MB Air- just got it, got some questions

[maddawg46]

My last computer was 2008 MB Pro.
1. So this one has USB 3 connection. Can I connect my old MB with a USB 3 cable to transfer files?

2. What happens with my documents that were in Microsoft Word for Mac?

3. My Air is a new 2015 model with El Capitan. I like that because it has IPhoto. Should I upgrade to Sierra?

4. I need to buy an external DVD/ CD drive. Any thing I need to know? Got some recommendations?

 

[harryb2448]

You are running a backup on an external hard drive of course? Simply connect the external hard drive amd go into Utilities >Migration Assistant to bring everything over. Apple will want you to purhase their own superdrive and there have been reports of other brands not working too well. With my iMac I use a cheap external optical drive, but I must admit it has been in the cupboard for two years and the DVD has gone the way of the floppy with SD and thumb drives.

 

[chscag]

We'll try to answer your questions the same way you asked:

1. You can transfer files and data by using the Migration Assistant located in your Applications, Utilities folder. Use an external hard drive to transfer data if you wish. It can be USB 2 or 3. Or you can use a Time Machine backup on an external drive along with the Migration Assistant.

2. MS Word documents should be no problem. Just copy them to the new machine or let the Migration Assistant do it.

3. If your MacBook Air is a 2015 model with El Capitan, it does not have the iPhoto.app, it should have the Photos.app instead.

4. Any good quality external optical drive will work. I use both a Samsung and LG with my iMac. I believe they were around $35 or less each.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

1) USB 3 is backward compatible and will work fine

2) If you have a newer version of Office that will work with El Cap, you can continue to open/modify your old Word documents

3) Yosemite, I believe, introduced Photos to replace iPhoto. Photos will import your iPhoto album and for most people the transition should be seamless.

4) No recommendation from me..