Ye be now able to sail th' Windows 11 seas on yer Apple ship, mateys, with Microsoft's jolly stamp o' approval!
2024-01-22
Avast ye mateys! The secrets be out! Microsoft's sanctioned tricks to hoist Windows 11 upon Apple's M1, M2, or M3 chips have been unveiled. Buckle yer bootstraps, for a grand adventure awaits!
In a humorous tone reminiscent of a 17th-century pirate, it has been revealed that Apple Mac devices with Apple's own ARM-based M1, M2, or M3 chips can now run Windows 11. Previously, Mac users who wanted to use Windows operating systems or Windows-only apps were left out in the cold after Apple switched from Intel processors to its own Apple silicon ARM processors in 2020.For Mac devices with Intel processors, users could rely on the multi-boot utility program, Boot Camp, to install and run Windows as their preferred operating system. However, this option is not available for devices with Apple silicon processors.
Microsoft has now given its official backing to two methods that enable Mac users with M1, M2, or M3 chips to use Windows 11 on their machines: Windows 365 Cloud PC and Parallels. Parallels Desktop versions 18 and 19 have been authorized by Microsoft to run the ARM-specific versions of Windows 11 Pro and Windows 11 Enterprise. Users can create a virtual machine within their existing macOS to run Windows 11 with access to most of its features.
However, there are limitations to using Parallels, such as the inability to run 32-bit Windows ARM versions and features that make use of Windows' nested virtualization capabilities. Microsoft's in-house solution, Windows 365 Cloud PC, is also available for streaming a fully-fleshed-out and personalized version of Windows 11, but currently, it is aimed at organizations rather than individual users.
While Microsoft encourages users to run Windows 11 on dedicated PCs, it acknowledges the benefits of running it on Mac devices for testing purposes or using applications without native Mac support. The availability of these methods shows Microsoft's willingness to accommodate users' preferences and fosters a positive impression among users and professionals.