Setting up new iMac

I'm sure people will pipe in however I hope you understand that if you install an aftermarket SSD you are in peril of invalidating your warranty. I would recommend you read Apple's warranty so you totally understand what you're getting into. I'm not trying to scare you I just want you to go in with your eyes wide open.

If the warranty is of no interest to you then of course disregard this post.

Roger

Your welcome.

Mind if I ask why you didn't buy Apple's SSD? I guessing the cost but am just curious.

While it's moot now however it may not be. You can buy some things after market that won't affect your warranty. For example don't buy Apple RAM, use a reputable vendor like OWC or Crucial. This can save hundreds. On your Magic Track Pad (love mine btw) $57 from Amazon and Aperture is $200 from Apple but only $160 from Amazon. It adds up, you just have to be willing to have several boxes arrive at your doorstep instead of one.

NOTE: I missed you already got OWC RAM, good choice!

Message was edited by: rkaufmann87

What do you guys recommend for new setup? Should I use the software at startup to move stuff over to the new iMac?

Yes, it's called Setup Assistant. I would recommend reading Pondini's Setup Assistant Tips. Make sure you have the right cable, if your old machine only has Firewire you will need a cable like this one from Amazon. You may find one at Radio Shack or your local computer store. You can also use an Ethernet cable however personally I don't recommend that as it seems to be the most unreliable. If you have a wi-fi network you can also do it wireless I STRONGLY recommend AGAINST going that route as it could literally take days to do.

Your welcome.

I would recommend you look over this article on sharing, it's a pretty good start.



http://macs.about.com/od/networking/qt/sharingleopard.htm



Setup Assistant has the ability migrate everything from your old computer to the new one. If you migrate everything the new machine will look almost identical to the old one. The only differences are that SA is smart enough to not load old software over new. For example if you have iLife 08 on your old machine and the new machine has iLife 09 after SA the new machine will still have 09. You can migrate settings, files and applications however it's an all or nothing proposition. What I mean by all or nothing is if you choose settings for example it will migrate all settings, files will be all files, apps will be all apps except what I've already mentioned.

Done correctly SA is fast in that you will be up and running shortly. The better shape the old machine is the better the migration will go.

BajaBound wrote:
I feel that this old girl is still running strong. Is there anything I should look at on the MacBook before making the transfer? I run software update on startup so everything is up to date.

That's great about the only thing I'd do is go through each of your third party applications and see that 1. they're up to date 2. compatible with 10.6.5

Any concerns on doing a full load from setup assistant?

Nope, it's really straight forward. Read Pondini's write up, he's pretty thorough.

Changing parts does not necessarily invalidate your Apple warranty in its entirety. Read the Magnuson-Moss Act (US Federal Law) and enforced by the FTC. Apple won't/can't warranty the parts you've replaced, but they have to <<prove>> that the after market parts you've installed caused the repair/warranty issue. Also, be aware that many Apple retail employees don't know the law and give out misinformation on a daily basis. Know your rights (and the Federal Law) and you'll have a better Apple Retail experience.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuson–MossWarrantyAct

If your iTunes library is on your old Mac it will be moved when you run Setup Assistant. You can share the library with other Mac's in the household by turning on Sharing which is found in System Preferences for each computer and also Sharing in the iTunes Preferences.

I'm not sure why you would want to hook up you iPhone & iPod to both Macs, can you elaborate on that a bit further so I have a better understanding.

And way you say "Is there a way to keep them synced?" are you referring to the Macs or the iPhone & iPod? Please be precise and elaborate so we're on the same page.