PC>>>2GB WordDocs/Photos>>>Mac. How?
ppl,
I?ve got a few questions that I hope some of you can help me with. I ordered my 15? PB On Wednesday and am eagerly awaiting its arrival?
?I just wanted to know the options for importing the few important files I have from my Windoze machine.
Can I just hook up the two machines by USB(1) and drag files across? Will that work? How long will it take?
I have about 2GB to move.
(God ? that shows how hellish an experience it has been using this thing over the past 3 years ? to have only 2GB of stuff that is of importance enough to want to keep it with me. My CD-RW has NEVER worked; the thing crashes, say, once every three days; the DVD-playback has NEVER been smooth; the sound-card crackles during games that are lagged-out; but WORST OF ALL is the f*cking rocket propulsion fan that gives me a headache and leaves my ears ringing (!) ?
My Windoze Woes go on?
I know some of them could have been lessened with updated drivers, new AV cards, regular de-fraggings and fresh apps? but this monstrous beigity receives, and deserves, no affection.
I can?t wait for iTunes, DVD Player, Safari, iDVD, iMovie, iPhoto, iCal and all the other BUNDLED stuff that I know is optimised for my PB and will work WITHOUT ALL THAT HASSLE?)
?well, that turned into a rant! And Iv?e only been a (would-be) switcher for 6 months or so ? give me a year and I?ll be a M$-$tinks-One-Button-rulz-iTMS(Europe)-junkie die-hard.
Back to topic... Here?s some details:
1 I want to spend as little money as possible (so I won?t buy Move2Mac/whatever unless it?s the only option ? or if I decide, with your encouragement, that, since I?ll have to co-exist with a WIntel network at University, it?s a good long term investment)
2 I only have a 56K modem connection (that maxes-out at 38,666 bps ? seriously!) and a minuscule Hotmail account limit, so I suppose emailing myself attachments is out of the question.
3 The data is made up almost exclusively of Word documents and photos, not really any music to speak of (can't WAIT for iPodding with iTunes)
Thanks for your Help
SOS
I?ve got a few questions that I hope some of you can help me with. I ordered my 15? PB On Wednesday and am eagerly awaiting its arrival?
?I just wanted to know the options for importing the few important files I have from my Windoze machine.
Can I just hook up the two machines by USB(1) and drag files across? Will that work? How long will it take?
I have about 2GB to move.
(God ? that shows how hellish an experience it has been using this thing over the past 3 years ? to have only 2GB of stuff that is of importance enough to want to keep it with me. My CD-RW has NEVER worked; the thing crashes, say, once every three days; the DVD-playback has NEVER been smooth; the sound-card crackles during games that are lagged-out; but WORST OF ALL is the f*cking rocket propulsion fan that gives me a headache and leaves my ears ringing (!) ?
My Windoze Woes go on?
I know some of them could have been lessened with updated drivers, new AV cards, regular de-fraggings and fresh apps? but this monstrous beigity receives, and deserves, no affection.
I can?t wait for iTunes, DVD Player, Safari, iDVD, iMovie, iPhoto, iCal and all the other BUNDLED stuff that I know is optimised for my PB and will work WITHOUT ALL THAT HASSLE?)
?well, that turned into a rant! And Iv?e only been a (would-be) switcher for 6 months or so ? give me a year and I?ll be a M$-$tinks-One-Button-rulz-iTMS(Europe)-junkie die-hard.
Back to topic... Here?s some details:
1 I want to spend as little money as possible (so I won?t buy Move2Mac/whatever unless it?s the only option ? or if I decide, with your encouragement, that, since I?ll have to co-exist with a WIntel network at University, it?s a good long term investment)
2 I only have a 56K modem connection (that maxes-out at 38,666 bps ? seriously!) and a minuscule Hotmail account limit, so I suppose emailing myself attachments is out of the question.
3 The data is made up almost exclusively of Word documents and photos, not really any music to speak of (can't WAIT for iPodding with iTunes)
Thanks for your Help
SOS
Comments
Originally posted by Altivec_2.0
if both machiens have ethernet then you could just get a patch cable and plug them in together,
A 'Patch Cable'? I don't know what that is... But anyway, i haven't got ethernet on my old Athlon.
Any more ideas ppl? Please?
can you borrow a USB external Zip drive from a mate?
if your CD-RW crashes every 3 days, can you burn anything at all during the other 2?
Originally posted by åsen
slow & laborious, but:
can you borrow a USB external Zip drive from a mate?
My brother has a zip drive so I could definitely try that (but he lives 70 miles away so it will be a bit of a hassle to get it from him).
Originally posted by åsen
if your CD-RW crashes every 3 days, can you burn anything at all during the other 2?
My bad - I meant my COMPUTER crashes every 3 days (I know!) And no I can't use the CD-RW, AT ALL. I'd need to buy Nero 5 or 6 or whatever, and there's even less point in doing that now than there was six months ago.
Originally posted by amarone
you could transfer it via an external hd with both usb & firewire.
Don't have an external HD. When I do buy one it's gonna be when I have enough money - obviously - and that isn't now!
Originally posted by jccbin
An ethernet card is only $10 for a PC. Buy one and put it in.
Hmmm... This might prove to be the quickest option...
But I'm still unclear...
Is there anything I have to do to the actual files in WIndoze to allow them to run on my Mac?
Thanks for your help guys.
After having a physical connection, I see several ways how to get the data to the new computer:
1. Activate windows file sharing on the mac, connect from the PC and put the files on the shared volume
2. Activate file sharing on the PC and connect from the Mac and get the files from the shared volume
3. If you have a web server installed on your PC (If you have none: at www.xitami.com you can download a small one with approx. 700 KB size): Start the webserver, put your files (most conveniently: zipped in one file) in the webserver directory and download them with a browser from your Mac.
Originally posted by SonOfSylvanus
Is there anything I have to do to the actual files in WIndoze to allow them to run on my Mac?
Depends on the file formats and the programs you'll be using. You mention word files and photos.
Photos should be no problem. If you used some arcane graphics formats, get GraphicConverter (great shareware anyway).
For Word-Files: If you have Office:mac, that should be (obviously) no problem. If you'll use some other program (AppleWorks, ...) you might want to check the compatibility of the import filters first with some sample files before transfering all docs. I don't know if they support the latest versions of the doc file format.
For plain text files: Windows and Mac use different encodings for line ends (Windows: Carriage Return + Line Feed, Mac: CR, Unix: LF). But better programs typically can handle these differences more or less transparent.
See: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58583
Originally posted by stupider...likeafox
If you have a firewire (aka IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port on your PC laptop then you can probably boot your Mac into Firewire Target Disk mode when it basically prentends to be a Firewire Hard Disk. Then you can just copy files onto it.
My old PC (a Desktop BTW) doesn't have FireWire, and I'm not about to buy a FireWire card AND a Firewire cable - though this is the kind of thing I was hoping to do with a simple USB cable...
I suppose Target Disk mode is impossible with a USB cable ?
Originally posted by GSpotter
An ethernet "Patch"-Cable is meant to directly connect 2 computers (normally, you'll build a network by connecting the computers to a hub or switch). AFAIK, all newer Macs can detect the connection type (computer or hub) and autoconfigure accordingly. So a standard cable should work, too.
After having a physical connection, I see several ways how to get the data to the new computer:
1. Activate windows file sharing on the mac, connect from the PC and put the files on the shared volume
2. Activate file sharing on the PC and connect from the Mac and get the files from the shared volume
One of these options, I think, will be a good bet...
Still have to buy a damn "patch cable", or whatever though.
Thanks Again Everyone.
Anymore Suggestions are Very Welcome...
Hopefully My 1.25GHz 15" PB will arrive in the next ten days
Originally posted by SonOfSylvanus
I suppose Target Disk mode is impossible with a USB cable ?
No, USB is far too slow for any large transfers. Regular "low-speed" USB can only transfer 1.5 Mb/sec whereas FireWire can transfer 400 Mb/sec. Also, Target Disk Mode is something that *only* FireWire can do.
Still have to buy a damn "patch cable", or whatever though.
A patch cable is simply an ethernet cable. They're very cheap. I'd guess you could buy a 20-foot one for about US$10.
Once hooked up via ethernet, just turn file sharing on one of the machines as others have describes and simply drag the files across. When you actually get the computer, we can walk you through more specific steps if you need them.
What OS are you running on your PC? If it's ME, 2k or XP, you can just right click on the "my computer" icon and select "map network drive". I'll stop there for now because you don't even have your pb yet. Once you get it, I'll finish up...
Welcome to Mac.
edit: When you go to get the ethernet cable, don't let them try to sell you a crossover cable. You don't need it because your powerbook will be smart enough to know what it's connecting to (another computer rather than a hub or router). The regular ethernet cables are cheaper.
Originally posted by torifile
edit: When you go to get the ethernet cable, don't let them try to sell you a crossover cable. You don't need it because your powerbook will be smart enough to know what it's connecting to (another computer rather than a hub or router). The regular ethernet cables are cheaper.
Thanks to clarify it.
I meant exactly the same by writing
AFAIK, all newer Macs can detect the connection type (computer or hub) and autoconfigure accordingly. So a standard cable should work, too.
Originally posted by GSpotter
Thanks to clarify it.
I meant exactly the same by writing
I know, I just wanted to reiterate the point.