When it comes to installing Windows on Mac, Boot Camp Assistant is the most popular tool as it comes pre-installed in macOS. However, this app can be a cause of annoyance sometimes. In fact, you have to restart your Mac in order to switch to Windows. Therefore, if you just want to run a few Windows apps, this could be pretty exhausting. Luckily, there are several third-party tools that support creating a virtual program on Mac, allowing users to install a separate operating system, running in parallel with macOS. One such app is Parallels Desktop.
In this article, we will show you how the Parallels Desktop app works.
How does Parallels Desktop Work?
If you want to use Parallels Desktop then you must buy this product first. The latest version is now Parallels 16. You may try the free trial for 14 days or purchase it for $80. You can see its pricing tiers on Parallels home page
Once you have installed Parallels, open the program and install Windows in it. The process is quite similar to how you install Windows using Boot Camp Assistant, but there are some key differences. In Parallels Desktop, you will have to allocate the amount of storage you want for Windows. However, Parallels allows you to easily change the capacity options even after the installation is complete, something Boot Camp does not.
In addition, Parallels will run as an app on your Mac. You will see the entire Windows portion on a separate window, working in full parallel with macOS. This makes switching between the two systems extremely easy and you don’t need to restart your Mac.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Parallels
Advantages
- Parallels allows a user to execute more operations than BootCamp does as you can run both operating systems at the same time.
- Easily move files between systems. You can even sync Parallels and macOS so that any documents created in one system are automatically copied and saved to the other.
- Coherence mode. This is a view mode that allows you to run Windows applications on your Mac, as though they were native Mac applications. You can even load Windows applications directly from your Mac Dock or Mac desktop. Learn more here
- You can easily change the size of the data partition for Windows without reinstalling the operating system.
Disadvantages
- It’s quite expensive
- With every new macOS update, Parallels will also need to be upgraded for compatibility and upgrades will cost extra.
- Compared to Boot Camp, Parallels will put a lot of pressure on the RAM and CPU of your Mac as it has to carry two operating systems running in parallel. This can cause overheating and lead to other issues such as systems crash or fan noise.
- Complicated customization.
When Should You Use Parallels
If you don’t mind switching back and forth between Windows and macOS, Boot Camp is a better option. If you want to use both Windows and macOS apps at the same time or quickly switch between the two OS, use Parallels Desktop.
Here’s what you need to know about Parallels Desktop. Make sure that you choose the right tools when you want to run Windows on Mac. If you have any questions, please let us know in the comments!
