how do i transfer all my info from my old computer to a new one

See How do I set up a new Mac from an old one, its backups, or a PC?

What kind of cable do I need when transferring files, user accounts, etc. from a "ball" Mac to a new iMac?

Sorry, I have no idea what you mean by a "ball" Mac.

If both Macs have FireWire ports, use a FireWire cable (if one has F/W 400 and the other F/W 800, you'll need a cable with different plugs, or an adapter).

If they both have Thunderbolt, you can use that.

Or use an Ethernet cable.

Or, if you have either Time Machine or "clone" backups of the old Mac on an external HD or Time Capsule, you can transfer from the backups.

Sorry, that was a little quick and short-sighted of me.

This is a question for my brother, and he has an iMac PPC (he calls it the "ball") from 2003, which has a FireWire port. He wants to get a new iMac, which I see has the Thunderbolt port.

He has found your very detailed instructions about using Migration Asst to set up the new Mac with everything he currently has on his old Mac. I'm helping him place the order for the new Mac and he would like to get the cable that he needs right in the same order. I see the Apple store has a Thunderbolt-Fire Wire cable -- will this do the trick?

LLQ2 wrote:

. . .

This is a question for my brother, and he has an iMac PPC (he calls it the "ball") from 2003, which has a FireWire port. He wants to get a new iMac, which I see has the Thunderbolt port.

The new iMacs also have a FireWire 800 port, so a FireWire cable will work. The "ball" sounds like a G4 iMac, which has a FireWire 400 port, so either a cable with different plugs or an adapter would be needed.

He has found your very detailed instructions about using Migration Asst

For best results, use Setup Assistant when the new Mac first starts up, not Migration Assistant later on.

to set up the new Mac with everything he currently has on his old Mac.

Since the old Mac is a PPC Mac, he/you probably should not transfer applications -- most 3rd-party apps that work on the old Mac won't work on the new one.

I see the Apple store has a Thunderbolt-Fire Wire cable -- will this do the trick?

It looks like it would, but it's F/W 800, so you'll still need a F/W 400-to-F/W 800 cable and an adapter.

Or, use an Ethernet cable and transfer via network.

Thanks for your very thorough answers! That'll do the trick!

Sure.

By the way, you don't have to buy the cables and/or connectors from Apple -- Amazon, Best Buy, etc., sell the same ones for less.

Also one thing to watch out for is the new iMac will probably come with 10.8 Mountain Lion installed. The old iMac is probably running 10.3 or 10.4. You can transfer photos and other data over but not any Power PC Applications like Microsoft Office 2004 etc...

To see if you have any Power PC programs go to the Apple in the upper left corner and select About This Mac, then click on More Info. When System Profiler comes up select Applications under Software. Then look under Kind to see if any of your applications are listed as Power PC. Universal and Intel will run under Mountain Lion.

Before Mac switched to Intel processors in 2006 they used Power PC processors from 1994 to 2005. Power PC 601 through 604, G3, G4 and G5. Applications written for the Power PC processors need the application called Rosetta to run on Intel processors. This was part of the Operating System in 10.4 and 10.5 but was an optional install in 10.6. With 10.7 Lion Apple dropped all support for Power PC applications.