How do I move iTunes to new Mac from ext drive?

I bought a new Macbook Air and need help moving my iTunes library from an external drive to the new computer. (My old Macbook Pro ran out of disk space so I moved the entire library to the other drive). Now that I have new Air, how do I properly move the library from the ext drive? Thanks.

Quick answer if you use iTunes' default preferences settings: Copy the entire iTunes folder (and in doing so all its subfolders and files) intact to the other drive. Open iTunes and immediately hold down the Option (alt) key (shift on Windows), then guide it to the iTunes Library.itl file in the moved iTunes folder.
If you put the copied iTunes folder in the default location of Macintosh HD > Users > *User Name* > Music then you don't even need to start with the option key held down, iTunes will automatically look for it there. (Make sure there isn't anything already in the iTunes folder there that you want to keep since you will be replacing it with the one you are moving.)
Longer answers if for any reason you do not think all library files are inside your iTunes folder (changed preferences settings at some point):
iTunes: How to move [or copy] your music [library] to a new computer [or another drive] - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527 - a somewhat bewildering and not always easily understandable set of options.
For the record there's this reference for iTunes 11 but it really doesn't strike me as having the specifics you need. iTunes 11 for Mac: Move your library to another computer - http://support.apple.com/kb/PH12168
2011 ilounge article: Transferring your iTunes library - http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/moving-your-itunes-library-to -a-new-hard-drive/ - An article with good background information (similar to the links above), particularly if you are not sure your media files are all grouped for quick answer above. Unfortunately under the single term "transferring library" it describes two very different moves; relocating just your media (not really transferring your library and not recommended unless you really need this configuration), and relocating media+database (really your whole "library"). Make sure you understand the difference before electing to move only media.
Unless you have a very small library I expect you'll be moving it back soon.

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More info:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751
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My situation: Vista machine; meta data saved on my Vista machine hard drive*, but the music files are on an external hard drive.
Solution: ???. (I'm guessing it's as simple as saving the library meta file to a cd, then put the cd in the mac, and double click the file, and then all that library info would be added to iTunes on the mac .... but then how do you then add the music to the mac so that the library finds each song that it's supposed to find, without creating duplicates, while keeping all your rating history, skip history, playcount, playlists, etc???)
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http://www.screencast.com/users/washingtonpondfrog/folders/Jing/media/f2055a75-0 776-46f8-be53-4ab5c4fba397
http://www.screencast.com/users/washingtonpondfrog/folders/Jing/media/1070b10b-6 c90-4de7-86b9-4fd096d8ed5f

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hi
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How do I move iTunes to new Mac from ext drive?

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