When Windows 7 launches, some portion of consumers—particularly those who skipped Windows Vista—are going to be looking at buying new computer with Windows 7 pre-installed. The question then becomes: how do users most easily get their music, photo, email, and data from the old clunker to the new PC? Windows 7 includes an Easy Transfer utility, but…well, how does that work exactly? Belkin is hoping to take the mystery out of the equation with its Easy Transfer Cable for Windows 7—just connect it between USB ports on a new Windows 7 machine and an old PC, and it uses Windows Easy Transfer to handle the rest.
The Easy Transfer Cable for Windows 7 will work between any USB-equipped PCs, with one running Windows 7 and the other running Winodws XP or Vista. The Easy Transfer utility will pull user accounts and settings information over from the old PC, along with files and folders, email and contact information, program settings and data files, and (of course) media like music, video, and images. Users can select what information they want to transfer, and (in theory, anyway) lets users transfer data much more quickly than buy burning DVDs or copying over a network. However, Easy Transfer will not move over software applications: users will need to re-install any software they want to use on the new machine…assuming it’s compatible with Windows 7. And we all know that probably involves things like downloading updates, getting new license codes, and herding a bunch of cats. Belkin’s software does provide a compete report of what it moved over to the new PC, though, so users can be sure they transferred everything important.
The Easy Transfer Cable for Windows 7 will go on sale October 23 for $39.99; pre-orders are open now.
