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Q
& A:
iMac
G3/G4 Q & A:
Storage & Peripherals (1/2)
How can I transfer files from my
older Mac to my iMac?
Transferring files from another Mac to an iMac is relatively simple. The most complicated situation will be choosing which of the options is easiest. It should be noted that you should only transfer documents, preferences, fonts, icons, and whatnot, and applications should be reinstalled on the iMac from their respective master CDs. If your older Mac has a CD-R/CD-RW drive, it may be easiest to copy files to CD, and then transfer them to your iMac.
For Macs that have 10Base-T or faster ethernet pre-installed and are capable of running MacOS 8.6 or higher, the first Mac can be added to an AirPort network via a crossover ethernet cable between the computer and the hardware access point and the iMac can be added to the same network by the wireless AirPort connection.
If the other Mac has ethernet pre-installed, but is not capable of running MacOS 8.6 or you are not interested in using wireless networking, you can just use a simple crossover cable, or Ethernet cables and a hub, to connect your iMac to another Mac. A "Flat-Panel" iMac can be connected with a standard ethernet cable to many other recent models from the Power Macintosh G5, PowerBook G4, and iBook series. The excellent Mac networking site, Three Macs & A Printer, covers basic types of networking in-depth.
If your older Mac has a modem, a relatively easy way to transfer files is to stuff and binhex the files you wish to transfer using Aladdin Systems' StuffIt. Just go online with the older Mac, log onto a server, and upload the files. Then log off with the older Mac, log onto the server with your new iMac and download your files. Translate and decompress the files using StuffIt Expander, and you're ready to go. Obviously, this type of file transfer is intended to be somewhat secure as long as it is encrypted and password protected, but you still shouldn't transmit any sensitive information.
If server space is not readily available, you can sign up with a website that provides free server space intended for file transfer. Alternately, you can stuff and binhex files on your older Mac and e-mail them to yourself, and then check your e-mail on the new Mac to download them. This works best for files that are only a couple of megabytes in size, and keep in mind that e-mail transmissions are not secure.
More recent iMacs, such as the "Flat-Panel" iMac models (discontinued July 1, 2004), can also be connected to another FireWire-equipped Mac, by using "FireWire Target Disk Mode". In this mode, the other computer simply will appear as a second hard drive on the desktop of the iMac. According to Apple "to use Target Disk Mode, simply connect the computers using a FireWire cable, then start the second computer while holding down the "T" key on its keyboard." For additional information, please refer to Apple Support Document #58583. Or, two AirPort-equipped Macs can be networked together without the AirPort hardware access point by using "direct computer-to-computer communications" within a range of approximately 50 meters.
The "Flat-Panel" models, if the optional Bluetooth module is installed, also can wirelessly transfer files between any two systems with Bluetooth capability, even across operating systems, using the "Bluetooth File Exchange" utility. This method is slow, however, and really should only be used for small files when an AirPort (802.11), AirPort Extreme (802.11g), or wired network is unavailable.
If you have a revision A or B iMac, which has an IrDA port on the front, you also should be able to "beam" files between the iMac and other older Macs with IrDA ports, like the PowerBook G3 series.
Or, if you prefer to be more traditional, you simply can add a floppy drive to your iMac. The Imation USB SuperDisk, reads and writes standard 1.44 MB disks and 120 MB SuperDisks and comes in some iMac-friendly color schemes. Other options are discussed under "What external storage options are available for the iMac?"
How can I transfer files from my old PC to my new iMac?
On behalf of all Mac users, welcome! If your old PC lacks an Ethernet card, wirless networking, or a CD-R/CD-RW drive your easiest solutions are either to upload your files to a server and download them with the iMac, or e-mail them to yourself and check your e-mail on your iMac.
Or, again, you simply can add an Imation USB SuperDisk to your iMac. The MacOS will be able to read your PC-formatted disks, so that's not a problem. However, once you get the files on your iMac, you'll need equivalent Mac versions of your software, or at least a translation program like DataViz MacLink to access the files.
Why did Apple remove the floppy? Why not include a Zip?
There are several reasons that Apple removed the floppy. First of all, the floppy disk really is obsolete technology. Just take a look back through EveryMac.com and you'll realize that removing the floppy is long overdue. In 1984, when the original Macintosh 128k was released it had one single 400k floppy disk. The floppy quickly progressed to 800k capacity in Macs like the Macintosh SE in 1987. Then in 1988, the 1.44 MB floppy was used in the Macintosh IIx which also included a 40 MB or 80 MB hard drive. Since then, hard drives have gotten larger and faster while the floppy has yet to progress beyond 1.44 MB, more than 10 years later.
It also makes the case sleeker looking, and gives everyone something to debate. As for including a Zip, any technology that isn't backwards compatible with the floppy would have caused many to complain, while, at least initially, it would have raised the cost. If you need an external floppy or Zip drive you have the choice to decide which technology you're willing to pay for, or if money is no object, you can always get both.
Starting with some models in the "Flower Power" iMac series (iMac "500" FP/BD, iMac SE "600"), and continued with all models in the "Summer 2001" iMac series and "Flat-Panel" iMac models, iMacs have an internal drive capable of writing CD-R/CD-RW discs, so a form of inexpensive re-writable storage is provided. Several discontinued and current "Flat-Panel" iMac models include a SuperDrive, which is capable of writing both DVD-R and CD-R/CD-RW.
What external storage options are available for the iMac?
In addition to the hard drive inside the iMac, and on some models a CD-R/CD-RW drive or SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-R/CD-RW), you have the option of several external removable storage drives to make transferring files and backing up important information easier. One common storage option is the Imation USB SuperDisk, which reads and writes standard 1.44 MB disks and 120 MB SuperDisks. Other external storage options include the Iomega iMac-compatible USB/FireWire Zip 100, Zip 250, and Zip 750 drives, which are compatible with all other Zip drives of the same capacity, but not 1.44 MB disks or the SuperDisk.
Other USB-based and FireWire-based hard drives, disk drives, removable media drives, CD-R/CD-RW drives, and more are available for the iMac, many in various iMac-friendly color schemes.
Which external storage option is best for me?
That's a difficult question to answer, and ultimately it is your choice. However, you'll need to weigh your options before choosing a drive, or drives.
If you need an external removable storage drive with the greatest level of backwards-compatibility, then the SuperDisk drive is your best option, particularly if you have a lot of older, non-networked Macs that only have floppy drives. Yet you'll still be able to take advantage of 120 MB SuperDisks for greater storage capacity.
You should also look into the Zip options, particularly if you already have a SCSI-based Zip drive for another Mac. The Zip drives are quite a bit faster than the SuperDisk and are well worth consideration for that reason, but they are not compatible with standard floppies. An external USB or FireWire (if compatible) hard drive or CD-RW drive (if not pre-installed) will be easiest for major backups.
More recent models, which included either a CD-R/CD-RW drive or even a SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-R/CD-RW) for re-writable storage, additional external storage may be unnecessary.
Why USB? What advantages does USB have over ABD, SCSI, and serial?
The primary advantage of USB over ADB, SCSI, and serial ports is that USB is a cross-platform standard. This makes devices for the iMac, and other modern Macs, just as cheap as devices for Windows-based PCs and creates a greater number and variety of choices.
At 1.5 Mbps (Megabits per second) in low speed and 12.0 Mbps (Megabits per second) in high speed, USB is also faster than ADB and serial ports, running at 10k per second and 320k per second, respectively. USB is much slower than SCSI, which hits a top speed of 320 MB (Megabytes) per second, but USB does have the advantages of being "hot-swappable", meaning you can hook up and disconnect devices while the computer is running. USB also supports up to 127 devices, and you don't have to worry about ID conflicts that could sometimes trouble SCSI-based systems.
Essentially, USB is designed to simplify the low-end Macintosh peripherals market consolidating ADB and serial devices into a single easy-to-use format, while FireWire has effectively replaced SCSI on high-end Macs. Early iMacs do not support FireWire, but all "DV" revision and later iMacs include dual FireWire ports.
For additional information on USB, check out Apple's USB page or download Apple's USB Fact Sheet (Requires Acrobat).
Are ADB, SCSI, and serial port to USB adapters available?
An ADB-to-USB adapter is available from Griffin Technology called the iMate which will allow you to hook up ADB-based keyboards, mice, joysticks, trackballs, scanners, and such to the USB-equipped iMac.
Many companies are producing Serial-to-USB adapters that will make some serial devices work with the Power Macintosh G4 Cube, including Momentum's uConnect device.
Although a SCSI-to-USB adapter is slow, as USB cannot handle the transfer speeds that SCSI can, Momentum has released a SCSI-to-USB adapter that gets the job done in a pinch. SCSI-to-FireWire adapters are also available.
Please share your experiences with "legacy" adapters with other users in the forums.
When will I need another USB hub? Why?
For convenience, you will need another USB hub when you intend to connect more external devices than you have ports. The iMac comes with four USB ports, two on the computer and two on the keyboard (the "Flat-Panel" models have five USB ports, three on the computer and two on the keyboard). One port on the computer will be occupied by the keyboard, and one port on the keyboard will be occupied by the mouse, so you can still hook up two other USB devices simultaneously (three with the "Flat-Panel" models). If you need to hook up more USB devices, for example, an external SuperDisk drive, a printer, a scanner, and a joystick, and you don't want to have to unplug one device to use another one, then you will need another USB hub.
The iMac keyboard is a "bus-powered USB hub with two USB Type A ports." According to Apple's iMacDevNote, "A bus-powered hub as defined in the USB specification does not provide enough power to support a second bus-powered hub. A second bus-powered hub must be connected to a USB port on the computer, not to a port on the Apple USB keyboard."
So, essentially, if you get a USB hub, plug it into the computer and not the keyboard.
iMac-compatible USB hubs are being manufactured by ADS Technologies, Ariston, MacAlly, and many other companies. Both 4-port and 7-port USB hubs are available.
Continue to Part 2...
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