How to move files (ie iPhoto) from mac to mac w/out Migration Asst?

[Miles Davis]

Hello,

I am getting a new MBP next week, but unfortunately have to sell my iBook this weekend, so I cannot use the Migration Assistant to transfer files over. I am wondering what the best solution would be, I would use an external harddrive I suppose, to move the files. I'm not worried about docs or music as iTunes it easy, drag and drop, but I always have problems with iPhoto. The last time I tried to copy all the items from iPhoto, I ended up taking all the thumbnails with me and it took forever to delete them all. With the thousands of images I have now, this would be a disaster. How can I most easily move the images? Will it work with the fullsize originals and edits that I have made to them? I'm consolidating computer and just sold my iMac. I put all the info from that one on my iPod (don't have an ext. disk yet), so I suppose I will have to dig through all the photo folders for that one right?

Thanks to anyone who has any insight!
M

 

[calebjohnston]

Eh, well... here's what I did.

I went in iPhoto, dragged and highlighted all the pictures, and dragged them all to a new folder on the desktop. This creates a copy of every picture in the library in the new folder. copy that folder to your new MBP and then import them to iPhoto.

 

[Miles Davis]

Wow, that seems really...well...easy! That's great! But are they the actual images, e.g. original information or just a smaller copy? I guess I am unsure of how iPhoto works in regards to file size and all. An mp3 is an mp3, but is an image an image? Or is it compressed somehow?

 

[theheyes]

Wow, that seems really...well...easy! That's great! But are they the actual images, e.g. original information or just a smaller copy? I guess I am unsure of how iPhoto works in regards to file size and all. An mp3 is an mp3, but is an image an image? Or is it compressed somehow?

Yeah, its the full image. Just try dragging one onto the desktop and inspecting it. Or you could just find the iPhoto library in your Pictures folder.