Shifting to a new Mac can be a very tiring process. The process by itself isn’t very complicated, but it’s the fear of losing our data that stresses us out. Our fears are further compounded when we have to shift to a Mac that has less storage than the previous one!
Let’s say you’re upgrading from a mid-2011 MacBook Pro (that had 750 GB of space) to the latest MacBook (that has 256 GB of space). What do you do then? A lot of our readers have questions such as these, and we will try and answer them in this post.
I have my data backed up in a Time Capsule. Can I choose what data to restore while moving to a new Mac?
Yes, you can. You should opt for Migration Assistant instead of the standard OS X Recovery option. Migration Assistant lets you choose what you want restored. So you might want to restore just the Applications folder and the Documents folder.
That’s a good way to start on a new Mac as it gives you all the familiarity of your old Mac but without any of its clutter! Read Apple’s official guide to using the Migration Assistant here.
I have opted for the iCloud Photo Library, but I have not joined the Apple Music subscription because I don’t want to pay the ongoing fee. Am I missing something?
Firstly, let’s clarify something: Apple Music is a music streaming service. iTunes Match, on the other hand, stores all your music on iCloud, even songs you’ve imported from CDs. You can then access your music from all your devices and listen to your entire library wherever you are.
Apple Music costs ₹120 per month, and iTunes Match is ₹100 per month (billed annually). So you can save more than half your cost by opting out of Apple Music.
We suggest you read our detailed guides to Apple Music and iTunes Match to make a better decision.
I would like to keep all my media on an external drive. But I would also like to use them frequently. Will that hamper my productivity?
Not one bit! In fact it might be a good idea to declutter your Mac anyway. If you are looking to move your media away from your system, and yet keep it within a click away, then Apple provides you with some neat options.
We suggest you have a look at the AirPort Extreme or the AirPort TIme Capsule. Both offer excellent solutions in the form of sharing data over wifi and even backing up your important files.
So yeah, times have changed and moving to a new Mac is no longer as much of a hassle as it used to be. However, if you still have some doubts that need clarification, don’t hesitate to ask us. We’d be happy to help!
Can I upgrade my MAC’s RAM?
It depends on the model you have. The non-Retina Macbook Pro is among the few models that still supports third party RAM upgrades. You can get good deal on RAM at Amazon. We recommend Corsair CMSA4GX3M1A1333C9 4GB Memory Kit.
