Speed up MBA System installation

Feb 22, '08 07:30:01AM

Contributed by: watling

To speed up system installation on the MacBook Air, create a disk image (in Disk Utility) of the Air's Install disks (both of them), and save them locally on your DVD-equipped Mac. Spit out the real DVDs, and open both the disk images. The Remote Install Mac OS X application (in Utilities) can serve these to the MacBook Air much faster than directly from the DVD. As an example, a full install took about 15 minutes, instead of the normal hour for a fresh install using the DVDs.

I also used the ethernet cable on the MBA, and connected it straight into the Ethernet port of the Mac that was serving. That machine was connected to the net by AirPort, so I set the 'Share Internet Connection' optionto "from AirPort to Ethernet" on that box, so that the MacBook Air pulled files from it directly. Woooosh!

[robg adds: If someone sends me a MacBook Air, I'll give this hint a thorough test...]

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