Wednesday,
September 29, 2004 - 02:08 PM EDT
Windows users, frustrated with patches for
patches that patch patches, service packs
that break their programs, rampant virus
and worm attacks, spyware and adware polluting
their PCs, the counterintuitive Windows
user interface, waiting forever for the
stripped-down 'Longhorn,' and more, are
now looking to upgrade to new Apple Macintosh
personal computers running the latest version
of the world's most advanced operating system,
Mac
OS X.
If
you're thinking about upgrading to Mac
or just want to add a Mac for now and
let the two machines coexist while you
get your bearings, you'll want to be sure
that you can bring all your files and
information with you to your new Mac.
Moving bits around can be a tedious process,
but aren't computers supposed to automate
things so you don't have to do the work
anyway?
Detto
Technologies' Move2Mac (US$49.95) transfers
files from your PC to your new Macintosh
and puts everything just where you need
it. Tracks from "My Music" on
your PC go to the Music folder on your
Mac; clips in "My Videos" move
to the Movies folder; images in "My
Pictures" show up in your Pictures
folder; items in "My Documents"
relocate to the Documents folder on your
Mac.
The
only thing you'll lose is the superfluous
(and mindless) "My" on your
folder names. You already knew they were
yours anyway, right? Oh, one more thing,
you won't have to click "Start"
to "Shut Down" your computer
anymore, either. Silly Microsoft!
Move2Mac
places data from other locations in a
folder you can browse at your leisure.
Move2Mac will transfer your Internet Explorer
home page and bookmark files, as well
as desktop backgrounds and even your dial-up
Internet connection settings.
Move2Mac
includes software for both your PC and
Mac, as well as a special USB cable that
aids in speeding the data transfer to
the correct locations. Move2Mac can transport
500MB of data from your PC to Mac in 15
minutes. The software even comes with
a guide that tells you how to prepare
special files, such as Quicken data and
email, for use on your Mac. Move2Mac will
move and convert the address book and
POP3 account settings for Outlook Express
on the PC to Mac OS X Mail. You can use
most other files, such as Office documents,
without translation.
Detto's
FAQ:
How many versions of Move2Mac are there?
Move2Mac comes in two versions:
· USB version: for Windows®
98, 98SE, Millennium, 2000, XP and PCs
with a USB port
· Parallel-to-USB version (available
in Q4, 2002): for Windows 95, or PCs with
no USB port.
What
is the transfer rate for Move2Mac?
· USB: 500 MB in 15 minutes.
What
are the system requirements?
For PC:
· Microsoft® Windows® 95,
98, 98SE, Millennium, 2000 and XP; 30
MB hard disk space, 32MB RAM.
For Mac:
· Mac OS X 10.2 (Jaguar) and later.
What
happens to my folders that are on the
PC?
Move2Mac moves relevant folders from the
PC to the Mac and preserves the folder
structure. For example, the Windows folder
My Documents, its contents, and its subfolders,
are moved to the Mac and placed in the
appropriate Documents folder.
Does
Move2Mac convert PC files to Mac format?
Move2Mac transfers files from the PC to
the Mac. Move2Mac does not move applications
or convert PC files to Mac format. Most
applications, which have a PC version
and a Mac version (like Microsoft Office),
can open PC files on the Mac without any
conversion. Note that there are a few
applications (for example Quicken®)
whose PC files require conversion to Mac
format before the files can be used on
the Mac.
Can
Move2Mac's USB cable be used elsewhere?
Move2Mac's USB cable contains a chip to
optimize Move2Mac data transfer, but cannot
be used for other purposes.
Does
Move2Mac migrate email?
Move2Mac will move and convert the address
book and POP3 settings for Outlook Express
on the PC to Mac OS X 10.2 Mail.
Will
Move2Mac move files from the Mac to the
PC?
Move2Mac only moves files from the PC
to the Mac.
Can
I use Move2Mac for migrations on more
than one computer?
A single user license of Move2Mac allows
multiple migrations from one, and only
one, specific PC to any number of Macs.
To migrate from another PC requires an
additional copy of Move2Mac. Note that
volume license packs of Move2Mac are available.
More
information about Detto's Move2Mac can
be found here.
