Easiest way to go from a 2011 to a 2012 MBA is...

[ZBoater]

... restoring a backup from Time Capsule? Will that even work? I am guessing some video drivers need to be updated, but I am thinking the version of OS X Lion in the new MBAs is slightly different.

And on that note, how about restoring a Winclone image?

 

[dona83]

Thunderbolt cable. Easy and thunder er lightning quick.

 

[cnixon]

I've been used the same Time Machine back-up across my 2010 11 inch MBA, 2011 13 inch MBP, and my 2011 13 inch MBA, and I've never had any OSX compatability issues.

 

[ZBoater]

Well, I bit the bullet and got the new MBA home. I started the Migration Assistant from my Time Machine, and it says its going to take 14 hours (over a standard wired ethernet connection). I tried doing a straight restore from backup, but it wouldn't let me saying the backup was made on another model Mac.

EDiT: Just now checked it 5 minutes later and it says 3 hours 41 minutes. Must have been some glitch calculating time. Now I can play with it at 2am instead of 9am tomorrow....

 

[KPOM]

Thunderbolt cable. Easy and thunder er lightning quick.

Exactly. It's the first time I ever got to use Migration Assistant using a direct connection (I had previously used a Time Capsule backup). It was the quickest I had ever been up and running.

 

[kodeman53]

Zboater: I smile every time I look at your avatar picture.

 

[ZBoater]

That's the same face I made when I FINALLY got done restoring and backing up my new MBA 14 hours AFTER I bought it... YESSSSSSS!!!!!!

The Thunderbolt cable doesn't seem that expensive to me anymore...