Getting a MBP and have some questions

[0wls]

I've had a Mac Mini for 2 years and love it. It was my first non-Windows machine. I've never really DONE anything with it, though. I use my programs and that's basically it, so I'm clueless about some stuff. I just ordered a MacBook Pro, and now I'm realizing that I know so little about what I can do with a Mac, so I have a few questions:

1) My MBP will have a considerably smaller hard drive than my Mini, and I don't want to transfer all of my music (I have an enormous collection). Is there a way I can transfer just select albums and that data from my library (like playlists and play counts), as well as my iTunes settings without transferring everything? Will the play counts and playlists stay synced, or will they be different?

2) My external drive is full with my Time Machine backup(s). How can I best transfer files to the new computer? Is there a way I can transfer settings from programs like my iMessage settings, Sublime Text settings, GIMP settings and libraries, or must that all be done manually?

3) I've never had a laptop before and have always been connected by ethernet. Are there any security settings I should know about to keep it is safe as possible? I'll mostly be using it at home, but sometimes I will be using it at coding meetups, for example.

I'd appreciate any help! I'm very green with all of this.

 

[Dark Void]

Hi,

1) Yes, it is possible. My suggestion here would be to copy the entire iTunes folder (in your Music folder), transfer it over and delete whatever music you do not want on the new machine. If you cannot do this in one shot due to space restrictions, grab all the files and folders apart from the actual music files, and then start going for the music. Use a manual backup/transfer using a flash drive or external hard drive, in other words just drag and drop the files from the computer onto the external drive. I'd back up all of your files prior to doing this.

2) Use Migration Assistant if the two systems are running the same OS. This basically "applies" a Time Machine backup to the new machine. Those programs should retain their settings as the files that contain them will be transferred during the migration as well.

3) Do you intend on using Dropbox or anything like that? I'd just make sure your router is properly configured and you should be okay. If using outside of your home, I would make sure that you have your Firewall enabled (anticipating people jumping all over me telling me that the Firewall does nothing) and any sort of sharing turned off via System Preferences.

 

[0wls]

Thank you so much! That helps a ton.

As far as number 3, yes, I do use Dropbox. I plan on using it for active development files. If using it, is there something else I should be aware of?

 

[Dark Void]

Thank you so much! That helps a ton.

As far as number 3, yes, I do use Dropbox. I plan on using it for active development files. If using it, is there something else I should be aware of?

I'm sorry but I avoid using Dropbox and any other Cloud-type services/extensions/applications so hopefully someone can better comment on this.

I'm glad to help.