I was thinking about getting a new M1 iMac soon and I was thinking about migrating my data from my mid-2012 MacBook Pro to the new one manually using an external hard drive. Does the CPU matter?because my MacBook has an Intel Core i5 processor. Will I need to get the iMac without pre-installed software in order to do this?
Here's one example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHuOU5LgR-w
MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.15
Welcome to Apple Support Communities.
Yes, you can manually move files. See: "Use the Finder to drag files" in Other ways to back up and restore files - Apple Support.
For this, you'll need an external hard drive. I would recommend a high quality one, such as the SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE - Western Digital.
You can also restore using Time Machine: Setup Assistant and Migration Assistant - Apple Community.
Jack
Whether you get those apps is 100% up to you. If you don't know, then please research what each does and then you can decide if you need them or not. Below are the links to each app where Apple tells you about them.
Okay but when I get my new iMac, should I get it without the pre-installed software (Final Cut Pro and/or Logic Pro)?
Transfering Data from Old Mac to New Mac Manually
