Parallels Desktop can also run Windows on the MacBook Neo
The manufacturer Parallels had previously thought that its VM tool would not run on Apple's entry-level notebook with A18 Pro. This was not confirmed.
Windows logo with MacBook Neo.
(Image: Apple / Microsoft / Montage: heise medien)
Buyers of the MacBook Neo can also run Windows on the entry-level notebook by using the ARM variant in a virtual machine. The first provider of the solution is Parallels with Parallels Desktop. The company, a subsidiary of Alludo (formerly Corel), confirmed this on its website; a test with Windows 11 in the Mac & i editorial office was also successful. The installation was almost as quick as on faster Macs, booting and using “normal” applications like browsers or word processors worked as usual.
Installation works normally
Parallels warned that the application is not intended for CPU and GPU-intensive programs. “For light, occasional Windows use, like a legacy business tool, or a Windows-only utility, MacBook Neo may provide an acceptable experience,” the software manufacturer stated. This appears to be the case.
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The MacBook Neo only comes with 8 GByte RAM, and the computer uses a chip from the iPhone 16 Pro (A18 Pro). The SSDs are also not very generously sized at 256 or 512 GByte, respectively. It was initially unclear whether virtualization would not work on the A16 Pro at all, meaning Apple might not have enabled the function and reserves it for M chips. However, this is not the case, as a check of the virtualization capabilities via the terminal command sysctl kern.hv_support also shows (the result should be “1”).
Apple's Virtualization Layer
In addition to virtualizing Windows as an ARM variant, it should also be possible to use an additional virtual macOS (e.g., an older or newer version), as well as experiments with Linux in a VM. We could not yet test whether VirtualBox also works. Since the free VM solution is also based on Apple's virtualization layer, there should be little to prevent it.
However, Parallels and others may have to adapt drivers or at least their own compatibility tools so that Windows & Co. run adequately. Bugs may still occur. Furthermore, many other Mac apps should not be left open due to the limited RAM in the Neo. Fortunately, swapping to the SSD is barely noticeable.
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