While Apple is Very eager that its macOS software will only be executed on Mac, there are many options for making the opposite windows and running on Apple computers. If you are a developer, or if you need to access Windows and Mac applications, or if you just want flexibility of two operating systems, it is not too difficult to configure with the right tools.
The option we will cover here is the parallel office for Mac. It is certainly not the cheapest of your options, but it is entirely authorized and legal, while being reliable, simple and saved with regular updates and customer support. This is one of those cases where, we think, this is worth the investment.
To start
David Nield
To be operational, you just need a Mac with an internet connection. There is a handful of minimum requirements, but above all you will want to be sure you have at least 4 GB of RAM and at least 16 GB for free for the installation of Windows – the parallels itself are 600 MB.
Visit the Paralels website and you will see that you can try desktop parallels for Mac for 14 days. If you decide that it is worth paying, the standard subscription that is suitable for most individuals (rather than companies) will cost you $ 100 per year.
Follow the link to download the software, and once installed on MacOS, you will be taken by the configuration process. Along the way, you will be invited to download and install Windows 11, which is a fairly high download: click on the Install Windows button to initiate the process.
Parallels configures a virtual machine on your Mac, then installs windows inside – you essentially install the operating system as an application, rather than a fundamental layer, so that the parallels are closed (or are uninstalled), the windows leave. Virtualization software like this can cause performance problems and slowness, but these problems are fortunately minimized by parallels.
