Switching files to new Mac

[biblicalfury]

I have a refurbished iMac on the way and I'd like to transfer files from my iBook. Most of it should be easy enough, but I'm wondering about a couple of things.

Mainly, any suggestions on transfering from Mail? I'm not sure I need thousands of messages moved, but it would be nice to have at least some of them.

Also, I'm thinking that transfering files to iPhoto and iTunes should be as simple as opening the files on the new computer. In the case of the iTunes library, it's all stored on an external drive. Can I just point the new iMac to the same location to preserve everything.

Thanks!

 

[flopticalcube]

I have a refurbished iMac on the way and I'd like to transfer files from my iBook. Most of it should be easy enough, but I'm wondering about a couple of things.

Mainly, any suggestions on transfering from Mail? I'm not sure I need thousands of messages moved, but it would be nice to have at least some of them.

Also, I'm thinking that transfering files to iPhoto and iTunes should be as simple as opening the files on the new computer. In the case of the iTunes library, it's all stored on an external drive. Can I just point the new iMac to the same location to preserve everything.

Thanks!

Does the iBook have a Firewire port? If so, hook the two machines up together, start the iBook in target mode (hold the T button down at startup) and use Migration Assistant on the iMac. Everything will come over including your user and home directory.

 

[CrzyCanuck72]

Does the iBook have a Firewire port? If so, hook the two machines up together, start the iBook in target mode (hold the T button down at startup) and use Migration Assistant on the iMac. Everything will come over including your user and home directory.

you don't even have to start the iBook in target mode, the first time you turn on the iMac it will ask if you have another Mac you want to transfer files from - say yes, and it will walk you through the steps.

I used Migration Assistant to go from my eMac to MacBook, and it worked flawlessly. When it was done, my MB was a perfect copy of my old computer, and except for upgrading a few apps to universal versions, it was ready to go.

 

[Rizvi1]

I too have a refurbished Mac on a the way - a 15" 2.2ghz Macbook Pro that's now prepared for shipment and will hopefully be out the door tomorrow and in my hands in a few days.

It should be arriving in the next couple of days and I'll be migrating everything over from my current 15" 2.16ghz MacBook Pro (and then handing that computer off to my wife so that she can replace her aging 14" iBook).

I know I could do migration assistant, but I'd like to use this opportunity to clean out and delete files I don't need. So I think I'll be actually setting up my computer with all the apps it needs and then migrating over the files I want to keep handy on my laptop.

Actually, what I'm wondering is what the first steps are that I should be doing when setting up my new (er.. refurb) laptop. For example, I want to run bootcamp this time around. So I figure I should set that up first. If anyone else has any helpful list more on setting up a new mac before migrating over files and such, I'd be up to hear it.

 

[psychofreak]

While Migration Assistant is good, it doesn't feel as 'clean' as migrating your files to an external HD, and then transferring. If you don't have an external already, this is a great reason to get one, and you'll enjoy Time Machine as a benefit