What is an alternative to parallels desktop ?

Another issue is that the production releases of Windows will not run on the M1 Macs. The pre-release version of the Windows arm version may run with Parallels but I would not use a pre-release version of an OS in other than a test environment.

bootcamp will never ever be able to run the intel cpu x86 version of windows

currently Microsoft has an arm (m1 cpy type) version of windows 10 and 11 but not one they sell to end-users

if microsoft will begin to sell it to end-users then it would work in a bootcamp setup and or parallels

test of microsft arm windows show that when it run x86 apps and games using their version of apples rosetta stone 2

then performance is not great.

so in parallels that would be even worse, in bootcamp it would be the same as on the native arm windows machine but only if apple had the required drivers for the arm windows version

so it may never come to pass, if you need windows get rid of the m1 mac and get an intel one

I admit to a limited viewpoint, as I only use Windows for things I can't do on Mac: Microsoft Access and Visio, checking in Word that my output looks the same, Wordfast Pro in Windows for a couple of additional features, and three bits of hardware for which there are no Mac drivers. Shopping around before I bought my M1 MacBook Air, I obtained a year's Parallels for about $30. I have Windows 11 on Bootcamp on an Intel iMac and the Insider Preview version on the Air (better than Windows 10). To be honest, I much prefer the M1 experience in Windows 11, but I don't yet trust it, even though I responded to the validation request with a cheap Amazon key. The other option I thought of was buying a cheap Windows machine and using it with Microsoft Remote Desktop that is now very good.

John Whittaker wrote:

I admit to a limited viewpoint, as I only use Windows for things I can't do on Mac: Microsoft Access and Visio, checking in Word that my output looks the same, Wordfast Pro in Windows for a couple of additional features, and three bits of hardware for which there are no Mac drivers. Shopping around before I bought my M1 MacBook Air, I obtained a year's Parallels for about $30. I have Windows 11 on Bootcamp on an Intel iMac and the Insider Preview version on the Air (better than Windows 10). To be honest, I much prefer the M1 experience in Windows 11, but I don't yet trust it, even though I responded to the validation request with a cheap Amazon key. The other option I thought of was buying a cheap Windows machine and using it with Microsoft Remote Desktop that is now very good.

What is a "M1 experience in Windows 11"?

What is a "M1 experience in Windows 11"?

Using Windows 11 on a computer with M1 processor. Not the same version of Windows 11.

Being able to launch to the Windows desktop in (just timed it) 8 seconds (Parallels not running at timer start). Speed of reaction of Windows programs.

Admittedly I am hampered in the Intel iMac by a Fusion Drive, that Windows has never understood. Thinking of replacing with SSD. Having said that, I stick to Intel for the serious work.