One of the things that has always surprised me about the Mac web is that computer migration doesn’t get more press. The ease with which you can move files and identities on Mac OS X is astounding, simply astounding. There’s just no way around that. When I think of how hard it used to be in Mac OS Classic, I picture my dad mowing the yard with that motorless rotary push mower. It’s archaic. Nay! Barbaric!

And brothers and sisters, don’t even get me started on what has to be done on the PC. Is there software out there that helps? I imagine there must be, but I’ve worked with people who have passed up significant computer upgrades at the office simply because the don’t want to deal with the hassle of copying files, reinstalling software, transferring their web and e-mail accounts, and losing their Minesweeper scores.

Yes, it’s true you actually have to do that on the PC (or get your IT department to do it for you). On the Mac, it’s as simple as connecting your new computer to your old with a Firewire cable, and…

Uh, wait. What did I just say? What kind of cable? Oh. Okay, well, it’s at times like this that I like to quote my favorite philosopher, Charlie Brown:

“Aaarrrgh!”

The next in my unintentional “Direct from Steve” series deals with the lack of Firewire on the new MacBooks, and what is arguably one of the most important and useful applications on the Mac, Migration Assistant.

I first wrote to Steve the following email:

I’m sure you are getting tons of these emails, but it is a very important issue for most Mac users. What is the alternative for Target Disk Mode now that a phase-out of FireWire has begun? I’m aware of the wireless Migration introduced with the MacBook Air, but that is absolutely no replacement for the speed of FireWire. Wireless speeds are far from approaching FireWire at a reasonable price. USB cannot support Target DIsk Mode. Migration Assistant, though often used only once, is one of the best parts of OS X, and I really hope it isn’t being removed as FireWire leaves the MacBooks, and presumably, other Macs on down the line.

And one of his secretaries or a mail rule wrote back, to say…

Macworld’s Jason Snell describes his experience with Migration Assistant on the MacBook Air. The Air is unique in that it has no FireWire port, and so the traditional method of using Migration Assistant, Target Disk Mode, is out of the question. Apple, of course, has a solution for this too. When you get to Migration more »