Moving from iMac to MacBook Pro

[MoodyM]

I currently have an iMac, but tomorrow I'm buying a MacBook Pro (the iMac is being sold to a family member).

What's the best way of transferring the Applications and their addons/preferences that I want to keep? Specifically things like Firefox, etc, and I really want to keep my 51GB Windows XP hard drive image that I use with Virtual Box

I have a 1TB external USB drive, but it's currently connected to my Mac Mini and is almost full with HD movies.

Both the iMac and MBP have 500GB hard drives (the iMac has used 296GB).

Would it be as simple as clearing enough space on the 1TB drive, then simply copying across all the Applications and folders from Application Support that I want to keep?

Or should I clear enough space on the 1TB drive then use Time Machine? Does Time Machine allow restoring a backup to a different Mac from the one the backup was created on? Many thanks!

 

[millypede]

I currently have an iMac, but tomorrow I'm buying a MacBook Pro (the iMac is being sold to a family member).

What's the best way of transferring the Applications and their addons/preferences that I want to keep? Specifically things like Firefox, etc, and I really want to keep my 51GB Windows XP hard drive image that I use with Virtual Box

I have a 1TB external USB drive, but it's currently connected to my Mac Mini and is almost full with HD movies.

Both the iMac and MBP have 500GB hard drives (the iMac has used 296GB).

Would it be as simple as clearing enough space on the 1TB drive, then simply copying across all the Applications and folders from Application Support that I want to keep?

Or should I clear enough space on the 1TB drive then use Time Machine? Does Time Machine allow restoring a backup to a different Mac from the one the backup was created on? Many thanks!

Migration Assistant is the easiest choice just make sure you have a Firewire 800 to 800 cable to transfer the data from one to the other. It keeps everything just like you would be turning on your iMac on your MacBook Pro.

 

[MoodyM]

Thanks, that's an option I wasn't aware of.

Only things putting me off it is

a) I don't have a Firewire cable
b) I was kinda hoping to use this exercise as a chance to "clean-up". I've never re-installed OS X since I got the iMac in July 2008, other than upgrading to Snow Leopard. Certainly I want to keep Firefox (plus addons), VirtualBox (plus XP hard drive image) and a few others, but I must have used dozens of other software over the last 2 years that I a) really don't use or b) have removed already and files are left lingering about

But it's an another option, so thanks!

 

[-aggie-]

Thanks, that's an option I wasn't aware of.

Only things putting me off it is

a) I don't have a Firewire cable
b) I was kinda hoping to use this exercise as a chance to "clean-up". I've never re-installed OS X since I got the iMac in July 2008, other than upgrading to Snow Leopard. Certainly I want to keep Firefox (plus addons), VirtualBox (plus XP hard drive image) and a few others, but I must have used dozens of other software over the last 2 years that I a) really don't use or b) have removed already and files are left lingering about

But it's an another option, so thanks!

Well, if you really want it clean, do a new install and then install the apps again. Adding the Firefox addons is no big deal. You should be able to just copy the XP image.

 

[MoodyM]

Thanks.

What's the best way to wipe the iMac clean before giving it to the family member who's buying it? It has Snow Leopard on it, but for the life of me I can't find my Snow Leopard disc that I bought on release day. Can I use the Install disc that will come with my MBP tomorrow, or will I have to use the Leopard install disc that came with the iMac, then find/buy a Snow Leopard disc?

 

[-aggie-]

Thanks.

What's the best way to wipe the iMac clean before giving it to the family member who's buying it? It has Snow Leopard on it, but for the life of me I can't find my Snow Leopard disc that I bought on release day. Can I use the Install disc that will come with my MBP tomorrow, or will I have to use the Leopard install disc that came with the iMac, then find/buy a Snow Leopard disc?

The latter.