Transferring Data from old iMac G3 233Mhz with OS 8.6 to new Imac

Hi, Sophs -

I read somewhere that the new Macs could still run stuff on OS 9 but am unsure if this applies to 8.6 and wondered if anyone could help me with this query.

Certain Mac models which can use OSX can also use OS 9 as Classic, which is OS 9 run as a program to provide an environment (shell) within which many OS 9 programs can be run. For this use, though, only OS 9.1 or 9.2.x can be used.

Unfortunately, no Intel based machine can use OS 9 as either a boot OS or as Classic.

The data files (documents) from your old iMac can be used on the new machine - most new OSX apps can open files made by older versions of the same, and sometimes similar, software. However, the programs would not be usable.

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How to transfer stuff from the old machine to the new -

The simplest, cheapest way would be to use an on-line storage service, such as iDisk in .Mac - upload items from your iMac, download them to the new machine.

Next easiest would be to get a USB external hard drive of modest size, and use it to copy stuff from the iMac to the new machine.

Another possibility would be to get an external firewire enclosure, pull the hard drive fro the iMac and install it in the enclosure, then connect it to the new machine.

It used to be possible to connect two such machines via ethernet and use File Sharing to transfer the files. However, I'm not sure if it is possible to do that between your old iMac and a new Intel machine.

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Approaching the issue of running old programs from a different path, there are some emulators which will allow the use of older Mac OS's on Intel machines. This article describes a few of them -
http://www.atpm.com/12.09/classic.shtml

There's more info on SheepSgaver here -
http://theappleblog.com/2006/07/01/classic-on-intel-macs-courtesy-of-sheepshaver /

Whether or not any of the emulators would serve your purposes well, or at all, is a different issue.

Hi, Sophs -

Can someone reassure me that i can't damage or mess up my new iMac by transferring old data from an old machine accross.

Provided that you do not remove any files from the Intel based Mac in the process (such as by allowing the overwrite of a new file by an older one with the same name), there should be no possibility of upsetting or messing up your new machine.

One way to prevent that from happening even accidentally is to 'containerize' the files to be copied to the new machine - put them into one or more folders, making sure each folder has a never-used-before name. Then copy the folders.

Hi, Sophs -

Are you meaning that for example, all my letters would be put in a uniquely named folder on the old machine. Then copied to external hard drive and then transferred to my new iMac hard drive and then opened from there.

That's one way. Another would be to move them into new, appropriately named folders after copying them to the external drive, but before copying them to the new iMac. The idea is to prevent having an old file, which just happens to be named the same as a new file, replace the new file accidentally. Copying a uniqely named folder from the external drive to the new iMac will prevent this. It will also help avoid having to sort through a slew of loose documents on the desktop.

I presume I don't attempt to copy over the old 8.6 Operating system?

Correct - it will be useless on an Intel based machine.

Similarly with games or other applications, i would firstly put them in a folder with a unque name and then copy to external hard drive and then copy to new iMac HD?

Unless you plan on using one of the emulators discussed in the article I linked to, such as SheepShaver, there is no point in copying over your old applications - they can not run on an Intel machine without first installing and setting up an appropriate emulator, and then installing an appropraite eariler OS in the emulator. Programs which were not specifically coded to be used under OSX can not be run in OSX.

Hi, Sophs -

You're quite welcome - glad to help.

Regarding an Ethernet transfer, could this web page possibly be of interest? Please note the remarks concerning Mac OS 8.x. See also this article (and especially the AppleTalk issues in the IV. Troubleshooting section).

Jan

Hi Sophs,

Glad to hear that it worked.

Funnily enough I could access the new iMac's HD on the old machine easily but couldn't get the new iMac to recognise the old Hard Disk.

With Mac OS X 10.4.x on the new Mac, this behaviour should be normal (see the note under "On the OS X system:" in the Car1son guide). Managing the transfer from the old iMac side was the correct approach.

Jan