You will have to pry my Mac out of my cold, dead, hands.
There comes a time when a Mac user will need to run software that will only run on Microsoft Windows. Specifically, when you are a criminal defense lawyer or on a legal team that just received discovery containing programs that only run using Microsoft Windows. There is no substitute for running the program natively (on a computer that runs Microsoft Windows) both from performance and ease of use.
Modern Apple computers can run Microsoft Windows in one of two ways. Natively or virtually. Intel-based Macs contain the same Intel processors found in computers running Microsoft Windows. These Macs can natively run Microsoft Windows using a feature called Bootcamp or through virtualization. Newer Macs using processors made by Apple can only use virtualization.[3]
Virtualization uses software to ‘pretend’ the machine is another type of physical computer. In essence, you are instructing the software that it is running on a Microsoft Windows computer, not the Apple computer.
This virtualization is not free[4]. Apple computers require software to create a ‘virtual machine’ and need a licensed version of Microsoft Windows installed. At the time we are writing this post, Microsoft Windows 11 will cost $200 to buy so you can load it onto your Apple computer. Additionally, the Apple computer will need additional memory, storage, and possibly a higher-performing processor.
There are pros and cons of running Microsoft Windows on Apple computers using virtualization.
Pros:
- Apple computers can now use a wider variety of software.
- Proprietary software requiring Microsoft Windows can be run.
- A single Apple computer can be used in place of having a second computer.
Cons:
- Expected costs: $100 to $300 for the virtualization software, and the $200 for Windows 11.
- Hardware requirements are higher, increasing the cost of the computer.
- Performance is not as good as running Microsoft Windows natively.
- Setup can be more complicated and require additional expertise.
- When you connect USB and external hard drives, you will have to have to track if you are connecting to the Mac or PC side of the machine.
There are significant trade-offs to consider when running Windows on a Mac. While it allows you more software flexibility, it can be expensive, complex and requires more powerful hardware.
Helpful Resources
Below are some links to software and information about running virtual machines in Apple computers. These are not endorsed by NLST but should be useful for getting started.
The best virtual machine Mac options (setapp.com)
https://www.parallels.com/products/desktop
Fusion – Run Windows on Mac | VM for Mac | VMware
[1] Too Long Didn’t Read – TLDR | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary
[2] Minimum recommended specifications: CPU: Intel i5/AMD Ryzen 5; RAM 16GB, SSD 1TB storage
[3] Mac computers with Apple silicon – Apple Support – 2020
[4] There are free options available but require considerable technical knowledge to use.