"Operating system vendors face this problem once or twice a decade: They need to migrate their user base from their old operating system to their very different new one, or they need to switch from one CPU architecture to another one, and they want to enable users to run old applications unmodified, and help developers port their applications to the new OS. Let us look at how this has been done in the last 3 decades, looking at DOS/Windows, Macintosh, Amiga and Palm."
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Member since:2005-06-29
Member since:2005-11-10
Too much change going on for me, let alone how disorganised they are x_x
Either way, regardless of whether it’s possible or not, we’re talking about migration (either from one browser to another, or more importantly from one OS to another).
I want to be able to install Ubuntu and have my Firefox profle imported for me (or cross-import from Windows IE if a user is new to Firefox). This currently isn’t done, and it’s not rocket-science. Do it peeps, your users need it!
Member since:2009-04-27
After reading that part bit, I thought that you just used an older version of Safari.
I find it troubling they don't provide that option. Opera has it since I can remember..
Anyways, the bigger problem with migration is the new paradigm the users need to adapt and not so much the settings - tho adjusting it can indeed help.
However copying all the documents to new folders and having independent programs like KDE, Fx, or whatever to import user settings from Windows users wouldn't it be more of a application problem?
Well.. Not copying documents, that could be implemented as something automatical during installation, but it would potentially slow it down very much. If the user did import settings using some app provided with OS - like Macs, then it would require constants updates to meet the standards of all the apps it would be importing settings to.
Member since:2005-11-10
Writing the code to be able to migrate from one version of an OS to another is not easy (especially if changing architectures), but it has to be done.
I’m saying the same goes with data. Importing data from one application to another, on different OSes is not easy -- but it needs to be done, otherwise there is no option of migration, and Linux needs migrations.
Member since:
2005-11-10
Just Googled a solution - export to HTML from Firefox first, then import in Safari 4. Too late now, I’ve already made my decision, Firefox 3.5 is much better.
Given that Firefox is open source, it really wouldn’t be difficult for Apple to add Firefox bookmark import into Safari, even IE8 does it now as they’ve had to admit defeat. The point with migration is that if it’s not offered right there at the start then it does nothing to endear me to the product. I shouldn‘t have to Google this stuff, because regular users certainly won’t.