Dumb-A$$ Questions About Data Transfer

[tradescant]

Hi,

Newbie so please be gentle ....nah, what the heck, flame away!

Running an iMac G5 PPC and about to buy a MacBook. I'm fairly confident that I can copy data and software from the iMAC to the MacBook by connecting the two with an ethernet cable when I first get the MacBook.

Thing is I don't want to copy **everything** across. For example Photoshop can happily stay justy on the iMac as I'll continue to use that and its big screen for photo-editing.

So... is it possible to be selective about what is copied over or is it all or nothing?

One other dumb question - can I hook the MacBook up to the iMac and, well for arguments sake, have email on the MacBook display and Photoshop on the iMac (forget the technical name for this functionality)?

Thanks.

D.

 

[killmoms]

Using the Migration Assistant when you first set up your MacBook will allow you to transfer your current user's data across, but (even though that gives you *some* control over what to copy) that's probably more than you want. I'd say the best way to go would be to just use Personal File Sharing (in System Preferences > Sharing) to share between the two machines and move over the documents/apps you want on your own.

As for using the iMac as a monitor for your MacBook, no, you can't do that. The iMac can connect to an external display (as can the MacBook), but neither can act as a display for another computer.

 

[wildmac]

If you boot the iMac in target-disk mode, (holding down the T at boot), you can connect it to the Macbook as a firewire drive, and copy over what you need. If you have a lot of data to transfer, that will be faster than via file sharing.

 

[Shadow]

As for using the iMac as a monitor for your MacBook, no, you can't do that. The iMac can connect to an external display (as can the MacBook), but neither can act as a display for another computer.

Can (but its kinda slow and needs a network). VNC it (ScreenRecycer on MacBook, etc).

 

[SC68Cal]

Migration Assistant only transfers over your user account (files, settings). It does not transfer applications IIRC

 

[Allotriophagy]

Migration Assistant only transfers over your user account (files, settings). It does not transfer applications IIRC

You can choose what it will transfer.

http://www.apple.com/pro/tips/migration.html