0

I'm current using Parallels to run Windows Pro on MacBook 16" with intel CPU. On it I do my Qt/C++ stuff that target x86/64.

How is that going to work on new series M MacBooks?

I heard we can still install Windows on Parallels, but it's Windows for ARM?

KcFnMi
  • 693
  • 3
  • 8
  • 24

1 Answers1

3

On an Apple Silicon Mac, you can run Windows 11 using, for example, Parallels.

You're right it is Windows for ARM, but to the user it looks exactly the same as Windows 11 for Intel. Windows for ARM allows you to run x86/x64 programs, similar to how Rosetta 2 works for Mac programs.

There are a few limitations, most importantly x86/x64 device drivers do not work - you will need ARM drivers for your devices. This is usually not a problem in practice though.

Also note that you cannot do nested virtualization, i.e. do not expect to be able to run VMware inside the Windows 11 for ARM machine in order to run full x86/x64 virtual machines. That is not possible with hardware acceleration - you can do it with purely software virtualization, but that is really slow.

I don't know what specifically you use Qt for - but in general, the Qt tools work fine on macOS - and also on Apple Silicon. Instead of doing your work in Windows, you could consider simply installing Qt and your development environment natively in macOS. Then you could create Qt applications without Windows. You could still use Windows on Parallels for testing the programs on Windows ofcourse.

Note that it is no problem to cross-compile applications, so even though you're working on an Apple Silicon Mac, you can create executables for Windows with x86/x64 code!

IconDaemon
  • 19,234
jksoegaard
  • 77,783
  • After all, it's not that bad then. However the cross-compile approach might not be a thing, I would be able to build it on macOS but still need Windows to run it. In the way I work I build and run things all day, swapping OS all the time sounds like a bad idea. – KcFnMi Jun 14 '22 at 22:19
  • @KcFnMi Can you expand more on why you need Windows to run it? - I work with Qt software, and I can build and run my software on macOS - and then infrequently (i.e. once a month or similar) check that it also works as expected on other platforms (Linux, Windows). – jksoegaard Jun 14 '22 at 22:21
  • Qt needs a bit of fine tuning to work across different OS (I often notice UI related issues). So when a particular project targets only Windows I find it better to develop things on Windows. I often deal with special device drivers also, so Windows again. – KcFnMi Jun 14 '22 at 22:25
  • Ah yes, that makes sense if you're single-platform - I take it you're not using QML. Then I would definitely go for Windows 11 on ARM. If this is the only thing you do with your computer, I would perhaps take a look at buying an Intel laptop instead. – jksoegaard Jun 14 '22 at 22:28