Wanna run Windows on an M-series Mac? Fine, buy a license, but no baremetal
- Reference: 1705954088
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/01/22/microsoft_so_you_want_to/
- Source link:
In a support [1]document , Microsoft details two options for running Windows 11 on M1, M2, or M3-equipped Macintosh computers. The first is using Parallels Desktop while the other requires Redmond's own cloud-based virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) platform.
Running Windows on a Mac was broadly supported by Microsoft, either via Apple's Boot Camp dual-booting utility or via desktop hypervisors like Virtualbox, Parallels, VMware Fusion among others.
[2]
This changed in 2020 when Apple filed for divorce from long-time CPU partner Intel and began to transition to its own Arm-based processors. Since then, getting Microsoft's popular operating system running on a Mac has been a tricky prospect, despite the fact that Arm-compatible versions of Windows were available and Apple's Boot Camp utility still ships with M-series Macs.
[3]
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Boot Camp’s persistence on Arm builds of MacOS may have something to do with the fact that Apple execs remain open to the idea of running Windows natively on M-series silicon. In 2020, shortly after the launch of its M1 Macs, Apple’s Software Engineering Chief Craig Federighi went on the record saying that whether or not dual booting MacOS and Windows will be possible is “really up to Microsoft.”
"We have the core technologies for them to do that, to run their ARM version of Windows, which in turn of course supports x86 user mode applications," [5]he said . "But that’s a decision Microsoft has to make, to bring to license that technology for users to run on these Macs. But the Macs are certainly very capable of it."
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It was previously possible to get Windows running using Parallels' desktop hypervisor, but doing so required using an insider build of Windows intended for developers.
However, Microsoft appears to have come around to the idea of running Windows 11 virtually on Macs. "Parallels Desktop version 18 and 19 are authorized solutions for running Arm versions of Windows 11 Pro and Windows 11 Enterprise in a virtual environment on its platform on Apple M1, M2, and M3 computers."
The key word here is "authorized." According to Microsoft, all you need to do to get started is a Windows 11 license — they're platform agnostic — and you're off to the races. Well, in theory. You can't just buy any license, Microsoft has decided only to support the Pro and Enterprise editions of its OS in virtualized environments.
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Microsoft does highlight a couple of these limitations.
The big one, they admit, is that nested virtualization isn't supported within Parallels. This means that features like Windows Subsystems for Android or Linux, Sandbox, and virtualization-based security (VBS) apps aren't going to work properly.
Redmond also points out that, just like in MacOS, 32-bit apps aren't going to fly. Having said that, apps compiled for x86-64 should run just fine, albeit with some emulation overhead.
Microsoft adds that the Arm version of Windows 11 also has limitations regarding the use of DirectX 12 accelerated applications, which affects gamers in particular. Redmonds support docs, are a bit [8]wishy-washy on this point. We suspect that the actual issue is how Parallels is passing through M-series Mac's GPU to the VM. It's not uncommon for technologies like GPU paravirtualization to introduce quirks.
[9]University chops students' Microsoft 365 storage to 20GB
[10]Microsoft prices new Copilots for individuals and small biz vastly higher than M365 alone
[11]Asahi Linux team issues promising update on efforts to conquer Apple Silicon
[12]The 15-inch MacBook Air just nails it
Of course, Microsoft would rather you give it all of your hard earned cash and is pitching its Windows 365 Cloud PCs as the preferred means of accessing its OS on a Mac.
Windows 365 Cloud PC is the software giant's in-house virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) platform [13]announced back in 2021. While it will get you access to a Windows virtual machine, you'll need a reliable internet connection to make the experience worthwhile.
It's also not a particularly cheap platform. The base tier will run you $31/mo and gets you access to 2 vCPUs, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. You can configure your own instance with up to 8 vCPUs, 32GB of RAM, and 512GB of memory, but that'll run you a rather steep $158/mo.
That said, if you need nested virtualization for something like Windows Subsystem for Linux, Microsoft argues this might be your best bet. Then again, it's not exactly difficult to get Docker or a Linux VM running on M-series silicon. ®
Get our [14]Tech Resources
[1] https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/options-for-using-windows-11-with-mac-computers-with-apple-m1-m2-and-m3-chips-cd15fd62-9b34-4b78-b0bc-121baa3c568c
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Za9H-E-sXZ8HhC9tuKDqqwAAAYc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Za9H-E-sXZ8HhC9tuKDqqwAAAYc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Za9H-E-sXZ8HhC9tuKDqqwAAAYc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/11/we-are-giddy-interviewing-apple-about-its-mac-silicon-revolution/
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Za9H-E-sXZ8HhC9tuKDqqwAAAYc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Za9H-E-sXZ8HhC9tuKDqqwAAAYc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/arm/apps-on-arm-troubleshooting-x86
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/19/2023_storage/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/copilot_pro_small_biz/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/16/asahi_linux_progress_update/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2023/12/11/macbook_air_15_2023_review/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/14/windows_365/
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
"The base tier will run you $31/mo and gets you access to 2 vCPUs, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage"
Cloud PCs are ok if you only need them for a short term usage, but after a couple of months worth of cloud PC subscription fees you could have just bought a refurbished ex business PC such as a Dell Optiplex or Lenovo Thinkcentre which would have much better, CPU, RAM, GPU and storage.
And if you need the ability to it access it remotely then install something like Teamviewer or Chrome remote desktop on it.
It isn't Microsoft not "allowing" users to run on bare metal
It is that neither they nor Apple has any intention of writing Windows drivers for Apple's hardware. The potential audience is so small it would never be worth the expense. Maybe if Windows on ARM really takes off someday that equation changes.
Alternatively
Hit yourself in the face with a hammer, get all the feelings of running windows without the installation hassle. No Need for a Mac either, so you can invest in a better quality ball pein.
Windows is no longer a necessity...
...the killer app is the web browser, and all OSes have one availabe. The days of "needing" Windows are long over...
Re: Windows is no longer a necessity...
Unfortunately, this is not true. Not for most business users anyway. Believe me, I would love to live to see Windows rot and die, but there are too many proprietary Windows applications out there for this to happen for a while.
I have several CAD/CAM applications that aren't easily replaceable on Linux or the MAC. I wish they were (and, yes before suggesting "xyz woks on linux...", I have done extensive research looking for a suitable replacement).
In scientific fields, they use proprietary software for running various instruments, the same with medical fields. Engineering also uses tons of specialized Windows applications.
I'm the last person that wants to run Windows, but I can't make the switch yet, much to my complete disgust! Many others are in the same boat.
Re: applications that aren't easily replaceable on Linux or the MAC
That on its own isn’t going to keep Windows alive, though. What happens is, your vendors find it too expensive to either port their code to ARM Windows, or to non-Windows platforms. So they insist you keep running on Windows-x86, even as that becomes less and less viable.
Then there is UTM. No idea how it scales, & not much else about it, it lets me use a couple of windows only programs (including one that read/write to a serial box for downloading firmware updates).
Free from GIT or pay the dev by getting it from the app store
So when will Apple change their license to let me dual boot MacOS on a Surface Pro X or Samsung Galaxy Book?
Never. They don’t sell the OS; they sell the hardware. Letting you run the (free) OS wherever you like defeats the purpose.
MS, of course, does the opposite.
More Windows on ARM is good
More Windows on ARM is good as it will lead to more programs compiled for Windows on ARM.
And we all know ARM is the future. At least, until RISC-V achieves world domination.