Firewire/Data transfer question

[thunderball]

I just cracked open my new MacBook Pro and want to transfer data from my old (2004!) PowerBook G4. No problem thought I until I noticed that the Firewire ports are different sizes on each of the computers. What is the best way then to transfer data? I figure wirelessly would take forever and I don't want to use up a ton of DVDs transferring data. Are there Firewire cables that have a different port size on each end or some kind of adapter needed?

Thanks in advance and sorry for my computer ignorance...use 'em everyday but don't know too much about them.

 

[Luc]

Mmm, I wouldn't know for the firewire but wireless shouldn't be so bad... How much stuff do you need to transfer?

 

[stobes21]

Couple of suggestions:

1. USB, while certainly much slower than Firewire, should still be sufficient. It will be much faster than wireless. An '04 powerbook probably has a HDD of what, 80 gigs? Even if you have filled most of that and need to transfer it all it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours to do a full transfer.

2. If you bought the new macbook pro at the apple store they may be able to do the data transfer for you.

 

[Stubblefield]

Are there Firewire cables that have a different port size on each end or some kind of adapter needed?

Yes, there are a few different plug styles of FW cable, and two different speeds. You have FW 800 on the macbook, And while many of the Powerbook g4s came with FW800 it sounds like yours did not (what model, if I may ask). I do not beleiver there is more than one style of plug for FW800. So, your best bet is USB 2.0, as Stobes pointed out.

 

[thunderball]

How much stuff do you need to transfer?

'Bout 70 gigs.

Couple of suggestions:

1. USB, while certainly much slower than Firewire, should still be sufficient. It will be much faster than wireless. An '04 powerbook probably has a HDD of what, 80 gigs? Even if you have filled most of that and need to transfer it all it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours to do a full transfer.

2. If you bought the new macbook pro at the apple store they may be able to do the data transfer for you.

Thanks for the suggestions! I do have a USB to USB cable but didn't even think of that (and a big apple store just downtown).

Yes, there are a few different plug styles of FW cable, and two different speeds. You have FW 800 on the macbook, And while many of the Powerbook g4s came with FW800 it sounds like yours did not (what model, if I may ask). I do not beleiver there is more than one style of plug for FW800. So, your best bet is USB 2.0, as Stobes pointed out.

Arigato!

 

[mr_economy]

For what it's worth, you can buy a relatively inexpensive Firewire 400 to Firewire 800 cable from a place like Monoprice. That cable should allow you to connect the two and transfer data by putting the Powerbook into Target Disk Mode.

 

[xillion]

You can also get a cat 5e or cat 6 crossover cable, connect the Macs top each other via ethernet and transfer the data at Gigabit speed, which is even faster than FW800. That is if the G4 has a Gigabit NIC.

 

[thunderball]

For what it's worth, you can buy a relatively inexpensive Firewire 400 to Firewire 800 cable from a place like Monoprice. That cable should allow you to connect the two and transfer data by putting the Powerbook into Target Disk Mode.

+1 on the Monoprice cable. FW800 is backwards compatible with FW400, you just need a cable with the correct ends. You can also get a cat 5e or cat 6 crossover cable, connect the Macs top each other via ethernet and transfer the data at Gigabit speed, which is even faster than FW800. That is if the G4 has a Gigabit NIC.

Thanks you guys! Looks like an inexpensive option...I just wasn't sure if such cables/adapters existed.

 

[xillion]

I just read that some macs may not need a crossover cable just a straight Ethernet cable, Also if you have a router just plug each Mac into the switch via Ethernet cable and you should be good to go once file sharing has been enabled:

Check these links out:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/321526/how_to_connect_two_macs_using_ethernet.html

http://www.applelinks.com/index.php...cting_two_macs_via_a_simple_ethernet_network/