Parallels is releasing an update to its Parallels Desktop virtual machine software, which allows users to install Windows 10 on Macs using Apple’s ARM-based M1 chips. Parallels Desktop 16.5 for Mac allows you to run Windows 10 ARM Insider Preview inside a virtual machine at the native speed of M1 Macs.
This is great news for Windows enthusiasts, who soon arrived in Apple’s transition from Intel x86 processors to their own ARM-based silicon, as seen in the latest MacBook Pro and MacBook Air with M1.
The Boot Camp utility, which allows users to install and boot directly into Windows on Apple MacBooks, has not yet reached the ARM architecture. This seems to be due to licensing issues rather than any technical restrictions.
So far, this has meant that M1-based MacBook users can’t use Windows on their machines, which is a real nuisance if you’re relying on Windows 10 for your day-to-day business.
The latest version of Parallels Desktop for Mac now adds support for M1 Macs, allowing Linux and Windows 10 Insider Preview to run on ARM. Because this is run in a virtual machine, some purists may dispute that it is not really the real deal because it does not use a real installing Windows running natively on the CPU, allowing Boot Camp.
That being said, it’s just as close as you can get to reality without jumping ship and getting off the hook for a Windows model on our best laptops.
Performance gains in Parallels Desktop
Parallels results look promising. Corel, the owner of Parallels Desktop, reported significant performance increases and improved battery life.
According to Corel results, the 16.5 update uses up to “250% less power” on the Mac M1 than on the MacBook Air equipped with the Intel chipset. There is also a 30% overall increase in virtual machine performance on the ARM-based version of Windows 10 on the Mac M1, compared to a Windows 10 virtual machine on an Intel-based MacBook Pro.
Parallels Desktop touches a round at home
In addition to running Windows 10 at low speeds, Parallels Desktop 16 brings a number of other useful features. One such feature, Consistency Mode, allows users to run Windows programs on their MacBooks as if they were native Mac applications. This should be quite neat and useful for users stuck in Windows programs.
For some users, this will be a functional stop to hide them if they have been affected by the lack of Boot Camp on M1 Macs before – if ever – Boot Camp makes its debut on new Macs.
Otherwise, most users will be pleased with the speed offered, allowing them to extract impressive performance from their ARM-based silicon for Windows 10.
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