Advice on migrating from G5 to Intel Core Duo Mini

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Advice on migrating from G5 to Intel Core Duo Mini

I'm running 10.5.8 on a G5 and wanting to migrate to a new Intel Core Duo Mac Mini running Snow Leopard. I would like to migrate all of my files and settings and applications to the new machine, but am looking for advice about potential pitfalls. I've read in some of the other discussions about problems with software from my G5 overwriting the Intel versions of the software on the newer machine, but could not glean enough from those to fully understand what the issues are. My principal software components that I don't want to have to reinstall are things like CS3, Office 2008, and older versions of things like iMovie, etc. I have a Time Machine backup that I could also migrate from, but don't know if that will alleviate potential problems. Any advice would be appreciated.

Dual 2.5 GHz Power Mac G5, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Jul 11, 2011 10:18 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

BDAqua

Level 10

239,219 points

Jul 11, 2011 11:25 AM in response to Mark Fischer1

Hi Mark, you'll find many cautions about Migrating from PPC to Intel, & 10.4/10.5 to 10.5/10.6.

I had very little trouble just using Migration Assistant to Migrate everything from eMac to Intel iMac 10.4->10.5, 10.4->10.6, 10.5->10.5, 10.5->10.6, 10.6 seems vastly improved at Migration.

About the only problems would be identically named APPs, (& I think that only applies to like if you have say an old copy of iMovie, (say v6), & the iMovie youu're copying over ewas v8, but it won't overwrite a newer iMovie iirc), & incompatible 3rd party kexts, Internet Plug-ins, & such.

I'd try Migration Assistant using Firewire myself.

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Answer 2

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jul 11, 2011 11:45 AM in response to Mark Fischer1

Your best bet ,by far, is to use Setup Assistant, from your Time Machine backups. See How do I set up a new Mac from my old Mac or its backups?

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Answer 3

Jul 11, 2011 1:46 PM in response to BDAqua

About the Firewire thing. My G5 has Firewire 400, whereas the Mini has Firewire 800. Perhaps more importantly, the connection on the Mini is not the same as the connection on the G5. I recently had this same problem when trying to connect my 1st Gen iPod to another new Mini, and when I asked the folks at the Apple store near me they basically said, "time to get a new iPod."

If I can find the right cable, can the Firewire 400 can talk to the Firewire 800 port, or was the person at the store just not too helpful?

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Answer 4

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jul 11, 2011 2:06 PM in response to Mark Fischer1

You can get a small adapter for $10 or so, and cables with F/W 400 at one end and F/W 800 at the other.

Just so you know what the adapter looks like: http://www.amazon.com/Sonnet-FireWire-400-Adapter-FAD-824/dp/B0000CDJPQ/ref=sr_1 _2?ie=UTF8&qid=1310418269&sr=8-2

And a cable: http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-F019-006-Firewire-Hi-speed/dp/B000AAZQM2/ref=pd _bxgy_e_text_c

Your local BestBuy, Radio Shack, etc. should have them.

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Answer 5

BDAqua

Level 10

239,219 points

Jul 11, 2011 2:29 PM in response to Mark Fischer1

Yes FW400<->FW800 is compatible with an adapter or cable, as mentioned.

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Answer 6

a brody

Level 10

82,959 points

Jul 12, 2011 9:05 AM in response to Mark Fischer1

Before you jump the bandwagon, make sure to have read this user tip:

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2295

Sometimes the Migration/Setup Assistant doesn't work between PowerPC and Intel Macs. The CoreDuo Mac Mini is not much of an improvement over a G5 except for the native Windows virtualization, and support for Snow Leopard, and Intel Mac only applications, and built-in Front Row support. The Core2Duo Mac Mini on the other hand supports Lion, and generally is faster than a G5 except for the few applications that are G5 optimized or can take advantage of the higher RAM upgrade possibilities than most of the Mac Minis, and the G5 supports Classic applications where the Mac Mini Intel versions do not. So before getting the Mac Mini make sure all the applications or at least some can take advantage of the Mac Minis own advantages.

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