Old iMac to new PC

November 28, 2006 3:07 PM

Mac-to-PC help: I am getting Grandma & Grandpa a Windows-based laptop to replace their iMac OS 8.1 (yes, it's really that old). I need to move their stuff from the old to the new. Can anyone help a non-Mac person?

And yes, I know how great Macs are. The Seattle relatives bought Grandma & Grandpa this computer thinking it would be easier for them. However, Seattle is 2 states away, and I (30 miles form Grandma & Grandpa) am a Windows user. I just don't know what to do when their iMac freezes or there is some other issue. I swear Seattle did this on purpose. They're probably reading this and laughing at me right now. Anyway, Grandparents have a 1st gen iMac with the blue case and are running the original 8.1 OS. 2 questions: 1. They are using Outlook for Mac for e-mail. Is it possible to archive their mail folders and move them to (and open them with) Outlook for Windows? and 2. Any ideas on how to do this? I'd also need to move their images files, and all the flash drives I found are only compatible with OS 9 or later. Please help a MacMoron get her Grandparents set up with Windows!

posted by deedeep to computers & internet (8 comments total)

I don't know about the Outlook question, but wouldn't an ethernet crossover cable work to transfer everything else?
posted by drleary at 3:22 PM on November 28, 2006

You might get some ideas from this.
posted by timeistight at 3:25 PM on November 28, 2006

er... I mean this.
posted by timeistight at 3:28 PM on November 28, 2006

1) Years ago I used emailchemy to migrate from QuickMail Pro to OS X Mail.app. It worked well for that, and the developer was very responsive- he and I tuned some of the app's behavior together. Outlook Express (what I expect they're really using) is on the supported "convert from" list.

2) That might be a challenge- I don't think USB Mass Storage Device support came around until 8.6, or maybe 9. Perhaps a road trip, a crossover cable, an FTP server on your laptop and a copy of fetch might be needed.
posted by Steve3 at 3:30 PM on November 28, 2006

You can get Mac OS 9 CDs for next to nothing on eBay. You shouldn't even need to install it, since you can normally boot from the CD into a fully functional OS 9 environment.

(NB you can't do this with OS X CDs)
posted by cillit bang at 3:48 PM on November 28, 2006

Have you asked *them* what they think about it? Just because *you* are more familiar with Windows doesn't mean that the grandparents are going to be happy with it. Viruses & spyware aside, it sounds kind of crappy to shuffle them over to Windows just because you happen to know it better. In my years of supporting computers, I've seen this happen quite a few times and it's usually the cause of much stress for the switched-to-Windows-cuz-my-relative-said-so crowd.
Perhaps you should go ahead and ask them which operating system they would prefer, especially since the newer Macs can simply fire up Windows (in Parallels, or reboot with Boot Camp) for those rare times where you actually need Windows.

As for the image files, you might have luck with an older USB Zip drive.

Here is a thread about getting stuff out of the Mac version of Outlook.
posted by drstein at 5:37 PM on November 28, 2006

Man, you're in for a lot of panicked phone calls from the grandparents if you do this. I agree with drstein. Going from OS 8 to windows is quite a jump. And a kind of backwards one too, IMO. Get 'em a macbook instead... Then they can choose whether to use OSX or windows as they see fit...
posted by ninthart at 2:04 AM on November 29, 2006

I third the concensus of *not* forcing your Grandparents to switch to Windows, just because *you* find it more convenient. With today's Macs, they could choose the operating system which suits them best -- which will probably still be the Mac OS, since a changeover to Windows would just cause them undue confusion.

Also, if you get an Apple ProCare Support (extra $100), you can get the ProCare staff to migrate all the data to the new Mac laptop for you, as well as receive "Front of the Line" service whenever something goes wrong, or if they have any questions for the Apple Geniuses. I picked up a ProCare package last month when my G4 Powerbook needed to get a fan replaced because it was making a very distracting noise and I was trying to work on a major client contract. Since my work makes it impossible for me to do without my Mac for more than 24 hours, they ordered the part for me, I brought it in and they took it to the workbench right away and I had it back an hour later!

ProCare also allows you to get one-on-one tutoring/training with a Mac Expert on the topic of your choice, for one hour, up to once a week! Considering the cost of a tutor, and break this down over the course of the year, it means you can get personal training for as low as $2 per hourly session! Not only that, but the ProCare works exactly the same in ALL Apple retail store locations, so they can even get support if/when they travel.

Seriously consider having a look at Procare (http://www.apple.com/retail/procare/), since with a local Apple Store, they would be able to get any problems taken care of themselves, at their convenience, and also get tutoring to help them get familiar with the latest Mac OSX system. I consider it the absolute best tech-related $100 I've spent this year!
posted by Jade Dragon at 11:08 AM on November 29, 2006