# Transfering between Macs

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transfering-between-macs/636840>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 5, 2012, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transfering-between-macs/636840 "2012-10-05T20:05:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![cardinal\_fang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal_fang/32/15316_2.png) [@cardinal\_fang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cardinal_fang)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transfering-between-macs/636840/21 "2012-11-12T04:29:30Z")

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> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#):
>
> What migration assistant can’t help you with is old applications, as nothing can help you here. A G5 is a PowerPC based machine. Any modern Mac, from about 5 years ago onwards is Intel x86 based. As of OSX 10.6 (Lion) Apple removed the Rosetta system, which provided a way of emulation a PowerPC on an x86. At this point no PowerPC applications will run on the Mac. If the application has been built to run on both (which would mean it was bought in the last 5 years) they will be OK. But legacy applications, probably bought at the same time as the G5 and not updated will require new versions.

Bumping this thread to ask a question.

I’m currently running migration assistant from my old (PPC) Mac mini to my new one (over Wi-Fi – going to take a couple of days or so but I’m in no hurry). I recall that I had “Applications” checked when I started the migration, but they are all the wrong architecture, of course, and I doubt any are universal binaries.

Will migration assistant “do the right thing?” (i.e., ignore those apps and not clutter any settings. etc. on the new Mac).

Thanks.

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