Used MacBook for PT 8/Mbox2??

[robotboy]

Can anyone recommend which kind of used Macbook I would want to buy to run PT 8.05 with an Mbox 2? I've always been a PC guy and don't know much about the Mac, or any computer for that matter! Thanks

[mindnoise]

Hi,
You biggest problem will be OS-Combatibility with the 3rd party Plug-Ins but here you go:

here is the official PT 8 requirement doc from AVID:
http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/e...ility/en363239

and here a sheet which Version of Pro Tools and MBoxes are ccompatible with which Mac OS:
http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/e...ility/en353149

the highest Mac OS that is officiall compatible with Pro Tools 8 is 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) in 32 Bit Mode
(PT 8 can be made compatible with OS X 10.7 Lion but this might be too much of a hack for you:
http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=306237 )
Subsequently you need a MacBook (Pro) that can still boot into 32 Bit Kernal.

the latest MacBooks (Pro) that were shipped with 10.6.8 are e.g. the early 2011
15" and 17" models

15":
Introduced February 2011
Model Identifier MacBookPro8,2
Model Number A1286
EMC 2353
Order Number MC721LL/A (2.0 GHz) MC723LL/A (2.2 GHz)

17":
Introduced February 2011
Model Identifier MacBookPro8,3
Model Number A1297
EMC 2352
Order Number MC725LL/A

So, basically you can get any MacBook (Pro) between 2007 (earlier is not recommended, the technology is too old)
and 2011, without worrying.

Anyway, here is a article on until what Mac Revision OS X 10.6 can be installed - look at the very end of the article:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2455
Quote:
"MacBook Pro 8,x with EMC#s 2355, 2563, 2564 can only run 10.7 or later, all other 8,x EMC#s can run 10.6.3 or later, and all 7,x can.
MacBook Pro 9,x and higher can only run 10.7 and later."


And finally MBox 2 drivers:

as far as the MBox 2 compatibility is concerned there are drivers that support even the latest Mac OS 10.9 (Mavericks)
http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/e...ers&popup=true

sorry that there is no shorter way to informing you but I don't see any easier way but I hope this helps,
:)