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Aloha Bob PC Relocator
Affordable software system
migration.
Looking for this item? -
get it
here...
Putting off the move to a new PC?
A job that many
dread, and not without cause
If your present system has seen a lot of use, there's plenty of
reason to put off getting a new one. It's more attractive to
upgrade than replace, just to avoid the monumental task of
reinstalling everything.
If it were only as simple as running a few cd's, it'd be okay.
But what about those upgrades and patches? What about those
handy little applets downloaded from the Internet? What about
the countless tweaks required to get it all working together?
You're going to have to dig through all those disks, sort and
reinstall them in the proper order, remembering to reapply all
patches where required, also in the proper order. Reboot a
hundred times or more. Search for serial numbers. Find and
disable those "register now or later" reminders.
Transferring data? Sure. You did make notes of all the default
directories, and how you modified each application, didn't you?
Yeah. Right.
It's going to take hours, maybe days to get it all changed over
and ready to use again. Who has time for all of that, who needs
the aggravation?
Time to bite the bullet...
Eventually,
though, you have to replace almost any computer that remains in
use. When the time came for an old P133 running Win95 original,
a PC that had been in constant, daily use since 1995, we turned
to a product with the unlikely name of Aloha Bob's PC Relocator.
The new system was a C766 econobox with WinME, of all things,
and the idea was to move from old to new with minimum disruption
for the user. This required the same set of applications, the
same data directory structures, the same user preference
settings replicated on the new machine.
We wanted all the
benefits of the newer machine, of course, but all the
familiarity of the old one. Pretty much a tear-your-hair-out
job.
Aloha Bob was, according to its packaging, designed to
accomplish exactly that, without the hair pulling part. The
entire application environment, it claimed, would be transmitted
to the new machine through a simple cable connection, and
afterward would function as it ought to, while preserving all
the features of the new machine.
Aloha Bob could, it was claimed, do this automatically.
Frankly, despite some favorable reviews, we were skeptical. With
nothing really at risk though, we decided to give it a try.
After all, we had backups and restore disks in case it screwed
things up. Our attitude was basically, "wouldn't it be cool if
this thing actually works?"
Automated wizardry...
Despite the
cutesy packaging and name, Aloha Bob's PC Relocator turns out to
be a serious tool for serious computer users. Easy enough for
anyone to use, and powerful enough to do the job, Aloha Bob
makes an aggravating job much easier.
We opted to install a couple of old 10 mbps network cards,
connected with thin coaxial, and were done in less than an hour.
Install, transfer, disconnect. Done.
A 100 mbps connection would be preferable of course,
particularly for larger hard drives. This was only a 1.3 GB. If
you're not familiar with TCP/IP, and not really eager to learn,
the enclosed parallel network cable is probably the better
choice. You'll just need to allow a lot more time- like
overnight or longer.
When the new system rebooted, sure enough, there was the old
familiar desktop, and our files were just where we'd left them,
shortcuts and all. There were some new icons, representing
software preinstalled on the new machine. We quickly rounded
them up and put them in a separate folder. Likewise with the
Start menu.
The new machine slipped into the existing peer to peer network
with minimal bother. All we had to do was reset share
permissions, re-establish a couple of file associations. We
cleaned out a few junk folders. Very minor problems, considering
all we didn't even have to think about.
We were, in fact, both pleased and amazed. Aloha Bob performed
as advertised. The person who used the system was able to return
to work with barely a missed beat.
A little preparation...
Despite the ease
of use, this is some very powerful software. Like any powerful
tool, it can create a lot of mischief if misused.
Setup and preparation are the keys to success. Aloha Bob warns
to scan for viruses and run ScanDisk, but we suggest you don't
stop there. Read through all the documentation before beginning.
If there's anything on the old machine that may be incompatible,
get rid of it. In particular, check the versions of utilities
like those from Norton, PowerQuest, or OnTrack. Unless they are
specifically compatible with the new OS, uninstall them.
Likewise any applications you no longer use, fonts you've never
even looked at, and so on. The cleaner and better maintained
your old machine, the better.
If your old machine
has multiple physical or logical disk drives, you'll want to
partition your new system's drive to match the assignment of
drive letters and file references. For this, you'll want
the latest version of PowerQuest's Partition Magic.
tell me more...
Tradeoffs
In exchange for saving a lot of time, you're surrendering almost
all control. Aloha Bob does exactly what it claims. If there's a
lot of garbage on your old system, or it sometimes crashes
inexplicably, do not use this program.
If you're having problems with your system, Aloha Bob can't help
you. You need a fresh, clean install, one program at a time,
until you find the troublemaker.
Recommended
If, on the other hand, you're in the position of wanting to
combine the features of a fully functional, well operating
software environment with those of a new computer and OS, Aloha
Bob may be just the tool you need to leverage your system. We
found it worth much more than its modest price tag.
Supported System Transfers
You can use AlohaBob's PC-Relocator
to move from:
-
Windows 95 to
Windows 95
-
Windows 95 to
Windows 98
-
Windows 95 to
Windows ME
-
Windows 98 to
Windows 98
-
Windows 98 to
Windows ME
-
Windows ME to
Windows ME
Get
Aloha Bob PC Relocator
DirectConnect at Amazon.com:
Aloha Bob PC Relocator
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