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Considering how many ways there are to move files back and forth between Macs, it seems almost comical that anybody complained when Apple discontinued built-in floppy disk drives . For one thing, you can almost always email the file to someone even to yourself! And there are plenty of other ways to move files around. 7.2.1. By NetworkWith about $50 worth of equipment (or $200, if you want to go wireless), you can connect your Macs together into a network . Once you've done so, you can keep an icon for each Mac's hard drive on your screen. You can open files from the other drives, copy stuff back and forthanything you would do with your own disk. Step-by-step instructions are in Chapter 13. 7.2.2. By CD or DVDYou can always burn your files onto a blank CD or DVD and then carry it to the other machine. You'd use this approach when, for example, you have a lot of data to copy, but the two Macs aren't within networking range; for example, they're not in the same room or the same city. 7.2.3. FireWire Disk Mode (Target Disk Mode)FireWire Disk Mode is a brilliant but little-known , Macintosh-only feature that lets you turn one Mac into an external hard drive for another. This is by far the fastest method yet for transferring a lot of dataeven faster than copying files over a network. It's extremely useful in any of these situations:
In the following steps, suppose your main Mac is an iMac, and you want to use a PowerBook as an external hard drive for it.
Note: The steps above describe the new, Tigerized method of setting up Target Disk Mode. But the old way still works, too.Leave the iMac turned on, but shut down the PowerBook. (Make sure it's plugged in. You wouldn't want the battery to die in the middle of this process.) Now turn the PowerBook on again, but hold down the T key immediately after the chime. After a moment, you see the big yellow Y-shaped FireWire icon on the laptop screen, and the laptop's hard drive shows up on the iMac's desktop. Continue from step 4 above.This method is arguably quicker, because you don't have to open up System Preferences. But it's also more of a pain, because you have to babysit the laptop so that you don't miss the critical T-key moment. 7.2.4. Via the iPodAn iPod is an extremely fine music player with enormous capacity. That's because it contains an actual hard drive that stores the songs. But because the iPod has a FireWire connector, it makes a dandy portable hard drive for everyday files, toonot just music. Note: Of course, you can transfer data using any external FireWire hard drive without having to follow any particular steps. To set the iPod up for data transfer, proceed like this:
Now you've got yourself a multi-gigabyte external hard drive. Just drag your files onto, or off of, the iPod icon, exactly as though it's a disk (which it is). The iPod automatically keeps your data files separate from your music files; your files won't be touched when you update your music collection from iTunes. Whenever you're finished using the iPod as a hard drive, eject it in any of the usual ways. For example, drag its icon to the Trash, or Control-click it and choose Eject from the contextual menu. 7.2.5. Via Flash DriveA flash drive , also called a thumb drive, is a tiny keychain-like doodad that plugs into your USB port. Inside is little more than a big chunk of RAM (memory) that acts like a miniature hard drive. When the flash drive is plugged into your Mac, its icon shows up on the desktop as a disk. Use it as a tiny, 512 MB hard drive (or whatever size you've bought). The beauty of a flash drive is that it works instantly and automatically with any Mac or any Windows machine, without any software installation or configuration. It's small and light enough to carry around on your keychain and it's so darned cool . If you regularly transfer documents between Macs or between Macs and PCs, a fl ash drive will change your life. 7.2.6. Via BluetoothBluetooth is a long-delayed, but promising , cable- elimination technology. It's designed to let Bluetooth-equipped gadgets communicate within about 30 feet, using radio signals. Already you can get Bluetootheither built in or as a slide-in cartridgefor computers, printers, Palm and PocketPC organizers, Sony camcorders, and so on. Apple's wireless keyboard and mouse both rely on Bluetooth. Even some phones have built-in Bluetooth transmitters. You can buy an Apple Bluetooth adapter for a desktop Mac for about $30 (it's a little nubbin that plugs into your USB port). But Bluetooth is much more common on Mac laptops, which can be ordered with Bluetooth built in. Either way, once your Mac is equipped, you can sync with a Bluetooth-equipped Palm organizer, use a Bluetooth cellphone as a modem to get you online, use the Apple wireless keyboard or mouseand transfer files through the air to similarly equipped gear. Bluetooth isn't especially fastin fact, it's pretty darned slow. (You get transfer speeds of 30 to 50 K per second, depending on the distance.) But when you consider the time you'd have taken for wiring, passwords, and configuration using any other connection method, you may find that Bluetooth wins, at least in casual, spur-of-the-moment, airport-seat situations. And when you consider that Bluetooth works no matter what the operating systemMac, Windows, Palm, Pocket PCyou can see that it has tremendous potential as a universal file-exchange translator, too. Note: For more detail on configuring your Mac for Bluetooth connections, see Section 9.4.5.
7.2.6.1. Sending a fileTo shoot a file or two across the airwaves to a fellow Bluetooth-equipped Mac fan, proceed like this:
7.2.7. Fetching a FileUsing the Send a File command in the Bluetooth menulet is a quick and satisfying way to transfer a filebut it's not the only way. You can also perform this entire procedure in reverse. That is, you can go fishing through your buddies ' files without them explicitly having to send anything. To make a Mac invade-able, the person to be invaded must turn on the Bluetooth File Transfer checkbox on the Sharing tab of the Bluetooth System Preferences, and indicate which folder contains the files to be shared. Then all you have to do is choose Browse Device from your own menulet (Figure 7-3)and let the rummaging begin (Figure 7-4, bottom)!
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