File transfers via firewire

[Mr. DG]

Hi, i have a large file on my intel mac mini i'd like to burn to DVD, but i dont have a superdrive. My friend has a PPC G5 powermac, so if i connect the two via firewire will i be able to just drag the file over? also can i do this using only one monitor, unplugging it and swapping it between the two computers?

 

[jsw]

Sure. Just connect your Mac to his - and the display to his Mac. Boot yours in Target Disk Mode, drag the file over from the disk that'll then appear on his Mac, and Bob's your uncle.

 

[yellow]

You will have to put one of the computers in target mode and then connect via firewire cable.

Reboot holding down "t" to got into Target Mode.
This will make the computer appear just like a firewire drive on the Desktop of the Mac it's attached to.

damnit. whipped.

 

[jsw]

Well, I was there first, but you make a better point - either Mac can be the Target-mode Firewire drive, so, if it's easier, the other guy's Mac could be booted that way, and dragging the file to that mounted drive would serve the purpose just as well.

 

[Mr. DG]

cheers guys. Its an imovie project, i was going to render it to a .mov then copy that file over, but can i just bypass that step, copy the imovie project file over then burn it with iDVD?

 

[balamw]

I'd probably do target mode as well, and have used it many times, but couldn't you also do TCP/IP over FireWire or just use an Ethernet crossover cable too?

B

 

[CoMpX]

cheers guys. Its an imovie project, i was going to render it to a .mov then copy that file over, but can i just bypass that step, copy the imovie project file over then burn it with iDVD?

Absolutely. Provided his Mac has iMovie, you can just drag the iMovie project onto his Mac and go from there through iDVD or whatever you have to do.

 

[Mr. DG]

thanks, just what i wanted to hear. now why didnt i pay the extra and get the superdrive.....

 

[jsw]

thanks, just what i wanted to hear. now why didnt i pay the extra and get the superdrive.....

Because you can get an external Firewire burner for less than $150?

 

[Eidorian]

Because you can get an external Firewire burner for less than $150?

That and you can build your own using an external enclosure.

 

[Killyp]

I used Firewire target mode recently when I had to get all the files off an eMac someone at my school's art department had dropped. No why on earth don't PCs have the same kind of thing?!?!?

 

[Mr. DG]

@jsw:
Well actually the reason is i'm waiting for the Rev. A MBP issues to be sorted out before i buy one of those with a superdrive / 2GB memory. So i bought the core solo mini as the cheapest option to tide me over. Looks like it'll be the Merom MBP i'll be gettiing now, though the macbook does look appealing.

 

[Killyp]

I don't know what all the issues are with the MBP. Sure, I managed to clock mine running up to 90 deg C today (well I was playing 2 HD movies, iTunes & garage band all at the same time ) but the whining isn't a problem (I don't think my MBP even suffers from it) and the heat doesn't bother me. I've got used to the heat it produces on my lap. It's not as bad as you would think...