Microsoft creates tool to help Apple users migrate data from Mac to Surface

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AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in macOS
Microsoft is attempting to make it easier for Mac users to "switch" over to Windows by creating a new tool, with the "Mac to Surface Assistant" said to help transfer the user's files from their Mac to the company's Windows tablet.




Spotted by Twitter user WalkingCat, the migration tool is relatively simple to use and has a single purpose. After agreeing to an end user license agreement, users are able to select specific folders they would want to transfer over to the Surface, including their photographs, music, and other personal documents.

Once folders are chosen, users then set the destination for the file archive, before transferring the resulting Zip file to an external drive, and transferring the data to the Surface.

Offering a migration assistant to new users is not a new concept, though the ability to store files within cloud-connected apps or using cloud storage services has lessened the need for such tools over time. Apple itself already provides its own migration tools, for moving data from Windows to Mac, and from Android to iOS for new iPhone and iPad owners.

Microsoft has previously offered Surface users guidance on switching over, with an online guide advising on ways to transfer data to its Windows tablet line. While it is available to download, Microsoft has not promoted the tool, and the switching guide does not yet mention its availability.

In December, Microsoft was bullish on the popularity of its Surface range, proclaiming more users were switching from Macs to Surface than ever before. Despite the bold claim, and earlier earnings report touting revenue growth for Surface products, Microsoft declined to share sales figures for its hybrid notebook tablet collection.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 59
    viclauyycviclauyyc Posts: 849member
    Feel bad for the programmer. It is like the people who install turning light for BMW. 
    NemWanneo-techwilliamhbrakkenwatto_cobra
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  • Reply 2 of 59
    rotateleftbyterotateleftbyte Posts: 1,634member
    Why oh why would anyone want to do this?

    Microsoft's latest trick is to force updates to Windows 10 users even if they have 'disabled' their internet connection for updates by making is appear as a metered connection.
    They are really sinking to the lowest rung possible with their plan to get all users to run their spyware.


    jbdragonneo-techcornchipmagman1979leehammpropodwatto_cobra
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  • Reply 3 of 59
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,182member
    Funny. I think the "delete" button works at least as well.
    SpamSandwich
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  • Reply 4 of 59
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,160member
    In good conscience, had my boss asked me to make a migration tool to do just that, I'd quit.
    peterhartmagman1979watto_cobra
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 5 of 59
    williamhwilliamh Posts: 1,048member
    This ought to help some people.  "More than ever. "
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 6 of 59
    VVCC techvvcc tech Posts: 3member
    This should be helpful for the tens of people who will ever want to move from a Mac to a surface.

    Seriously, all sarcasm and joking aside, if you're that person I would love to talk to you and just ask "why?"
    edited March 2017
    peterhartjbdragonmagman1979jbishop1039leehammwatto_cobra
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  • Reply 7 of 59
    SpamSandwichspamsandwich Posts: 33,407member
    VVCC tech said:
    This should be helpful for the tens of people who will ever want to move from a Mac to a surface.

    Seriously, all sarcasm and joking aside, if you're that person I would love to talk to you and just ask "why?"
    It's for moving Mac data, not iPad.

    Yes, some people are buying the Surface Studio since there's nothing quite like it on the Apple side. Doesn't mean they're abandoning Apple.
    chasmavon b7GeorgeBMac
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  • Reply 8 of 59
    jorgiejorgie Posts: 38member
    Laugh all you want. After switching back and forth from her iPad to her MacBook Air, my wife got tired of not having a touch screen on her computer so we switched her to a Dell convertible. Since most of her computer time is spent in Word or Chrome, the move was really easy. The only thing she misses is Face Time. EDIT: It is also worth mentioning that we got the same CPU/integrated-video but a lower resolution screen, for less than 50% of the cost of a new MBA.
    edited March 2017
    slprescottavon b7GeorgeBMac
     2Likes 0Dislikes 1Informative
  • Reply 9 of 59
    SpamSandwichspamsandwich Posts: 33,407member
    jorgie said:
    Laugh all you want. After switching back and forth from her iPad to her MacBook Air, my wife got tired of not having a touch screen on her computer so we switched her to a Dell convertible. Since most of her computer time is spent in Word or Chrome, the move was really easy. The only thing she misses is Face Time.
    I still hold out hope that Apple will eventually make an iMac with touchscreen.
    xzuavon b7
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  • Reply 10 of 59
    mobiusmobius Posts: 380member
    "Switching" makes the choice seem binary. A migration tool such as this does not mean the user intends to abandon macOS entirely. It just means they have copied all their $h!t over to Windows. Many people are multi platform these days. Unfortunately neither platform is perfect for every scenario/use case. 
    edited March 2017
    jorgiepscooter63GeorgeBMac
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  • Reply 11 of 59
    avidthinkeravidthinker Posts: 100member
    is the file format called .EIF for "exercise in futility"?
    edited March 2017
    SpamSandwichraoulduke42leehammwatto_cobraration al
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  • Reply 12 of 59
    jorgiejorgie Posts: 38member
    sog35 said:
    jorgie said:
    Laugh all you want. After switching back and forth from her iPad to her MacBook Air, my wife got tired of not having a touch screen on her computer so we switched her to a Dell convertible. Since most of her computer time is spent in Word or Chrome, the move was really easy. The only thing she misses is Face Time.
    whatever Jorgie...

    You only got 6 posts dude.

    ROLF.. so since don't post a lot my opinion doesn't matter?  Go ___ your hat.


    And I notice that I created my account 6 years before you did, poser.
    edited March 2017
    peterhartpaxmanavon b7houseleyGeorgeBMac
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  • Reply 13 of 59
    tommikeletommikele Posts: 599member
    More users than ever making the change?

    I guess three is a lot more than one.
    magman1979watto_cobraGeorgeBMac
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  • Reply 14 of 59
    jbdragonjbdragon Posts: 2,313member
    I just don't get the whole touch screen on laptops and especially desktops.  
    magman1979watto_cobralinkman
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  • Reply 15 of 59
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,759member
    Is MS aware that Apple sold 5.4 million Macs last quarter? That's on the high end for Mac sales. 
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 16 of 59
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,160member
    jorgie said:
    Laugh all you want. After switching back and forth from her iPad to her MacBook Air, my wife got tired of not having a touch screen on her computer so we switched her to a Dell convertible. Since most of her computer time is spent in Word or Chrome, the move was really easy. The only thing she misses is Face Time. EDIT: It is also worth mentioning that we got the same CPU/integrated-video but a lower resolution screen, for less than 50% of the cost of a new MBA.
    I went on a diving trip with my buddy (a network engineer) and bought a new surface pro while I took my MBP.  He's an avid Windows user.

    Sure enough, by the middle of the trip, he just about threw that SurfacePro out the window in frustration.  Typical Windows drama and reliability.  The way I saw him rip out a USB cable from that thing as it was acting up actually made me think he was seriously losing it.
    That system just had a personal that is typical when working on Windows machines. 

    Meanwhile, happily getting work done on the boat.  Touch on a laptop is overrated.  Nice, but overrated in general.
    raoulduke42pscooter63lkruppcornchipmagman1979watto_cobra
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  • Reply 17 of 59
    StrangeDaysstrangedays Posts: 13,169member
    jorgie said:
    Laugh all you want. After switching back and forth from her iPad to her MacBook Air, my wife got tired of not having a touch screen on her computer so we switched her to a Dell convertible. Since most of her computer time is spent in Word or Chrome, the move was really easy. The only thing she misses is Face Time.
    I still hold out hope that Apple will eventually make an iMac with touchscreen.
    I'm curious -- how come you don't believe every Apple exec who said after testing it, that such a thing sucked in practice? Gorilla arms, mouse is faster, more precise, etc..
    edited March 2017
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 18 of 59
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,182member
    jorgie said:
    sog35 said:
    jorgie said:
    Laugh all you want. After switching back and forth from her iPad to her MacBook Air, my wife got tired of not having a touch screen on her computer so we switched her to a Dell convertible. Since most of her computer time is spent in Word or Chrome, the move was really easy. The only thing she misses is Face Time.
    whatever Jorgie...

    You only got 6 posts dude.

    ROLF.. so since don't post a lot my opinion doesn't matter?  Go ___ your hat.
    Welcome to AI. Please don't feed our sog-troll. 
    SpamSandwichGeorgeBMac
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 19 of 59
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    jbdragon said:
    I just don't get the whole touch screen on laptops and especially desktops.  
    I know a dual OS guy who cannot understand why Apple doesn't have a touchscreen on their MacBooks. He says he uses it all the time - obviously not for spreadsheet or photoshop work, and the like, but for flipping through windows and browsing etc. When I tried the new MBP with the touch bar, I found myself going for the screen on more than one occasion, and I have never even used a laptop with a touch screen. I found that my hands having left the keyboard, and now using touch at the back, away from the trackpad but very close to the screen, my hands automatically moved up to the screen following on from the trackpad. All to say it made me realize the leap is not so big and to have a touch screen input is not necessarily a terrible idea. I think the reason MS has touchscreen and Apple does not has to do with Windows being optimized for touch and OSX not. 
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 20 of 59
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    jorgie said:
    sog35 said:
    jorgie said:
    Laugh all you want. After switching back and forth from her iPad to her MacBook Air, my wife got tired of not having a touch screen on her computer so we switched her to a Dell convertible. Since most of her computer time is spent in Word or Chrome, the move was really easy. The only thing she misses is Face Time.
    whatever Jorgie...

    You only got 6 posts dude.

    ROLF.. so since don't post a lot my opinion doesn't matter?  Go ___ your hat.
    No, it means you’ve probably been waiting for months for an article like this to come along so you can pounce on it. We get it, you’re a touch screen evangelist.
    edited March 2017
    magman1979adamcwatto_cobra
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
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