Fresh, Clean rMBP And Use of Old Files?

[Sully]

In anticipation of replacing my 2007 MacBook Pro, I'm trying to figure out the best way to use my existing files on the new computer without transferring the entire contents of the hard drive to the new computer. I want to start fresh and only pull files from my old computer on an "as needed" basis. My existing machine has a relatively new SSD and upgraded memory.

I'm thinking that I'll clone the contents of the SSD to a portable hard drive which I will attach to the new computer when I need to search for something. Anything I use, I'll keep on the new computer. The other stuff will stay archived on the ancillary hard drive.

Is there a better a way to do this than what I've proposed?

 

[keysofanxiety]

Is there a better a way to do this than what I've proposed?

I think the best bet would be:

1) Run a Time Machine backup of your existing Mac. This will do all the work for you with regards to cloning the contents.
2) When you get your new rMBP, plug in the Time Machine backup and run Migration Assistant. This will pull any data/applications that you want.

Just a heads-up that Migration Assistant can be used at any time within macOS, so it doesn't need to be on first setup, though it will prompt you to do that when you first create your user account.

With the TM backup, you will also have the advantage of browsing it much like an external hard-drive, so you can pull any individual files as and when you need to.