom of the page for the date last updated). Photo Credit: Apple Computer. |
Click on a category for additional details. The most commonly needed info is 'open' by default, but all info is important. The icons correspond with the icons for each port on the computer.
| Video (Monitor): | 1 (Mini DisplayPort) | Floppy (Ext.): | None |
Update 2009 Macbook Pro To High Sierra
| Details: | Supports external display in dual display and mirroring modes. DVI, Dual-Link DVI, and VGA supported by optional Apple adapters (sold separately). |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | Two 480-Mbps USB 2.0 ports, one 800-Mbps Firewire '800' port. |
| Details: | No internal modem. External Apple USB modem offered for US$49. Gigabit Ethernet, AirPort Extreme (802.11g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR standard. |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | Internal omnidirectional microphone. Has a single 'combined optical digital output/headphone out (user-selectable analog audio line in)' port (the same as the mic/headphone port used by the iPhone). |
| Details: | Has a single 'combined optical digital output/headphone out (user-selectable analog audio line in)' port (the same as the mic/headphone port used by the iPhone). |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | 100V-240V AC, 60W 'MagSafe' power adapter. Also see: What is the 'Magsafe' power connector? How does it work? How was it designed to not cause data loss? |
Global original prices for the MacBook Pro 13-Inch 'Core 2 Duo' 2.26 (SD/FW) in 34 different countries and territories follow; organized alphabetically by region.
For global original prices for Intel Macs in one particular country on a single page, please refer to EveryMac.com's Global Original Prices section.
Original Prices - North & South America
| Mexico: | N/A | United States: | US$1199 |
Update 2009 Macbook Pro To El Capitan
Original Prices - Europe
| Denmark: | N/A | Finland: | ¤1149 |
| Ireland: | ¤1149 | Italy: | ¤1149 |
| Norway: | NOK 10.490 | Portugal: | ¤1149 |
| Switzerland: | CHF 1'549 | United Kingdom: | £899 |
Upgrade 2009 Macbook Pro To Mojave
Original Prices - Asia
| India: | N/A | Indonesia: | N/A |
| Malaysia: | N/A | The Philippines: | N/A |
| Thailand: | N/A | Vietnam: | N/A |
Original Prices - Australia & New Zealand
If you have additional original prices for this model, please get in touch. Thank you.
Ten of the most popular Q&As about the MacBook Pro 13-Inch models follow.
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