Hey all, my parents are looking at getting a new computer and would like to transfer some of the data (pictures, documents, etc.) from their old Gateway computer to their new desktop. I was wondering what different ways of doing this were available. We're talking about moving a total of about 1 gig of data from one computer to another, and I'm looking for the cheapest way to do so. Is there a USB cable I need to purchase? What's the easiest way to move files from one system to another without the presence of a router / network? Thx for your help!

:grinthumb

The easiest way is to take out the hard drive from the old computer and put it in the new one as a slave. The safest and the most foolproof way is to put it on the secondary channel in place of the CD-ROM. You can copy the files and then put the HD back in the o,d machine if you like.
This method costs you absolutely nothing besides the fact that you may void the warranty of the new computer (depends on the manufacturer's policy).

Another way is to use some sort of a cable. A myriad of options here ranging from a serial cable (horribly low transfer rate) to FireWire and Ethernet cables. The easiest (and cheapest) way is to use a crossover network cable (you'd need to have a network card in both computers tho). You can borrow a crossover cable for free from a friend or buy one for almost nothing.

You can also use external storage. If you have a CD burner then you can copy the things on 2 CDs. An external USB drive is an (expensive) option. Heck, you can even use a 128 MB flash stick and copy the data in 8 passes

This is true! Thank you so much for your ideas -- not quite decided on which one I'll adopt, but will post back here when I finalize some things. Thx again! :grinthumb