RSSBelkin says 'Switch to Mac'
By Tim Conneally | Published November 12, 2008, 6:10 PM
Belkin today announced what would have otherwise been an unremarkable piece of cabling had it not been given a name that sounds like a piece of advice.
The cable is meant to recreate on a Windows machine the Mac's built-in Migration Assistant, which is used to transfer user accounts, applications, network and computer settings, files and volumes between Macs. Migration is also an optional process when initializing a new Mac.
The $49.99 cable comes with the Migration Assistant software for the Windows XP or Vista PC end that will ostensibly move all the default PC folders, settings and apps to a Mac's default folders in the same way two Macs would.
Mac's Migration Assistant allows information to be transferred between Macs on the same network, from a different startup disk attached to a single computer, or between two that are directly connected. While Switch to Mac only offers the latter of those choices, there is an unavoidable difference even there. The migration process between two directly-connected Macs traditionally takes place over IEEE 1394, but with Belkin's Switch to Mac, it's done over USB 2.0.
Apple is becoming more and more consumer-focused, trying to reach the mass market rather than target professionla. iPhone, iPod, the new (no-difference-except-video-card) MacBook and MBP...
So, it makes sense that more consumers will look for an easy way to migrate and I think this product can sell well.
The only thing is that I think that Apple offers this service for free when you buy a Mac in their stores?
my comments at http://www.commentino.com/orim
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|" the new (no-difference-except-video-card) MacBook and MBP..."
Forgetting the Hard drive and RAM are we.
Though it's early to say, I suspect the casing improvements are fairly significant also.
The MB's plastic cracked very easily, and the MBP would warp out of shape.
This should now be cured.
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|"The only thing is that I think that Apple offers this service for free when you buy a Mac in their stores?"
No, they offer the genius bar service, which is $99 and gives you 1 class a week for one year. Several of those classes TEACH you how to migrate your profile and settings, but they do not do it for you. You also must go on their schedule, at their stores, and availability may be limited. We have 1 apple store for ~5 million people in this state, so the chances that you get a spot are fairly slim.
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|preinterpost says Good Riddance.
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|The genius bar will not migrate settings for you. They will show you how to. At least that is what some "genius" told a friend that I was considering getting out of the wintel world...
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|Too bad you guys have to spend $49.99 for what a Mac already does for free. Windoze really blows.
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|That's what I was thinking, so really the only thing Belkin made is the cable? Like all other things Belkin, it's rather overpriced.
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|Too bad you have never had one intelligent thought
Windows has had a migration tool since XP...nice try though...
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|Hrm... overpriced. Sounds like Belkin and Apple are made for each other in that case.
Hey Steve, FU for killing my command line. I've despised you from that time and will continue.
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|Please, "free" and "Mac" don't fit well together in a sentence. My eyes hurt!
Apple fanboys are funny, they just want to feel different, special.
Keep buying your overpriced products and PLEASE, stop blaming Windows.
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|So you basically no nothing about OSX? the "command line" is there. Hint: open a terminal window.
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|Until I can get a ] prompt, steve can sit and spin.
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|I don't have to spend $50 on anything. Don't need it. "shrug"
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|For those of you bashing the idea, Belkin's doing a bit more than just cloning the data from your Windows machine to your new Mac. Notice the "folders, settings, and apps" section? Yeah...Migration Assistant transfers your settings, too, so you don't have to go through and reset all of your preferences. If Belkin's product works as advertised, that will give folks moving from PC to Mac the same benefit as someone moving from an older Mac to a new Mac.
As to the Genius Bar doing that for you...yeah, that's great...if you have the time and are close enough to an Apple Store to take advantage of that. But since Mac hasn't really come out with a Migration Assistant for Windows, I doubt the Geniuses will transfer settings. Just data.
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|and i say, switch to APC.
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|I love using APC for my UPS's, but I don't think they make computers.
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|This is why the "Post a Reply" button was created...
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|Please correct me, but I thought OS X already reads NTFS drives. Why pay $50 for this? Google 'data transfer windows OS X' and tweak your nips for job well done and cash saved.
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|People too dumb or lazy to be able to figure out how to run a PC correctly are the target market. This product will probably do well.
I'm not anti-Apple, and I'm not implying that Apple users are dumb or lazy, just the target market for this product.
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|Hey, you're not supposed to use logic here! ;-)
As it is, we have myriads of folks here whining that the "most knowledgeable" of the Circuit City's folks were let go! And one could legitimately argue that no one here should need either FireDog or the Geek Squad!
The fact is that apparently far too many of the IT illuminati here (as well as the general public) DO live in that world - and that is precisely the market this cable is aimed at.
The 'file transfer for dummies' crowd.
Remember, the intended market for this crowd are traditional PC users moving to the Mac who are are trying desparately to overcome an almost overwhelming fear... ;-) LOL!
I lamentably suspect Belkin will do well. ;-)
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|Well there is atleast one dumb Apple user here. hehe. :P
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|It is also now possible to write to NTFS.
http://macntfs-3g.blogspot.com/
There is growing less and less reason to be scared of either operating system (or even linux).
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|Ha! Well, you could also say it is targeted at people who need something efficient because their lives are too busy otherwise. How's that?
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|This is interesting. Belkin, who is usually at least on the crest of trends if not ahead, must see a market worth devoting some significant engineering to. Or maybe they just figure anyone who can afford a new Mac won't blink at a $50 transfer kit. I personally have nothing against Apple except maybe their slowness at adopting new technology and some of their stranger design choices. If a Mac offered the performance of a comparably priced PC I'd say those cables would be seeing brisk sales.
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|ugh. On a whim we bought some belkin UPS's for a department that needed somewhat better reliability for their power. All the UPS's died just after their warranty. I'm not talking the battery died, the entire UPS was unable to provide power to its own outlets. When e-mailing support (the only option provided at the time,) no response was ever received.
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|If there is one thing for which you CAN'T fault Apple, its adopting new technology!
And yup, Apple's Intel Roadmap compliant PCs that run OSX (as well as every other x86 environment) don't offer the performance of equivalent Intel Roadmap compliant machines.
And yup, spending $900 is simply ridiculous in this this day and age...how DO they afford them?! LOL!
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|lol, thats wonderful.
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|I suggest it's probable he was referring to either the lack of BluRay (considering they backed the format in the first place), or the iPhone getting 3G.
Other than that, they are usually the leaders when it comes to adopting new technology.
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|"On a whim" that'll be your problem then.
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|I've been using CyberPower UPS's for years without a single problem. Even extended power outages caused no problems.
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|Perhaps a link to product? I'm always looking for a better software solution for making the switch.
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|If its a bother, you can just take your unit to an Apple Store (if one is convenient) and they will clone an existing Mac or transfer your PC data to the Mac for free.
Several manufacturers now offer such a cable.
Its a very easy process.
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|"IEEE 1394"
Just write FireWire, for goodness sake.
It's so much friendlier to read.
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|They had best use both, as too few know they are the same! ;-)
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|Maybe they need to pay a royallty to Apple whenever using the word 'Firewire' in article. =P
j/k
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|nope ;-)
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|If it weren't in context, I would have likely confused it with ethernet.
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