Properly backing up a mac?

[Eggtastic]

I bought a WD 500 GB external hard drive. I plugged it into my MBP to be able to back up files because I am planning to sell it soon and upgrade to a MBA.

I did this via time machine. Nothing manual, it does it automatically. There are several times it does this and neatly stores each "back up session" in a folder labeled with the date and time.

3 questions (keep in mind i am running 10.5.8, i know i just never got to upgrading the OSX):

1. If I wipe my MBP after a back up is complete, sell it off, and buy a MBA, will all my photos, music, etc be saved?

2. Lets say I purchase a new MBA, plug the external HD into it, can I manually pick what I want to transfer to the MBA, then set it up as a time machine backup for the new MBA?

3. Can I delete previous back up dates since there are more recent back up dates being put on?

 

[igucl]

1. Yes, Time Machine copies everything in your home folder.

2. Yes, you can manually pick and choose by navigating through the file structure of your drive. Or, you could use the migration assistant.

3. Not sure. I think the more recent back up dates only add the changes you've made since the last backup, but I'm not 100% sure about that.