New migration software pushed to Macs

Perhaps underscoring the phasing out of Firewire on Macs, Apple has added the Migration and DVD/CD Sharing Update to Macs (OS 10.4.11 and 10.5.5) using the Software Update feature.

The software, previously available with the Macbook Air and as a separate download, allows users to migrate from one Macintosh computer to another using not only Firewire, but Ethernet or a wireless connection. The latest Macbook, part of a consumer series that Steve Jobs declared the best selling Macintosh ever, is shipping with no Firewire port at all, and the Macbook Pro ships with only a Firewire 800 port.

This update is recommended for all users and provides enhanced customization capabilities and improved performance for migration over FireWire, ethernet, and wireless networks.

The software also allows a computer on which it is installed to act as a remote optical drive for a Macbook Air.

From the release notes:

For Mac OS X 10.4.11, this update installs:

• Migration Assistant 1.0.6
• Mac OS X Remote Install 1.1 (located in /Applications/Utilities)
• DVD or CD Sharing (located in the Sharing System preferences panel)

For Mac OS X 10.5.5, this update installs:

• Migration Assistant 1.2.3
• Mac OS X Remote Install 1.1 (located in /Applications/Utilities)
• DVD or CD Sharing (located in the Sharing System preferences panel)

Product [Migration and DVD/CD Sharing Update]