This article is from WeChat official account:APPSO (ID: appsolution), author: Zangyun Ji, head Figure from: vision China

Mac and Windows are “not both”?

After the release of the Mac series computers equipped with the M1 chip, various sources of news came-M1 chip Macs no longer support auxiliary systems; Microsoft’s ARM version of Windows system will only be licensed to OEM manufacturers for pre-installation.

We can no longer use Boot Camp to install the Windows system, and the major virtual machine software almost lost support for the virtual machine due to the conversion of the M1 chip architecture. The original Windows system can no longer run on the virtual machine .

Seeing the excellent performance of the Mac equipped with the M1 chip, but thinking that you can’t use the Windows software at ease, are you in the distress of “whether you want to replace it with a new machine?”

At this point in time, or looking forward to a period of time, I want to experience a brand-new Mac while using the Windows software I just need. What should I do? Below, Mr. A provides several solutions, hoping to answer some of your confusion.

Lazy Directory

You can still look forward to the virtual machine

    • UTM: Support x86 version of Windows system, but efficiency is discounted

    • QEMU: ARM version Windows system is online

    • Parallels Desktop: A virtual machine supporting the M1 chip is under development

Run Windows programs in a different way

    • Wine: An early adopter choice for geek students

    • CrossOver: Use “simple mode” to open Wine

Must run on macOS?

    • Remote Desktop: a local tyrant with multiple computers to choose

    • Cloud computers and cloud games: the last cloud in the cloud era

First, you can still look forward to the virtual machine

The release of Apple’s new machine means that the virtual machine collectively “flies on the street.” Due to the change in the instruction set, a lot of virtual machine software can only call “the concubine can’t do it” when seeing the x86 version of the Windows system.

But is it really impossible? Or can the curve save the country?

UTM: supports x86 version of Windows system, but efficiency is discounted

UTM is an open source virtual machine application that used to run on the iOS platform.

▲ Run Windows XP through UTM in iOS system. Picture from: GitHub

Thanks to the fact that Macs with the M1 chip can run iOS applications directly, UTM has also released a version that can run on macOS, and said on Twitter that it “should” work normally on the M1 chip.

UTM uses QEMU as the backend, and at the same time uses software virtualization to simulate CPU and other hardware. Although there will be a lot of loss in performance, the advantage is that you don’t need to care about the hardware of the actual running virtual machine. In theory, it can run more A system of different architectures.

▲Using UTM to run Windows 8.1 on Mac Mini with M1 chip. Picture from: YouTube

Not only Windows, most systems that can be installed in virtual machines can be installed and used in UTM. It is a good choice for users who have low performance requirements and occasionally use banking software and other scenarios.

QEMU: ARM version of Windows system is online

Not long ago, the developer Alexander Graf tweeted to show the use of QEMU to run virtualization and run the ARM version of Windows. Through the patch package he provided, you can already install and use the ARM version of the Windows system.

▲Install and run the ARM version of Windows in QEMU. Picture from: MacRumors

The ARM version of Windows running in QEMU has a good performance, even faster than Surface Pro X.

▲Geekbench 5 running scores of the virtualized ARM version of Windows system in QEMU

▲Geekbench 5 running score of ARM version of Windows system in Surface Pro X

For the performance of the ARM version of the Windows system running on the M1 chip Mac, I can finally relax my mind.

Parallels Desktop: A virtual machine supporting the M1 chip is under development

Shortly after the end of Apple’s press conference, Parallels Desktop, known as “the most powerful virtual machine software on macOS,” posted a blog saying that their series of tools can be translated by Rosetta 2 before being rebuilt into universal applications, like silk Run smoothly.

It sounds very good, but the core virtual machine function cannot run-that is, you cannot install or use the existing virtual machine.

However, Parallels Desktop also stated that a virtual machine that can run on the M1 chip is under development. Microsoft will also launch an ARM version of Windows that can run x64 applications. The combination of the two will be able to handle all Windows applications.

As mentioned above, the ARM version of Windows can already be run in QEMU, so can Parallels Desktop be far behind? For your accustomed use of Parallels Desktop, it is better to be a “wait party”.

2. Run Windows programs in a different way

Besides virtual machines, do we have other ways to run Windows programs on macOS? The answer is yes.

Wine: Geek’s early adopter choice

Wine——wine, in this chapter, it is a software.

Wine is named from an interesting recursive abbreviation (Wine Is Not an Emulator), it is a system that can be used in Linux and macOS Compatibility layer running on Windows software.

Different from a virtual machine or an emulator, Wine converts calls from the Windows interface to calls in the running system to achieve compatibility with Windows software.

▲Use Wine to run IE on macOS 8. Picture from: How-To Geek

To put it simply, in the system where Wine is installed, you can “directly” run the familiar EXE file.

It sounds amazing, but don’t worry. Installing Wine is more troublesome. You need to have a certain understanding of command line operations. It is not so easy to use Wine to be perfectly compatible to run a variety of software, such as the use of two software Relying on library version conflicts, it takes a lot of brain cells to deal with it.

CrossOver: Use “simple mode” to open Wine

CrossOver is a commercial package of Wine, which provides better compatibility and a simpler and friendly way of use than Wine.

Just a few days ago, CrossOver posted a blog saying that the minimum version of MacBook Air using the latest M1 chip has tested many software under Windows, and they all run well.

▲Use CrossOver to run Team Fortress 2 video screenshot. Image from: Video in CrossOver blog

At the same time, the CrossOver team released a video of running Team Fortress 2 after translating CrossOver with Rosetta 2. It actually runs smoothly, although the game already has a Mac version.

Of course, the software after translation is not perfect, and the CrossOver team also said that it is still improving it. We can look forward to the performance of the ARM version of CrossOver.

If you are interested now, you can also update the system to the beta version of Big Sur 11.1, and use Rosatta 2 to install the trial version of CrossOver to experience it.

Three, must it run on macOS?

Remote Desktop: The “local tyrant’s choice” with multiple computers

In addition to trying everything possible to run Windows programs on a Mac, adding a computer is also a “good” choice.

Of course, this computer does not necessarily need to be carried with you. We can use Windows remote desktop, TeamViewer and other software on the Mac, and use the software under Windows in the form of remote desktop. If the network is stable, you can also get good Use experience.

▲Use remote desktop to connect to Windows. Picture from: Apple Store

Compared to using virtual machines, CrossOver, etc., using remote methods saves resources such as memory and hard disks in the computer, and is more friendly to entry-level Macs.

Cloud computers and cloud games: the next cloud in the cloud era

Compared to physical hosts, in this 5G era, computers on the cloud seem to be more attractive.

Traditional cloud server vendors Alibaba Cloud and Tencent Cloud are reliable choices. You can buy cloud servers for remote use, or you can choose some platforms dedicated to cloud office. Of course, if you choose these methods,The price will be more expensive.

In addition, there are also cloud game manufacturers that have appeared one after another, allowing us to play games under the Windows platform under Mac.

Part of the game can be run on a lower configuration without consuming too much resources of the Mac computer, and it will not be unusable due to the CPU architecture.

Going back to the original question, now think about it carefully, are there more ways to run Windows software on a Mac with a brand-new chip?

This article is from WeChat official account:APPSO (ID: appsolution), author: Zangyun Ji