Can Apple's $599 MacBook Neo run Windows apps? The short answer is yes. Running Windows on macOS isn’t new — especially with tools like Parallels Desktop. It's a virtualization software for macOS that lets you run Windows, Linux, and other operating systems side‑by‑side with macOS apps, without necessarily needing a separate PC.
What's more, it's the only solution with a nod from Microsoft to officially run Windows 11 on macOS. Following Apple's launch of the MacBook Neo, I'm sure many people have questioned its capabilities to run Windows apps. It's a valid concern, especially since the $599 entry ships with the A18 Pro SoC (the same chip that powers Apple's iPhone 16 series) under the hood.
But Parallels Desktop has confirmed that Apple's budget-friendly laptop can run Windows apps: "Parallels Desktop runs on MacBook Neo in basic usability testing. The Parallels Engineering team has completed initial testing and confirmed that Parallels Desktop installs and virtual machines operate stably on MacBook Neo. Full validation and performance testing is ongoing, and additional compatibility statement will follow if required."
It's worth noting that this is the first time Apple has used an iPhone A-series chip on a Mac; the company usually defaults to M-series chips for this kind of setup. However, the A18 chip is based on the same architecture as M-series chips used on Macs.
That said, the MacBook Neo should technically run Windows apps. And as pointed out by Apple Insider's Oliver Haslam, Rosetta 2, Apple’s tool for running older Mac apps, also works on the MacBook Neo — because it uses similar technology to virtualization software like Parallels Desktop.
As such, ARM versions of Windows and Linux should run smoothly on a MacBook Neo when using Parallels Desktop, but we'll have to see it in practice to assert how good it actually is.
💬 Is it possible to run Windows 11 on Apple's MacBook Neo efficiently?
While it seems possible to run Windows on the MacBook Neo through Parallels Desktop, I can't confirm how the A18 Pro chip will handle virtualization. This is especially true when it comes to running a different operating system on top of macOS in a virtualized machine, considering the entry's 8GB of unified memory and 256GB of storage.
If you run Windows 11 on a MacBook Neo using Parallels Desktop, 4 GB of RAM will already be in use. That means your experience may feel sluggish, and it could get worse if your daily tasks demand a lot of computing power.
Windows 11 requires a minimum of 4 GB of RAM to function, which leaves limited headroom for macOS and Mac applications simultaneously.
Parallels Desktop
Apple's new MacBook Neo has definitely struck a nerve in the tech industry. The $599 entry model has drawn mixed reactions — with our Editor‑in‑Chief, Daniel Rubino, calling it a long‑overdue admission that the iPad was never truly designed for mainstream computing.
On the other hand, former Windows lead Steven Sinofsky calls the MacBook Neo "a paradigm-shifting computer" while reflecting on Microsoft's failed vision and plans for Surface and Windows.
ASUS boss S.Y. Hsu also described the MacBook Neo as a "shock to the entire industry," but he downplayed it as a "content consumption" slab with a little extra computing power than an iPad.
Would you consider running Windows 11 on the MacBook Neo? Let me know in the comments.
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