Model Identifier: MacBookPro9,2
US version
Model No: A1278
Order No: MD101LL/A (2.5 GHz), MD102LL/A (2.9 GHz)
Initial Price: $1,199 (2.5 GHz) $1,499 (2.9 GHz)
It was only old because they let it get that way.
Mine: (2) 960 GiB SSDs, 16 GiB RAM, Sugru'ed FireWire port and optical slot.
The processor and screen are old, but they're not critical to what I use it for. New ones lack MagSafe and force you to pay for Apple upgrades and more accessories to haul around to do what was previously possible.
Anyhow, it's the last Apple computer I'll likely ever buy, until they get their products back to something people actually use as opposed to a Bentley for a Sunday drive.