* FH, Parallels and Apple M1

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KMTV
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Posts: 18
Joined: 28 Dec 2020 18:32
Family Historian: V7

FH, Parallels and Apple M1

Post by KMTV » 08 Apr 2021 17:54

Hi,

Just a thought, but has anyone here tried to run Family Historian on a Mac with the new ARM-based processors (M1) via Parallels or similar?

It's an option that we may pursue in the future and I'd be interested to hear how much success anyone has had in setting it up.

Thanks
N.B. I'm not actually a user of any kind of genealogical software!

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mjashby
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Joined: 23 Oct 2004 10:45
Family Historian: V7
Location: Yorkshire

Re: FH, Parallels and Apple M1

Post by mjashby » 09 Apr 2021 19:45

As far as I know "Parallels for Mac M1", if/when it becomes available, would require the installation of a licensed Windows 10 version specifically designed to run on the Apple M1 Processor, i.e. not a 'regular' version of Windows 10 for ARM; and certainly not a 'standard' x32/64, version, which wouldn't be compatible with the M1 processor. Apple's M1 is a proprietary product which has been designed only to run on Apple hardware and is not directly compatible with other ARM processors so, for software to run natively on M1 it will have to be adapted and compiled specifically for the M1 processor, even if it already runs on other ARM processors.

Microsoft is supposedly working on a Mac M1 compatible version of Windows 10 for ARM, but I don't think any such beast is currently available; and Apple has openly stated that any such development is entirely in the hands of Microsoft as it has no direct interest, hence the fact the fact that that there is no M1 version of Apple's own 'Boot Camp' software for the M1. You should also bear in mind that Microsoft Windows 10 for ARM still has limitations when it comes to running 'traditional' x32/64 software so what will and won't work will probably be something of a lottery.

Mervyn

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