Merging 2 Macs Together

let me start post saying without macrumors would've been , may still little lost since moving windows mac on 5 years ago. maybe think i'm kissing butt because of i'm typing below i'm not. i'm true apple fanboy , tell ever asks me how start here. i'm 35 years old , couldn't more e-mail 7 years ago. 2 real years on pc , last 5+ on mac has made me more money in business , love working on these machines , learning how things never though on own.

being said here's issue...

want merge 2 macs 1.

main machine every day use 27" imac lion. it's 1 synch iphone with, have passwords saved in, paid apps/programs installed.

secondary machine white unibody macbook. when bought used @ home , on go.

want clean out , sell imac not using , can still pretty penny it.

main concerns are;
1. merging mail imac macbook. both have been used there important e-mails on both (a couple thousand on each)
2. moving itunes library over.
3. being able synch iphone without losing macbook instead of imac
4. imac has 1tb hd (only 250 gigs used) moving needed files macbook (only 500 gig hard drive) know there 75 % overlap in files because dropped them macbook imac when purchased it.

have current time machine ups of both. i'm not worried losing data, merging seamlessly keep workflow smooth.

i'm worried merging both mail files i've been through pain of having through archive files imported mail entourage , outlook , never remember look. shouldn't use e-mail pseudo file server i'm flawed that

i'm not worried paying couple hundred bucks work don't trust others things done right. love apple had 40-50 hours invested @ apple store years when there synching issue between mbp, iphone, , mobile me. if geniuses can't future stuff out always, can count on?

here's slim rundown of each machines specs;
27" imac
8gb ram
1 tb hd
lion os
1tb external time machine ups

unibody macbook
8gb ram
500 gb hd
lion os
500 gb external time machine ups

thoughts, directions, , warnings more welcome.

 

aarrgh. rather pain, no?

there 1 way stuff over, although it's rather imperfect marriage...or rather cohabitation opposed marriage.

that's use migration ass't. when have user same name it's going ask new named user , can transfer stuff over. you'd customize it, set "imacuser" account example, , have stuff need accessible on 1 computer. found easiest way me stuff onto laptop when pressed time. then, on time, moved or copied needed laptop user account, , used old user account kind of backup. deleted it. sure, had dupes, had space.

biggest hassle email accounts. entourage nasty because, recall, keeps in 1 file. it's unclear me you've done mail, time house in order. if you're using imap it's simple, because stuff should stored on server. local stuff can use "import mailboxes..."

itunes, kinda depends on how you're organized. can use more 1 itunes library, not @ once. can import playlists, , use "add library...." may have remove duplicates; use "display exact duplicates" , sort date added , should able select dupes , delete.

can sync phone mac registered itunes. trick whether you're syncing stuff on imac isn't present on macbook.
i'd content sorted on computers before using macbook sync phone.

other stuff try checking out folder syncing software. or move on stuff , use software find duplicates, dupeguru.

i'm not sure how backups structured, way use place stored imac tm backup external macbook. copy on data stuff, should take fraction of space backup took , again can move on stuff needed, , similar workflow you're using.

rob

 

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