With Boot Camp, you can install and use Windows on your Intel-based Mac. Boot Camp Assistant helps you set up a Windows partition on your Mac computer's hard disk and then start the installation of your Windows software.
It's safe to use, and all you need to do to switch operating systems is restart your Mac and hold down the Option key while it boots. If you manage to do something sketchy in Windows, the Mac side of your drive won't be affected and vice versa.
Boot Camp is software developed by Apple, in cooperation with Microsoft, designed to effectively run Windows on Mac hardware. By using Boot Camp, you don't have to choose whether to install either macOS or Windows.
If you prefer not to use Boot Camp, then the easiest method is to create a portable Windows USB so that you can use it on the Mac computer.
Apple vs.
Windows systems and Apple software have distinct user interfaces. The Mac OS interface is based on the Unix platform, while the Windows 11 interface is based on Microsoft's own Windows NT architecture. Both are designed to make it easy for users to interact with their computers.
With Boot Camp, you can install and use Windows on your Intel-based Mac. Boot Camp Assistant helps you set up a Windows partition on your Mac computer's hard disk and then start the installation of your Windows software.
If you have an Apple M-series chip, Boot Camp will not work as it requires a Mac with an Intel processor. To install Windows on your M-series Mac, you can use Parallels Desktop for Mac.
Mac owners can use Apple's built-in Boot Camp Assistant to install Windows for free. The first-party assistant makes installation easy, but be forewarned that you will need to restart your Mac whenever you want to access the Windows provision.
Parallels Desktop has 5 pricing edition(s), from $49.99 to $99.99. Look at different pricing editions below and read more information about the product here to see which one is right for you.
The Pros of Using Boot Camp to Run Windows
Boot Camp is undoubtedly the best way to play Windows games on a Mac because it performs better than any virtualization software. Since the different operating systems don't run simultaneously, all of your Mac's hardware resources are allocated to Windows applications.
In most cases, the installer selects and formats the BOOTCAMP partition automatically. Unplug any external devices that aren't necessary during installation. Then click Next and follow the onscreen instructions to begin installing Windows.
Boot Camp is free and pre-installed on every Mac (post 2006). Parallels, on the other hand, charges you $79.99 ($49.99 for upgrade) for its Mac virtualization product.
macOS and Apps
Another big selling point for MacBooks is the operating system. Apple laptops come with macOS, Apple's operating system, which is a highly stable and user-friendly platform, built especially for Apple's computers. Many people find it easier to use macOS compared to Windows.
To get the same versatility on a Windows laptop, you need to look into creating a Hackintosh. This often means replacing particular components, which is troublesome and expensive. A major reason that lots of people run Windows on a Mac is because it's their operating system of choice, with the best hardware available.
Benefits of Windows on a Mac
Boot Camp keeps your OS X partition intact, so you can choose to boot into Windows or OS X by restarting your computer. Dual-booting is helpful if you own programs that are native to Windows and cannot run on OS X, or vice versa, since you have access to both operating systems.
You will use Boot Camp Assistant to install Windows 10. 64GB or more free storage space on your Mac startup disk: Your Mac can have as little as 64GB of free storage space, but at least 128GB of free storage space provides the best experience. Automatic Windows updates require that much space or more.
To install Windows 11, run Parallels Desktop, then click on the Parallels icon in the Mac menu bar > Control Center > + > Get Windows 11 from Microsoft > Continue > Install Windows. Windows will be downloaded and installed automatically.
Windows 11 and Parallels Desktop
Parallels® Desktop version 18 is an authorized solution for running Arm® versions of Windows 11 Pro and Windows 11 Enterprise in a virtual environment on its platform on Apple M1 and M2 computers.
Microsoft is officially supporting Windows 11 on Apple's M1 and M2 Macs thanks to a partnership with Parallels to allow the operating system to run in a virtual environment.
That was possible because Apple had begun to use Intel processors for its Macs. But with the introduction of ARM-based M1 chips, Boot Camp and virtualization capabilities vanished.
While you can physically connect a Mac hard drive to a Windows PC, the PC cannot read the drive unless third-party software is installed. Because the two systems use different file systems for storage: Macs use the HFS, HFS+, or HFSX file systems, and PCs use either the FAT32 or NTFS.
Apple uses customized parts with specialized processes in most of their machines. This drives the price up, requiring someone to eat the additional cost so that Apple can retain its margins when selling. Demand for parts, and the cost of producing them, leads to a more expensive product.
MacBook Pro vs iMac: Design and ports. The most obvious difference between the iMac and the MacBook Pro is the design. The MacBook Pro offers more portability, while the iMac is an all-in-one desktop made for stationary working setups.