BIMtopia

Mac with an Apple M-series Processor (M1, M2, or M3)

Macintosh computers with Apple M-series Processors (M1, M2, or M3) can run Windows software by:

  • Installing a virtual machine environment — like Parallels Desktop for Mac
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Pros

This strategy gives you:

  • Independence — you can use Windows applications at any time and from any location — whenever and wherever you have your computer with you.
  • Flexibility — you can install the software you want to use.
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Cons

But, the tradeoff is that there’s a bit of setup to make that possible.

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Requirements - To Install Parallels

To install a virtual machine environment, you’ll need:

  • At least 45 GB for free disk space on your computer to host the Windows environment and applications.
  • A copy of Windows 10 or 11 (which is available for free)
  • A Windows environment.
    • For Apple M-series Macs, the recommended environment is Parallels Desktop for Mac.
    • Note that Bootcamp (a Windows environment that worked with Intel-based Macs) is not available for the newer, Apple Silicon Macs.

Steps to Follow

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Step 1: Acquire a License Key for Windows 11 EDU or PRO

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Step 2: Install Parallels Desktop for Mac to run Windows as a virtual machine