Setup Assistant or Migration - please help!

[m-ac]

Hi

I am moving from a late 2009 MBP running s'leopard to a new imac which will also be running s'leopard.

Now, I want to copy everything from my mbp such as docs, emails, itunes, accounts...everything. Is it best I set up OSX on the new imac and then run migration or can I connect them both when I first boot up the new imac and run setup assistant to copy everything over?

Im assuming if I setup OSX first I will of course have to create an account on the imac. When I copy the account from the mbp, do I need to make sure the new account on the imac is called something different to what my mbp account is called? If it was the same, would the imac account just be deleted and replaced?

Im slightly confused and have spent the last 3 hours googling. Im a little wiser now but like I say, still confused!

Thanks

 

[Intell]

If both computers on on the same network do this: Open Migration Assistant on the old computer. It's in Application>Utilities. Enter your password when it asks, then select "To another Mac". Now you should start your new iMac for the first time. Go through and enter your info. When if comes time for you to make an account on your new iMac name it something other then what your account is named on your old Mac. Towards the end of the Setup Assistant you will have the option of transferring your old information over. You'll want to select "From another Mac" then select your Macbook Pro. Check the things you want to move over, then let it go. Depending on your network type it could take a long time.

Note: I wrote this from memory so it may not be in this exact order.

 

[m-ac]

Cool, so basically whether I use setup or migration, its pretty much exactly the same thing and one doesn't offer an advantage over the other?

 

[Intell]

Almost, Setup Assistant starts the first time you use your iMac. A part of it is the Migration Assistant.

Just make sure that when ever you setup your new iMac you name your new account something other then what it's named on your MBP. Otherwise there could be problems.

 

[m-ac]

Thanks for the help

So I just set up a temp account and I will be able to delete it once I import my 'old' account and not have any problems?

 

[Intell]

Yep, that's about all you need to do.