Before you turn on that brand new Mac, make sure you understand the steps that Apple’s software is going to ask you to go through. It may save time to have help from the start, rather than sort out the issues later.

Transferring files from your old computer can be a snap, but the older the computer, the more likely you may need assistance.

Unless you use Apple’s Migration Assistant, you will be asked to set up a new User. The User account will get a short and a long name. The short name can not easily be changed, so choose it carefully.

Setting up internet and email. In some cases this may mean dealing with modems, switches, routers, wireless configurations, and passwords.

Post-Migration Setup
You new Mac will have a lot of questions for you. Most of them start with “Do you want to allow…” Each macOS has more intense security than the previous one, and it is likely your old computer was not running a recent macOS. These days I do migrations and post-migration set-up remotely. I go through all the programs and settings and make sure everything works for you. Some older apps may need to be replaced, others reconfigured. Safari works a lot better on a newer macOS, so you may want to try it again after using Firefox or Chrome on your old Mac, as Safari got further and further behind.

If you are new to the Mac or to macOS, you may need some basic tutoring to understand where things are and how to use new features. After the initial orientation, you can schedule training sessions to make the most out of your new computer.