Which os?
Which os?
This depends on your familiarity with the platforms you're accustomed to. If you're familiar with Windows (XP-10), purchasing a Windows 10 Pro license and using Boot-Camp for installation works well. Once installed, keep updating your OS until it reaches the latest stable release compatible with your hardware. For those comfortable with Linux distributions, consider switching to Ubuntu instead. Keep in mind that Linux systems require some learning. If this is your first experience, opt for dual-booting to ensure stability. To explore the newest Mac OS options, you can either upgrade your MacBook’s chipset to appear as supported hardware or use Mac PostFactor to modify the OS image for compatibility with older devices. This latter approach needs dual-boot support and should be done carefully. I can share detailed instructions for any of these processes if needed!
Note: I often refer to this site for tracking Mac hardware and compatibility: https://everymac.com/systems/
Edited November 14, 2017 by TopHatProductions115
macOS without graphics acceleration is quite honestly the worst experience possible for a Mac. I've been down that road and it's not one for the faint of heart. And yes, a logic board upgrade is possible, but we'd have to assume the OP want's to just keep it on what's in it; not like Apple makes it easy to switch them anyways. PostFactor has its own share of issues, Apple discontinues the OS on a system for a reason, and it's like What-We-Aren't-Allowed-To-Talk-About-On-The-Forums kind of compatibility as well.
Linux Mint is an excellent choice for beginners exploring GNU/Linux systems.