Syncing iPad with new iMac

[sisko]

I picked up my new 21.5" iMac yesterday, after 15 years plus with a PC.

If I sync my iPad is there any way to get the iPad to sync with the iMac (i.e. copy tunes/apps etc from the iPad to the iMac) or will syncing with the new iMac wipe what is on the iPad? (hope that makes sense).

Hope someone can help.

 

[Bluedog]

Welcome to mac! PC's are the anti christ!!
Whatever is on the ipad will be swipped clean if you sync with the new ipad -which is what you want anyway. Otherwise you wont be able to sync tunes, movies apps you've bought between imac and ipad.

 

[sisko]

Ah, I don't want the iPad wiped clean, i want the songs/apps on the iPad to copy over onto the new iMac.

Is this possible or will I have to wiped the iPad and start with a blank slate on both the iPad and the iMac?

 

[Bluedog]

Are the apps and music on the ipad you've bought?

 

[sisko]

I have had the iPad since the start of the year and was syncing it to the PC I have just replaced with the new iMac.

Itunes on the new iMac is empty till I start to load cds.

 

[poppitypop]

Welcome to mac! PC's are the anti christ!!

Hush your mouth before I rinse it with a rusty brillo pad!

 

[Bluedog]

Hush your mouth before I rinse it with a rusty brillo pad!

Excellent! I was counting down and caught one!

 

[Bluedog]

I have had the iPad since the start of the year and was syncing it to the PC I have just replaced with the new iMac.

Itunes on the new iMac is empty till I start to load cds.

You need to start again i'm afraid! Its not that difficult to reload your cd's again. Apple make it all easy for you.

 

[poppitypop]

Excellent! I was counting down and caught one!

Ah yes but I am not a typical fanboy(girl) - I like what I like, you like what you like and all be happy. None of this My Dad's bigger than your Dad rubbish

 

[poppitypop]

You need to start again i'm afraid! Its not that difficult to reload your cd's again. Apple make it all easy for you.

If they have an external hard drive would be easier to transfer the library over that way?

 

[Bluedog]

Ah yes but I am not a typical fanboy(girl) - I like what I like, you like what you like and all be happy. None of this My Dad's bigger than your Dad rubbish

Good words! Repsect.

 

[sisko]

If they have an external hard drive would be easier to transfer the library over that way?

I do have a NAS; can I copy the library over from my old PC to the NAS then over to the MAC?

 

[poppitypop]

I do have a NAS; can I copy the library over from my old PC to the NAS then over to the MAC?

Yes you should be able to just copy them over via hard drive. I have done this PC to PC many times, I assume this would be the same for PC to Mac

 

[Tenex]

I picked up my new 21.5" iMac yesterday, after 15 years plus with a PC.

If I sync my iPad is there any way to get the iPad to sync with the iMac (i.e. copy tunes/apps etc from the iPad to the iMac) or will syncing with the new iMac wipe what is on the iPad? (hope that makes sense).

It is possible to attach an iOS device and force a backup without doing a sync.

Can't recall the key combo (think its hold down Cmd-Opt) as you attach the device and that should cancel any sync. Then select the device in the left column and right click to do a backup or transfer purchases etc.

HTH

 

[FallOutBoy]

Have you not got an iCloud backup? You sync to the PC rather than the cloud I take it?

I agree that the easiest solution for you would be to copy the whole iTunes folder from your PC, over onto the new iMac, then make sure all the music, apps etc appear in iTunes on there. Then connect the iPad and start over with a new sync, everything from before can then be sync'd back onto the iPad.

I know iCloud has its problems/limitations but it's worked great for me so far, I've had 2 iPhones and 2 iPads in the last few months and always been able to restore them to an iCloud backup with everything just as I left it on the previous iDevice.
Very useful, as it untethers it from the computer so even though I've had an old PC, MacBook and new PC Laptop now, my iPad has remained sync'd via its own iCloud backup independent of the computers, and the computer (using iTunes and iCloud) automatically downloads anything and everything that I download onto my iPad via the app or iTunes stores etc on there, so everything is always in sync, wirelessly

 

[FallOutBoy]

It is possible to attach an iOS device and force a backup without doing a sync.

Can't recall the key combo (think its hold down Cmd-Opt) as you attach the device and that should cancel any sync. Then select the device in the left column and right click to do a backup or transfer purchases etc.

HTH

If you go into the iTunes preferences before connecting the iPad for the first time, you can turn off automatic sync when devices are connected. Then it won't sync anyway. Wasn't sure if it would let you transfer purchases off it or not, but I don't see why not, as long as you've authorised the new iMac with your iTunes account

 

[Matt_C]

It is possible to attach an iOS device and force a backup without doing a sync.

Can't recall the key combo (think its hold down Cmd-Opt) as you attach the device and that should cancel any sync. Then select the device in the left column and right click to do a backup or transfer purchases etc.

HTH

I don't know of a keystroke combo, but all I do is change the settings in iTunes prefs to disable auto syncing, open iTunes, plug device in, then right click on device and select back up.

As far as copying content from the iPad to the Mac, you can't do it in iTunes directly.

Firstly, sign into your iTunes account on the iMac. You should then be able to automatically download any apps and music (and books) you've bought from the iTunes/App store using that Apple ID.

For anything else that you've put on your iPad that didn't come from the iTunes store, you need a third party app. iRip2 is really good for this (iRip 2 – iPod and iPhone music transfer software for Mac or PC – The Little App Factory) It does cost (the free version is limited) but it works very well.

If you still have the PC and don't want to spend on an app to facilitate copying your content from your iPad to your iMac, then go to the PC, and copy all music and video onto a flash drive/ext hdd, plug it into the Mac (Macs will read NTFS formatted drives, but not write to them) and copy it all into a folder on the desktop.

Then, go to iTunes, open prefs and make sure "Copy to iTunes Media Folder" and "Keep my iTunes Media Folder Organised" are both ticked, then drag that folder on your desktop into iTunes. Let it compile it all, then go to FILE (in iTunes), hold down the ALT (also known as option) key and click "DISPLAY EXACT DUPLICATES. Delete the duplicates (don't delete them all, just one, or more if applicable) of each - if you delete them all you do actually delete them all - you don't want that.

Once you're happy you don't have duplicates, and you have everything you had before, then connect the iPad and sync it - it will delete all apps music and video on the iPad but it will replace it with the same music apps and video thats now in your iTunes, so it will all go back on again.

 

[Matt_C]

If you go into the iTunes preferences before connecting the iPad for the first time, you can turn off automatic sync when devices are connected. Then it won't sync anyway. Wasn't sure if it would let you transfer purchases off it or not, but I don't see why not, as long as you've authorised the new iMac with your iTunes account

Yes it will