Question: Moving apps to SSD drive

I just installed an SSD drive in my iMac 11,3. It also has the main HD (original).

I want to move boot and all apps to SSD. Making progress.

Later, if I want to manually move an app do I simply COPY it from the HD and PASTE it in applications dir on SSD? Is that all I need to do?

Also, I think there were apps installed for everyone and apps installed for just one user. So, can I just copy all these user-installed apps and paste them into the SSD for everyone to use? Is it that easy? (I don't care about user-only apps. I'm the only user.)

Thanks!

Might be easier to use software such as Carbon Copy Cloner to clone your boot drive, user folder, and other data to the new SSD. The SSD will then become your boot drive and your older drive can be used for data and other storage. Most smaller apps can be moved without a problem, however, other apps that are more complex must be reinstalled. Cloning assures that everything will be properly moved to the new drive.

Thanks. The problem is that my original HD is 1 TB. My new SSD is 256 GB. So, I won't be able to move everything over. That's why I only want my boot/OS and applications on the SSD.

As stated above, some apps can be moved, others will have to be reinstalled. And in order to render your new SSD bootable, you will have to reinstall OS X to it.

So let me get this straight, you want to use your SSD as your boot volume with you apps but you want to use your old HDD for storage? I would say that if it is the original HDD then that is a risky proposition. Your HDD must be nearing 5 years old (the estimated life span of a HDD) so it could fail any time. Leaving you with your apps and boot volume on the SSD but no data. Also, please correct me if I'm wrong anyone, but if your SSD has to open files on a HDD then it will be almost as slow as using an external HD. It defeats the point of having an SSD in the first place (other than storage expansion). Personally I'm wondering why you didn't just replace the 1Tb HDD with a 1Tb SSD.

I use an SSD for startup and my original HD for storage of most other folders normally found on the startup drive -- just as you describe.
I followed this:
http://mattgemmell.com/using-os-x-with-an-ssd-plus-hdd-setup/
(so, for example, Documents, Pictures, Music, Movies are all "linked" to the HDD on my mini)

It can be done, as gsahli has pointed out. However, not all applications are well behaved. Those that are should run fine, but the not-so-well behaved will have issues. I tried this approach for a while but found that applications wanted to create folders on the boot drive, apparently assuming that the application itself exists there, and errored out. Others reported missing files that weren't missing, just not on the boot drive any more. So, while it CAN be done, it comes with some adventures for you. I eventually gave up on it and moved all my apps back to the boot drive, then moved my data files to the other drive. That seems to work better, although some apps still expect their data files to be on the boot drive.

Jake - I should have been clearer. I've kept my Home folder AND the Applications folder on my SSD for loading speed. All kinds of documents are in symlinked folders on the spinning drive.
Never had any of the symptoms you described.