Many apps and pieces of software are written to run on Windows. Over the course of your life, you may have gotten so used to some of them that you couldn’t even imagine working on a computer without them. If the day comes that you ever wind up working on a Mac, however, what do you do? Fortunately, there are workarounds to get what you need on a Mac.
Look Around
Certain programs and apps for Windows will also run on the Mac operating system. If they don’t, you might be able to find a suitable alternative. If you are able to find Mac versions of the same program you can install them and just keep going with the information that you already have. This is the easiest way to use Windows apps on a Mac. But some programs are only available on windows. In that case, you’ll want to look into virtual machines.
Virtual Machines
If you truly need the windows version of an application, you might want to consider using virtual machines. While a virtual machine takes more system resources, if you really need a specific program there may be no other way. Virtual machines also have the benefit of allowing you to use macOS at the same time as you use windows. So if you need to use the two at the same time, you should consider using virtual machines. Just make sure that you have the proper system resources necessary. If you don’t you may want to consider our next option.
Cloud Desktop Hosting
If you can’t run a virtual machine or don’t want to train your employees on that, you may consider the cloud. A cloud desktop hosting service might be perfect if you have Windows programs or apps that multiple people in your business use on a regular basis. Simply put, a cloud desktop is just a computer running windows that you can access from your browser. It won’t really matter what kind of computer you use, and may even work with mobile devices. Whatever your employees log in with should be able to do what they need to do so long as they have a good online connection.
Dual Boot Windows
In some cases, you can just install Windows itself on your Mac. Dual-booting from macOS to Windows is simpler than you might think. This is technically possible on some iMacs and Apple desktop computers. If you are able to do it, then you should be able to run any Windows apps or programs that you are used to using and keep on utilizing them as you see fit. Just keep in mind that some features of the mac may not work as well, or at all in windows. Mousepads historically work worse on macs with windows than in macOS.
There was a time when running anything for Windows on a Mac was simply impossible. The lines have blurred to the point that this is no longer the case. Whether you have a Mac desktop, an iMac, or an iPad, there are workarounds that let you run Windows apps and programs on many Mac devices.
