I was reviewing my subscription stack as one does toward the end of the year and realized that I am basically paying for my Parallels subscription for one app at this point.
The Logitech MyHarmony desktop software is Windows only and it is still the most reliable way to adjust Harmony activities for now. Every few months I start Parallels, update my remotes, let Windows update itself, and then quit.
I originally paid for Parallels and Windows because I am a hockey scout and our scouting software and database used to be Windows only. About three years ago it became web based, so my real need for Windows disappeared.
Ten years ago there were many things that were Windows only. With most software moving to cloud based and web based, I feel like that list has become much smaller.
I am curious how you all use Windows on your Mac. It does not have to be Parallels specific since there are other ways to run Windows.
I will likely keep the Parallels subscription because the Harmony remote and hub are still the best way to control my three TVs. I would just like to make better use of it if I am going to keep paying for it.
I still several Windows-only apps that I use. Or, in the case of MindManager, Windows-better, since Corel does not keep the Mac version in feature parity with Windows. I no longer have clients who use Outlook, so I shut that down on my Windows VM (Parallels). I used ConnectedText for a long time on Windows, but it no longer operates, and the developer stopped communicating with users a long time ago, sadly.
I never ran a virtual Windows machine on my Mac, but I am connected full-time to my client’s network via Azure Virtual Desktop for work. So are all of my colleagues.
The enterprises of the world still run on Windows and (mostly) Office, so a pretty common use case I guess.
Sadly, or at least bittersweet, I really no longer have a use case for a Windows VM, although I do have several old Intel Macs with Virtual Box that can run my old VMs if I might want to reminisce. I’ve got some things that require Windows 2000!
I was able to switch to a Mac in the mid 2000’s when they went to Intel processors and Parallels was released allowing me to run Windows. There were electrical engineering programs I needed to run which were only available in Windows, so Parallels allowed me to switch. I was a Parallels customer since its first version.
I retired 10 years ago and technically no longer needed this capability anymore, so, luckily, the move to ARM took place years after retirement. Otherwise I would have been forced to go back to Windows PCs.
I need Windows for one Enterprise app I still use on occasion.
I dropped my Parallels subscription and installed Windows directly on my Intel MacBook Pro.
Although it can dual boot, I mainly use this MacBook only for Windows as I upgraded to a MacBook Air M3 last year for my main laptop.
At some point, I will be forced to either buy a cheap Windows laptop (around $300 or $400) or switch to running a free Windows VM tool on my Macbook Air.
I’ve seen a lot of comments online that VMWare Fusion can be used in a free edition.
I’d rather pay once for a Win laptop than a Parallels subscription, and anyway I’m not sure giving up all the internal SSD space to run a VM plus the needed space for Windows and the app, is worth the tradeoff of a free, or even paid, VM package.
Yes its a bummer, i hardly even use the remotes themselves anymore but all 3 of my TVs have Harmony hubs and i usually just launch activities via Alexa.
I second the Windows laptop purchase. A couple of years ago, I purchased an Asus ROG Ally to play some old games on. I had Parallels installed on the Mac in my home office. As I used the Ally more, I realized I no longer needed Parallels. I could just plug in the Ally to the monitor or dock and regain the space on the office Mac. It’s been at least a year and I do not miss the extra yearly expense. I had considered a simple PC before for my simple needs, so I am happy with the choice.
Some years ago, our VP of Accounting wanted to switch to a Mac but he required the Windows version of Microsoft Excel. So I ordered him a 27 inch iMac, moved his old PC to our server room and had him run it remotely using Microsoft Remote Desktop.
Every now and then I use Visio, especially for the creation of BPMN diagrams, and the Windows vesion of Excel because of the Power Pivot plugin. I am not aware of Mac programs that can replace these applications. Only a few years ago when Apple came out with Apple silicon did I switch privately from Windows to Apple. When I retire, sometime next year, I no longer need Vision and Power Pivot, and I will stop using Parallels.
I run a VM specifically to use a piece of Windows software last updated in 2019, for which there will never be any future updates - the author died, and the only remaining source code is presumed long lost. Fascinating story to those interested in the intersection of religion and technology: His software sang the words of God. Then it went silent.
Alas, I no longer have a real need having retired earlier this year. I was part of a software development team and we targeted macOS, Windows, and Linux. Nice to need only one machine.
My former company would sell “retired” laptops for $25 - $50 US, so dude I got a Dell! And have that for my occasional Windows needs (some astronomy software).
I am struggling to get Parallels to perform on a 16GB M1 - It seems that its almost pointless using it any more - I had much better performance with Parallels 15 and my 2011 MBP
I use Windows for Accounting, Excel (better features and performance) Access and some legacy software I licensed (XML Spy, Visio 2013, Project 2013, Access 2013) which is still very good when you need it. Also they perform well in Windows native.
Support for some monitors is better … although I cant seem to figure out why? 2054x1440 for example - but not as a VM.
Somewhat OT, but I finally retired my Microsoft subscription. Having long forsaken everything but Excel, I bit the bullet and tried the free LibreOffice and love it.
No measureable difference for any of the sheets I do, and no longer on the Microsoft subscription train.
Works great in the Mac versions, I assume also (but have not tried) the windows versions as it was part of my thinning the windows apps herd as much as possible.
I use a Windows virtual machine in VMware Fusion to run Bluebeam Revu. I recently spun up a linux virtual machine to practice configuring a linux server so I could refresh my memory before helping a buddy with his actual server.
