This is the default and it has worked well so far.Īpps open quicker than the 2019 iMac. I have 6GB RAM (of 16GB RAM total) and 4 CPUs dedicated to macOS, with the remainder of the M1 MacBook Air’s hardware dedicated to Parallels and Windows 11. The Parallels/Windows 11 virtual machine takes about 35GB of storage space. I did this all within three hours of work. After some fan-dangling to download the Windows 11 Insider Preview ISO file (the Windows 10 file has been discontinued and you can only download the file on a Windows machine), I was able to install Parallels 17, then Windows 11, then Sage 50 and ProFile, and then test everything. That the MacBook Air would have to run an ARM version of Windows also gave me great pause.Īfter a day of testing yesterday, I am happy to report the M1 MacBook Air passed with flying colours. Given that experience, I didn’t believe an M1 MacBook Air would meet my needs. I’ve skewed most of Parallel’s hardware controls towards the Windows 10 virtual machine. Even with this kind of hardware, ProFile can dwindle the virtual machine down to nothing. The iMac is decked out with 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD, and a six-core processor.

It just takes a beefy computer to do it.)īecause of ProFile’s hardware needs, I’ve experimented over the last five or six months on moving formerly PC-only workflows onto a 2019 27-inch iMac. (It should exist though! ProFile works very well for our needs. Sometimes I wonder how this kind of software still exists. ProFile is also a monolithic, DOS-like program that looks like it comes from the 1980s. I’ve had 32GB of RAM eaten up in 5 tax returns. It eats RAM, especially when you have an entire family’s set of tax returns open. The ultimate question was “Could the M1 MacBook Air running a Windows 10 ARM virtual machine in Parallels run apps like Quickbooks, Sage 50, and Intuit’s ProFile tax software?” The realization that the M1 MacBook Air could maybe actually fit #1’s needs - I have been hesitant to break any operating office workflow, especially when I hear the words “ARM processor” or “Insider Preview”.īut a good friend gave me the push over the cliff to do some testing.A laptop would allow a transfer of work from office to home. The realization that a laptop is probably the ultimate computer option - I’d like to be home for suppers with my family during tax season and, though I could go back to the office after that, I think I’d prefer to work from home ( from here).The above title was sort of difficult to write - I attempted to shorten it up, but “Running All the Betas” didn’t really feel like cutting it to me. Running the Windows 11 Insider Preview In Parallels 17 on an M1 MacBook Air Running the macOS Monterey Public Beta Tuesday, Windows 11 Insider Preview running in Parallels 17 on an M1 MacBook Air running the macOS Monterey beta.

Parallels m1