Intro + Questions (need help)

Hello MacRumors Forum members.

I am the new guy here and thought I should introduce myself before asking for help. I am an "older" user that is relatively new to using Mac computers. My computing history started with an Amiga 1000 in 1987 (which I still own). I learned so much from that computer's GUI and CLI that it actually helped me advance in my NON-computer related profession, because knowing how computers work is helpful in almost all jobs now. I am now retired and have more time to pursue my hobbies, one of which is video editing on computers.

To that end, I have just purchased a used Dual 2.7GHz G5 PowerMac to set up as a video/audio editing workstation, and I will have tons of questions in the coming few weeks regarding how to best set up and obtain the software I will need to use the G5 PMac to it's best potential. I know that PPC is dead and that I have just purchased a boat anchor, so there is no need to point out my mistake in not getting an Intel Mac instead (I have a few reasons for going with the G5, not the least of which is cost).

My first Mac was a 1GHz G4 Titanium PowerBook bought new a few years ago and I loved it, but it kept breaking down and I finally gave up on fixing it. I then moved on to a 2.06GHz Core2Duo MacBook, which also was great. I have also purchased a couple of MacMini's (1-Intel & 1-G4) and a G4 PowerMac over the last couple of years.

Now comes the strange part. Given my initial introduction to computers I never lost interest in the Amiga and have dabbled around with several of them over the years and continue to fire one up from time to time for nostalgia and even to do some NLE on the Video Toaster/Flyer. The best (in my opinion) Next Generation Amiga operating system is MorphOS (currently at v2.7, just released), which has been running on many G4 Mac computer models for the past 14+ months, with a "proof of concept demo" of a future release on the G5 PowerMac already shown booting (part of my reason for buying the G5 PMac, instead of an Intel PMac). The next port of MorphOS2.x will be to the G4 PowerBook (also already demonstrated running MorphOS2.x) and I hope that it will be finished within the next 6 months. Back to my strange request, I purchased a 17" 1.67GHz G4 PowerBook a few months ago and gave my Intel MacBook to my 17 year old Son. Before giving him my MacBook I ran Time Machine to back up the MacBook to an external USB hard drive with the thought that I could then transfer my email, pictures, videos, iTunes account, etc. from the Time Machine backup to my recently acquired G4 PowerBook. WRONG! The PowerBook does not even see the USB hard drive for some reason that I don't know about. I then thought that I would restore the MacBook with my Time Machine backup and try some other method to transfer what I needed/wanted from the MacBook to the PowerBook, so I backed up all my Son's stuff, using Time Machine again to a different partition on the same USB hard drive. Now I can't get the MacBook to restore my original backup of my files, it only see's my Son's Time Machine backup and will not recognize mine. Although I own a few Mac computers, I admit to being a Mac idiot that does not understand much about how they work, or how to take advantage of all the great features that MacOS offers. That is why I am here, please help. What I need (I guess) is the easiest way to transfer everything, but specially my iTunes account and content, from the MacBook backup to my 1.67GHz G4 PowerBook, which I use as my primary laptop now. I have just purchased a new 320gb hard drive to install into the G4 PowerBook with the intent of setting up a dual boot MacOSX+MorphOS2.x system (also wondering if installing Ubuntu PPC is worthwhile on this PowerBook to make it a Triple Boot system, since MacOSX is no longer developed for PPC).

Any and all help and advice is welcome and appreciated.