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PPC to Lion Migration

Q

Quinto

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 27, 2009
5
1
I recently replaced a well-used PowerBook G4 with a new MBA that came with Lion pre-installed. If anyone else is planning this or trying to do the same, here's what I found out:

1) The Leopard to Lion Migration Assistant (currently version 1.2.3) only works with Intel Macs. There may be an update sometime that will allow PPC to Lion but no guarantee.

2) If you have a Time Capsule backup, it will only restore to a similar machine. Attempting to reboot the MBA using command-R will only bring up a dialog that states that.

3) The best option I found was to buy the $29 USB to Ethernet adaptor for the MBA and then drag and drop the documents folder, iPhoto folder, etc.

Hard to believe it is that difficult to configure the migration assistant to capture the essentials of a move but the worst part of this was that it took the Applecare rep 15 minutes to figure out number 1 and then the local genius bar advised doing number 2.

Save yourself some time and follow option 3 and you'll be up and running faster.
 
Quinto said:
I recently replaced a well-used PowerBook G4 with a new MBA that came with Lion pre-installed. If anyone else is planning this or trying to do the same, here's what I found out:

1) The Leopard to Lion Migration Assistant (currently version 1.2.3) only works with Intel Macs. There may be an update sometime that will allow PPC to Lion but no guarantee.

2) If you have a Time Capsule backup, it will only restore to a similar machine. Attempting to reboot the MBA using command-R will only bring up a dialog that states that.

3) The best option I found was to buy the $29 USB to Ethernet adaptor for the MBA and then drag and drop the documents folder, iPhoto folder, etc.

Hard to believe it is that difficult to configure the migration assistant to capture the essentials of a move but the worst part of this was that it took the Applecare rep 15 minutes to figure out number 1 and then the local genius bar advised doing number 2.

Save yourself some time and follow option 3 and you'll be up and running faster.
Click to expand...

Yeah... Apple fails pretty hard here, they've basically screwed everyone with a PowerPC. Of course... that's what they do.

I'd use the ethernet connection through your router; if you're hooked up via 1000BT, fantastic... if you're 100BT, that'll stil work. I've done it via 10BT w/large files (7GB+), so yeah...



Why not use a USB Flash Drive?
Click to expand...

#1 Not everyone owns one larger than 8GB (my largest is 2GB), and #2 no one owns them large enough to hold 500 GB worth of data. It's a pain.
 
Glad I noticed this thread - thanks for relating your experience!

I'm considering (finally) retiring my eight year old Power Mac G5 2.0 GHz dualie and getting an iMac or the new Mini soonish. I'm sure either will totally smoke my old dualie.

I think when I get my new Mac I'll avoid Migration Assistant and just connect the new machine to my G5 via ethernet, and drag all my files over.
 
Quinto, a follow-up question if I may - did you transfer your old Mail mbox files over to the MBA?

If you did, do they work with the current version of Mail in Lion?
 
Thanks for the info Quinto. I was trying to figure out if there was a way with migration assistant but it looks like I'll be dragging and dropping (PowerPC Dual 2GHz G5 -> 2.5Ghz i5 mini, which, BTW Doga, kicks the old Pro's ass).
 
KevArty said:
...PowerPC Dual 2GHz G5 -> 2.5Ghz i5 mini, which, BTW Doga, kicks the old Pro's ass...
Click to expand...

Yep, played with one at the Apple Store in Montreal for about 15 minutes today. Probably about a 25th the size and volume of my antique G5 dualie, and damn is it fast. Not to mention beautiful.

Funny, I'd never really paid attention to the Mini before the latest revision and now all of a sudden it seems to be just the right thing for me - and its price is a mere fraction of what I paid for my dualie eight years ago.
 
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