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znewton

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 14, 2008
14
0
Any ideas here. With the FW port being non-existent now this would have been my mode of choice for transferring all of my data to my new computer. Will I have to burn DVDs with all of my data and do it that way??? That will be a big PITA if that is the case. I have many gigs of music that I need to transfer over.

Thanks,
Zach
 

Andrmgic

macrumors 6502a
Jun 27, 2007
531
1
Ethernet would be faster.. both macbooks have gigabit ethernet and AUTO MDI/MDX capable jacks.. meaning a patch cable or a cross-over cable can work for creating a two computer network between them.

alternately, if you have a time machine backup of your old mac, you could just use that and tell the setup assistant to transfer your files and programs from a time machine backup.
 

urmom

macrumors newbie
Oct 9, 2008
19
0
Network both computers with ethernet.

Probably a stupid question, but does that just mean you plug one end of the ethernet cord into your old mac and the other end into your new macbook? Then what? Automatically starts transferring files? Or will you have to move things over manually?

I remember when my boyfriend got a new (old) macbook last year, he used firewire and everything transfered over automatically. Is that the same with ethernet?
 

Warbrain

macrumors 603
Jun 28, 2004
5,702
293
Chicago, IL
Probably a stupid question, but does that just mean you plug one end of the ethernet cord into your old mac and the other end into your new macbook? Then what? Automatically starts transferring files? Or will you have to move things over manually?

I remember when my boyfriend got a new (old) macbook last year, he used firewire and everything transfered over automatically. Is that the same with ethernet?

You need a crossover cable. That way the proper wires and connections are made.

I suspect that it'll let you do it over wireless like the Air does.
 

tMac85

macrumors 65816
Sep 15, 2007
1,144
0
in a great place
if you have an ipod, like a classic or something atleast 32Gb storage you can do it that way. just like a giant flash drive. works really fast. thats what i did.
 

Andrmgic

macrumors 6502a
Jun 27, 2007
531
1
You actually don't need a crossover cable if the ports are Auto MDI/MDX.. which I think the macbook's ports are. One of them will act as one end of a cross-over cable and the other will act in the opposite way automagically :)


Yep.. from the Macbook user manual..

Macbook User Manual said:
Gigabit Ethernet port (10/100/1000Base-T)
Connect to a high-speed Ethernet network, a DSL or cable modem, or another computer.
The Ethernet port automatically detects Ethernet devices and doesn’t require an Ethernet crossover cable.
 

urmom

macrumors newbie
Oct 9, 2008
19
0
So connecting with ethernet will allow me to manually move files over? It wont just automatically do it?

I guess I'll just use my external hard drive then.
 

Chundles

macrumors G5
Jul 4, 2005
12,037
493
So connecting with ethernet will allow me to manually move files over? It wont just automatically do it?

I guess I'll just use my external hard drive then.

You should be able to use ethernet for the Migration Assistant when you're setting up your new machine. The MacBook Air can use ethernet with it's adapter, can even do it wirelessly but that is slow as all hell.
 

urmom

macrumors newbie
Oct 9, 2008
19
0
You should be able to use ethernet for the Migration Assistant when you're setting up your new machine. The MacBook Air can use ethernet with it's adapter, can even do it wirelessly but that is slow as all hell.

Awesome, that's what I wanted to know. I just didn't know what that program/process/thing was called. I'm still using Jaguar, I see that was introduced with Tiger.

Thanks everyone
 

staccato83

macrumors 6502a
Sep 9, 2008
593
0
Las Vegas
So can you use Migration Assistant when you are transferring your files from a pc to a mac?

And does the new mac automatically place the files where they should go?
 

Chozo

macrumors member
Jun 23, 2008
93
0
Pardon my supreme ignorance to this issue, but what in the world uses FW?

Seriously, I've seldom used it (I've only used it to dump video from my camcorder a few times), nor have I known anyone to use FW. Yet I have read quite a few posts today about people going on about losing the FW port.

I had no idea it was this popular to the point it'd be missed this much.
 

midiotlv

macrumors member
Feb 5, 2008
35
0
Las Vegas, NV
Many (most?) audio interfaces use FW (including mine). Many of us stayed away from the plastic macbooks due to graphics/performance. I was so pumped about the udpates...but no FW makes it a deal breaker for me.


These audio interfaces are expensive (almost the price of the plastic macbook in some cases), so it isn't as easy as 'go buy a USB version'.

Not to mention that many (most?) DV camcorders are FW only (you have to either go down in quality for USB or up in quality for quasi-HD (and up in price) to go USB).

I have to agree with many others complaining about no FW....seems they did that to force us up to the MBP. Strange that the lowest level laptop and the highest level laptop have FW, but none of the in-between models.

So, for many musicians/producers and many DV video users, these new macbooks are like salt in a wound...we finally get the updates we've been wanting, but now we can't use the machine.
 

leighonigar

macrumors 6502a
May 5, 2007
908
1
Many (most?) audio interfaces use FW (including mine). Many of us stayed away from the plastic macbooks due to graphics/performance. I was so pumped about the udpates...but no FW makes it a deal breaker for me.

Indeed, This is very irritating. I don't mind when apple ditches old things for something new and better (like... in a roundabout way floppies for email etc.) but firewire has no replacement, at least, not one that the macbooks will ever have. The connectivity of this thing is simply abysmal. TWO USB ports?! No firewire? NO express card? (not that I was expecting that...).

In the UK these things are mega-expensive (exchange rate, whatever). For the same kind of money one can get some serious tech from other mfrs. Or for less one can get something similar... then spend the rest on rebuying software for windows.
 

southerndoc

Contributor
May 15, 2006
1,833
504
USA
You need a crossover cable. That way the proper wires and connections are made.

I suspect that it'll let you do it over wireless like the Air does.

Maybe I'm wrong since it's been so long since I purchased the cable, but isn't the cable that connects a router to a cable modem a crossover cable?
 

BanjoBanker

macrumors 6502
Aug 10, 2006
354
0
Mt Brook, AL
Maybe I'm wrong since it's been so long since I purchased the cable, but isn't the cable that connects a router to a cable modem a crossover cable?
No, that is not a crossover cable, you have a normal patch cord. Any Intel Mac can use ordinary patch cords, such as you have, to transfer data with the migration assistant. The ethernet ports automatically handle the configuration. Crossover cables are a thing of the past that should never be needed again by Mac users after the 2nd gen iBooks. :D
 

southerndoc

Contributor
May 15, 2006
1,833
504
USA
No, that is not a crossover cable, you have a normal patch cord. Any Intel Mac can use ordinary patch cords, such as you have, to transfer data with the migration assistant. The ethernet ports automatically handle the configuration. Crossover cables are a thing of the past that should never be needed again by Mac users after the 2nd gen iBooks. :D

I'm not networking expert, and it's been a while since I purchased it (almost 10 years ago). Just thought it was a crossover cable. Guess not.
 

urmom

macrumors newbie
Oct 9, 2008
19
0
Doesn't look like Migration Assistant will work. My new macbook is telling me to open up Migration Assistant on my old powerbook, which doesn't have it. Any ideas?

I'd like to avoid moving everything over manually with my external hard drive if possible.
 
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