That means that the software inside a virtual machine can’t escape and tamper with your computer. It runs a lot like any other program, but the virtual machine is separate from the rest of the system.

It’s like you’re creating a computer within your computer. So what is a virtual machine? It’s a computer file (often referred to as an image) that behaves like an actual computer. If you have a favorite, let people know about it in the comments below! I’ve heard that Parallels Desktop is amazing and wildly faster that VirtualBox, but I haven’t actually tried it myself. If it’s speed and graphics that you’re after, you might want to check out a paid version. There are, of course, some details like 3D graphics that might not be as good on VirtualBox as they might be on something you pay for.

VirtualBoxĪlthough there are a number of popular VM programs out there, VirtualBox is completely free, open-source, and awesome. There’s no need for constant backups and restores. If something goes wrong, whether with software installations or by infecting your system with a virus, you can easily switch back to a previous snapshot. This lets you experiment freely with your environment. You can, at any point, save the state of your machine with a “snapshot” and revert back to that state if you need to. Because you can configure your virtual hardware, you can even install an old OS like DOS or OS/2. You can run software written for one OS on another without needing to reboot. Otherwise, the majority of users will be pleased with the speeds on offer, enabling them to draw out impressive performance from their ARM-based silicon for Windows 10.Virtual machines allow you to run more than one OS at a time. That should be pretty neat and useful for users locked into Windows programs.įor some users, this will be a functional stopgap to tide them over if they've been affected by the lack of Boot Camp on the M1 Macs before - if ever - Boot Camp makes its debut on the new Macs. One such feature, Coherence Mode, lets users run Windows programs on their MacBooks as though they were native Mac apps. Parallels Desktop hits a home runĪpart from running Windows 10 at nippy speeds, Parallels Desktop 16 brings a slew of other useful features. There's also a 30% overall uptick in virtual machine performance on the ARM-based Windows 10 build on the M1 Mac, compared to a Windows 10 VM on an Intel-based MacBook Pro. Significant increases in performance and battery improvement have been reported by Parallels Desktop owner Corel.Īccording to Corel's results (opens in new tab), the 16.5 update reportedly uses up to '250% less energy' on the M1 Mac than on the MacBook Air fitted with the Intel chipset. With that said, it's about as close as you can get to the real thing without jumping ship and forking out for a Windows model from our best laptops.

Run windows on a macbook pro