Confirmed: All Macbook Pro CAN have Multi-Touch now! (minor mod required)

I was doing a little modifications with Macbook Pros at work today. I replaced the top case assembly of a 15" Core Duo MBP with the top case assembly from a 15" Core 2 Duo MBP (Early 2008).

It just works. All I did was just transfer the flex cable from the old top case to the new top case because the new top case connector is larger than the old one.

To make it fit the old MBP, it requires is to have some parts on the new top case removed (bluetooth antenna, mounting rentention, ALS shield). Then finally I cut and peeled off a corner where the old ALS on the left.

Oh, you need to have 10.5.4 (I think at least) caz the drivers won't be available in Tiger.

Didn't take pics of this project here caz I never thought it would work.

Nonetheless, here are the parts you need.

Keyboard - 922-8350
Top case - 922-8351

I highly suggest if you want to do it, pay close attention to the details of the old top case before making any changes to the new one. Also, I noticed a minor buldge on the left side of the keyboard, so far the notebook is working great. Just don't expect the top case will be a perfect fit because it is not the same top case anyways. still, screw the minor cosmetic issue, now you have multi-touch!!!

 

Is this one of those, 'Because we can' things? XD. Still, that's awesome!
EMZ=D

 

cool, what about just swapping over a Early 2008 keyboard (with 2 Option keys) over to a (2.4 Santa Rosa) machine? the 17" model, from what I have seen, this shold definitely be possible, because both keyboards attach with the same amount of tabs/screws.

has this been tried? i believe the keyboard part # is 922-8388.

I would love to have a keyboard with the new hardware shortcuts and extra option key.

definitely let me know.

 

And here I was hoping it was just a software fix. Glad to see there are people about doing stuff like this, though.

 

Since I don't have a lot of 17"s to work with, if the flex cable contains the same end as the late-2007/early-2008 model, I would say it should work.

The keyboard part 922-8388 is for early-2008, the keyboard for the 2.4 is 922-7949... same price.. maybe it could work.

I don't even know if a keyboard change is required on this whole project here, since I ordered the top case, so I ordered the keyboard just in case.

This project is completely done out of curiosity. Apple designed things with very little backward compatibility (internally). I just gave it a shot because I want to have multi-touch and I had a spare machine to work on.

 

Did this require soldering, or anything else you cannot do by hand and a screwdriver?

Does this mean you lose bluetooth?

Any chance of some pictures (of the bulge for example?), or more detailed instructions?

I have a old model MBP with a busted top case and keyboard, and am just shopping for a replacement when I ran into this. I'm mighty tempted to try but don't want to end up with useless parts / keyboard. I'm not a technician though..

 

i thought you mean implementing 4finger swipe onto early 08 models

good job anyhow!

 

I know if the 5-finger-discount works for one model, it works for them all.

>.>

 

I have the early/mid 2008 MBP and I have 4 finger swipes. All you need to do is to replace the multitouch kexts with the ones for the new MBP.

 

OMG, is it really worth it to go through all of that trouble like the OP did just to get multi-touch gestures on the old Macbook Pro's? IMO, no. Also you still have the same small trackpad which makes doing the gestures awkward as it's too cramped. Whatever.

 

Very cool OP.

Question are the new imacs touch screen as well?

 

Please be a joke.

You may get multi-touch, But you still don't get the nice big track pad like the unibodys

 

You can do it already.

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=617645

 

+1,
the expose shortcut with 4 finger swipe is really handy

 

If only you could do this on the macbook. Even if it did require a slight hardware mod.