Right off the bat, Parallels allows you to run multiple operating systems, not just Windows. Technically, the Mac shares the computer’s resources with the Parallels virtual machine(s) and allows the Mac to operate as a standalone device.
#Microsoft virtual pc for mac review software#
Parallels Offers Best of Both Worldsįor the past several years, I’ve used Parallels, a popular software utility that permits you to use Windows on a Mac by creating what’s known as a virtual machine. So, if you have recently purchased a Mac with an M1 or M2 processor, the Boot Camp option is unavailable to you. This scenario is less appealing as Apple has explicitly messaged that its desktop and laptop future will run Apple silicon, starting with the M1 chip. More importantly, Boot Camp only works with Intel-based Macs. But there are a couple of significant challenges with this approach.įirst, you won’t be able to hop back and forth between Windows and macOS to share content in real-time. At the time, the macOS market share was much smaller than today, and it didn’t enjoy Windows’ massive app availability.īoot Camp provides the capability to create a dual boot, where you can easily use either Windows or macOS, though not at the same time.įor some users, this is an appealing solution. Bootcamp Great, With LimitationsĪpple realized that predicament in 2006 when it released Boot Camp. However, in my view, that may not happen for a lengthy period of time.Īll of this leads to my contention that having the ability to run Windows on a Mac is always a convenient backup plan should you have to get access to a native Windows app. These links will help explain some specific feature differences between the Mac and Windows versions of Office 365 apps: Outlook | PowerPoint.Ĭandidly, the list of differences in features is not huge, but these distinctions can be annoying, so having access to the Windows version of Outlook can be helpful.īased on my conversations with Microsoft insiders, the company’s ultimate goal is to have complete feature equivalence between the macOS and Windows versions. For example, some feature nuances in Microsoft Office apps: no universal inbox support in the Windows version of Outlook and the inability to place an embedded YouTube player in the Windows versions of Word and PowerPoint. Yet, frustrating issues can result even when an app appears to be available for both macOS and Windows. It’s always good practice to make sure you’re using an app that is both available on macOS and Windows. Legacy apps like Pinnacle Systems’ Studio, a video editing app that has been around for over a decade, do not have an equivalent macOS version. In all likelihood, this is an issue that won’t affect most mainstream users. Many of these apps are relatively niche as they are development tools or applications specifically written for Windows. Windows Apps Can Differ From Mac CounterpartsĪlthough the number is not huge, some Windows apps do not have equivalent macOS versions. Windows PCs also are somewhat easier to manage and secure from an enterprise fleet standpoint, a selling point that appeals strongly to CIOs. After all, Windows PCs are generally much more affordable than their Mac peers. Most companies have embraced both macOS and Windows and give users a choice at a business level, even though Windows is the predominant OS in the corporate space. The latter is the category that I fall into regularly. Or, more commonly, features that may not be available in macOS versions of these apps.
While Apple’s macOS has grown in sophistication and capability over the past decade - particularly if you have an iPhone or iPad and enjoy the “ ecosystem” benefits - many users may need access to Windows-only apps. I suspect I’m not the only one who faces that challenge.
#Microsoft virtual pc for mac review plus#
My recent problem was that my Dell XPS 13 Plus was back in California because I didn’t want to lug two laptops with me on vacation.
While I perform much of my work on a 2021 M1-based MacBook Pro, I sometimes need access to a Windows PC for specific applications that are unavailable on macOS. An interesting thought occurred to me while I was on Thanksgiving vacation, thousands of miles away from my home in Silicon Valley.
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