New Mac Pro checklist

[sotofish]

My new Mac should be here in a few days. I am looking for a checklist of what I need to do to check things for problems and set things up. I am thinking of using Migration Assistant to transfer my iTunes library, iPhoto library, Mail, internet setting (and hopefully passwords!) and a few other things. I read MA is not the best at transferring between the older non Intel Macs (my old Mac is an O.G. 2004 G5 running 10.3), so I may do it in disk target mode. I have more RAM coming, should I install that before I turn on the computer for the first time? And there are two HD's, the second one will be used for Time Machine. Do I need to set anything special up with that?

Here's my configuration, pretty basic:

MacPro
Two 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeo
2GB (2x1GB)
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB
500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb
500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb
One 16x SuperDrive
AirPort Extreme Card (Wi-Fi)

I have 8GB of RAM on the way too.

Thanks for any info!

 

[Techguy172]

Install the Ram after you have booted it. Just set it to use that hard drive in time machine.

 

[m1stake]

Boot the machine out of the box before you install the memory just to make sure that everything works. After that, install the new memory. That way if you have an issue, you instantly know that the new memory is bad, instead of having to trouble shoot everything.

Hopefully you won't have any issues (They're rare), enjoy your new Mac!

P.S.: I'm also getting ready to retire my G4 with Panther, glad to know that someone is still using that besides me

 

[sotofish]

P.S.: I'm also getting ready to retire my G4 with Panther, glad to know that someone is still using that besides me

Thanks for the reply. Yeah I feel like I'm spoiling myself but in reality I've needed a new Mac for a couple years. Gonna be nice going from a slow old G5 with 1GB of RAM and a filled up 100GB HD to the monster I have coming. Looking forward to all the cool "new" things 10.5 has.

 

[m1stake]

Send me your "old" G5 out of pity. I just deleted FF2 in hopes of downloading FF3, and it wouldn't work since I still have Panther. My last upgrade path gone, because Safari 3 won't touch my computer either

 

[Julien]

Why not go ahead and spend another $150 and buy 2-750GB HD. Then make a RAID 1 and have a 1TB main HD and a 1.5TB TM. You can never be too thin, have too much money, or have too much storage.

 

[jmathew]

Why not go ahead and spend another $150 and buy 2-750GB HD. Then make a RAID 1 and have a 1TB main HD and a 1.5TB TM. You can never be too thin, have too much money, or have too much storage.

Are they that cheap now? I havent looked in awhile - know offhand where one can get two 750g drives for $150?

I'm also planning on adding additional drives when my mac arrives - is it best to leave the original drive (will be smaller 320GB) as the boot drive?

 

[neverownedapc]

My new Mac should be here in a few days. I am looking for a checklist of what I need to do to check things for problems and set things up. I am thinking of using Migration Assistant to transfer my iTunes library, iPhoto library, Mail, internet setting (and hopefully passwords!) and a few other things. I read MA is not the best at transferring between the older non Intel Macs (my old Mac is an O.G. 2004 G5 running 10.3), so I may do it in disk target mode. I have more RAM coming, should I install that before I turn on the computer for the first time? And there are two HD's, the second one will be used for Time Machine. Do I need to set anything special up with that?

Here's my configuration, pretty basic:

MacPro
Two 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeo
2GB (2x1GB)
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB
500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb
500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb
One 16x SuperDrive
AirPort Extreme Card (Wi-Fi)

I have 8GB of RAM on the way too.

Thanks for any info!

first, are you the real jeff soto born june 3, 1975 in fullerton, california? if so, thumbs up on your work and will you do some art on my mac? as for the ram, load it whenever, it'll just be faster when you put it in. as for your mac, i really hope you spent that money because your making a movie because that's what you now own, a movie making machine. as for 2 internal hard drives like i run on my tower, they show up like 2 hard drives like any computer with 2 drives and time machine is a program like any other. all you do is set it the preferences for the aux. drive to store your data on.

and now, some of my art for you:

got to scan it in to my new probook and play with it, but you get the picture.

 

[sotofish]

first, are you the real jeff soto born june 3, 1975 in fullerton, california?

Haha, yeah it's me. The real Jeff Soto. I am hoping to do some 2D animation with it, and mess with some movie stuff. My last computer couldn't handle it. I have a lot of ideas for stories, short film clips using my art, I just need to have someone show me the ways.

One of the other reasons I needed this computer is for huge photoshop files. We scan in all my paintings in pieces and assemble them together like a big puzzle. So some of these files are giant, they're all actual size at 300dpi. The old Mac would take 10-15 minutes to save some of these. It's awful.

Will I do some art on your Mac? Haha, well, I'm behind on like 8 deadlines right now so I have to decline! I did do some artwork for a company a few years ago called Macskinz. They had skins to put over your Macbook. I don't know if they're still around...

Thanks for the info!

 

[neverownedapc]

Haha, yeah it's me. The real Jeff Soto. I am hoping to do some 2D animation with it, and mess with some movie stuff. My last computer couldn't handle it. I have a lot of ideas for stories, short film clips using my art, I just need to have someone show me the ways.

One of the other reasons I needed this computer is for huge photoshop files. We scan in all my paintings in pieces and assemble them together like a big puzzle. So some of these files are giant, they're all actual size at 300dpi. The old Mac would take 10-15 minutes to save some of these. It's awful.

Will I do some art on your Mac? Haha, well, I'm behind on like 8 deadlines right now so I have to decline! I did do some artwork for a company a few years ago called Macskinz. They had skins to put over your Macbook. I don't know if they're still around...

Thanks for the info!

i hear you needing to replace your old mac as i've been using my 8 year old g4 way to long and finally had to upgrade as i have been getting interested in the same things as you are.

and don't worry about the mac art, i probably couldn't afford it. but with that aside, ever thought about using some old macs for something?