New SSD - Clean install or clone?

[lbeck]

I need to upgrade my boot SSD due to space. I'm getting one of the OWC PCIe SSD's or the new Samsung EVO SSD.

Should I do a clean install of Mavericks and all my applications? Or is it ok to just clone my current boot drive?

Obviously it's easier to clone, and I've got a bunch of software that would need to be reinstalled like Adobe CSS suite and also multiple local servers setup for dev testing. Pain to set all that up again.

Are there viable reasons to set everything up clean, or is a clone ok?

Thanks!

 

[Avatarshark]

Balance it out
Cloning
Pro
All of your apps and system settings and files are already there, you don't have to change a thing to operate if you intent do the same things as before

Con
Trash (unneeded files) from your old operating system are going to transfer although not a big deal in Mac OSX since there isn't a registry system

Fresh
Pro
Nothing out of the box, brand new, no trash

Con
You have reset up everything, all settings, not you can't operate like you use to unless you have found out all of the niche settings you might have set

 

[Sital]

I'd just use a clone, but take the time beforehand to get rid of any unneeded files and apps. Basically, clean up and streamline your system before cloning it.

 

[Weaselboy]

Are there viable reasons to set everything up clean, or is a clone ok?

Thanks!

If your machine is working okay now, just do the clone.

You will need to reenter registration for your Adobe apps anyway though since the apps will see they are on new hardware.

 

[lbeck]

Sounds like clone is the way to go, I'll certainly clean it all up beforehand too

Thanks guys.