[This is a re-post of an entry created for a thread on running Quicken and QuickBooks in Parallels for the M1 Mac with some minor modifications. My goal is to share my perspective on the future of Windows 11 for ARM64 running on the Apple M1 chip, and I've added some reference links for those who are interested. I've also tried to add a Poll to capture your thoughts about whether Windows has a future on the M1 Mac or not (hope I did it right).]
Since 1983 Microsoft has built its Windows OS to run on the CISC architecture of the Intel product family. Sometime in 2012 they built their first hardware platforms around an ARM processor (a RISC architecture that much faster than CISC), and created Windows RT. They have continued to develop Windows for ARM64 processors that come in current Surface computers (see this link -- https://techcommunity.microsoft.com...porting-windows-10-on-arm-in-the/ba-p/2118048).
By committing low-power Surface laptops to an ARM64 architecture, Microsoft is committing to updating and maintaining Windows 11 on ARM64. Surface laptops on ARM64 CPUs get much faster performance, generate much less heat, and have better battery life. Note that Microsoft DOES NOT create their own processors. Currently they use the AMD Ryzen CPU chip (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/surface-laptop-processors), which is another ARM architecture licensed from ARM Holdings (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecture).
Also, please note that Microsoft never has supported MacBooks in the past. They simply supported the architecture of the Intel chips, whether they were produced by Intel, or AMD, or someone else, and regardless of which PC manufacturer built a product around those chips. They didn't "partner" with Intel or AMD - they simply made the Windows OS work on that CPU architecture.
In fact it was Apple that supported Microsoft by creating the Bootcamp capability in MacOS to install and run Microsoft Windows in a disk partition, so all this talk of whether Microsoft will support the M1 chip is really ironic - they never have supported the Apple MacBook family, it was Apple supporting Microsoft. Parallels created their Parallels Desktop product to allow Mac users to run Windows apps within MacOS without the need for Bootcamp, which is much more flexible. There are no "hooks" in Windows for running in MacOS - all of the magic is handled by Parallels.
Any company that designs and fabricates a chip that supports the ARM architecture can run Windows ARM64. Apple's M1 CPUs support the ARM architecture, and I expect Parallels to support the Virtual Machine software layer running on the M1 chips "officially" soon, otherwise they are out of business.
On another point - have you read about the performance of the new Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max laptops? My feeling is that we are at a transition point in personal computing where all chipmakers are going to have to pivot to the ARM architecture, and Apple has a really big head start given that their processors are created on a 5 nanometer fabrication process. Other CPU designers simply can't afford to spend time designing another CISC CPU that is are slower, hotter, and has battery life that much less than an ARM chip. Can you imagine trying to run a smartphone OS on an Intel CPU? Every smartphone, and every tablet computer is running on a CPU that is compliant with the ARM64 architecture.
My guess is that in 5 years the competition between the RISC and CISC architectures will be over, and nearly all PCs will run on ARM. Microsoft wants to remain in the OS business whether their Surface laptops continue to be offered or not, so my guess is that the future of the Windows ARM64 is secure. (https://www.laptopmag.com/news/apple-m1-vs-intel-cpu-this-is-the-best-processor-for-your-laptop)
Since 1983 Microsoft has built its Windows OS to run on the CISC architecture of the Intel product family. Sometime in 2012 they built their first hardware platforms around an ARM processor (a RISC architecture that much faster than CISC), and created Windows RT. They have continued to develop Windows for ARM64 processors that come in current Surface computers (see this link -- https://techcommunity.microsoft.com...porting-windows-10-on-arm-in-the/ba-p/2118048).
By committing low-power Surface laptops to an ARM64 architecture, Microsoft is committing to updating and maintaining Windows 11 on ARM64. Surface laptops on ARM64 CPUs get much faster performance, generate much less heat, and have better battery life. Note that Microsoft DOES NOT create their own processors. Currently they use the AMD Ryzen CPU chip (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/surface-laptop-processors), which is another ARM architecture licensed from ARM Holdings (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecture).
Also, please note that Microsoft never has supported MacBooks in the past. They simply supported the architecture of the Intel chips, whether they were produced by Intel, or AMD, or someone else, and regardless of which PC manufacturer built a product around those chips. They didn't "partner" with Intel or AMD - they simply made the Windows OS work on that CPU architecture.
In fact it was Apple that supported Microsoft by creating the Bootcamp capability in MacOS to install and run Microsoft Windows in a disk partition, so all this talk of whether Microsoft will support the M1 chip is really ironic - they never have supported the Apple MacBook family, it was Apple supporting Microsoft. Parallels created their Parallels Desktop product to allow Mac users to run Windows apps within MacOS without the need for Bootcamp, which is much more flexible. There are no "hooks" in Windows for running in MacOS - all of the magic is handled by Parallels.
Any company that designs and fabricates a chip that supports the ARM architecture can run Windows ARM64. Apple's M1 CPUs support the ARM architecture, and I expect Parallels to support the Virtual Machine software layer running on the M1 chips "officially" soon, otherwise they are out of business.
On another point - have you read about the performance of the new Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max laptops? My feeling is that we are at a transition point in personal computing where all chipmakers are going to have to pivot to the ARM architecture, and Apple has a really big head start given that their processors are created on a 5 nanometer fabrication process. Other CPU designers simply can't afford to spend time designing another CISC CPU that is are slower, hotter, and has battery life that much less than an ARM chip. Can you imagine trying to run a smartphone OS on an Intel CPU? Every smartphone, and every tablet computer is running on a CPU that is compliant with the ARM64 architecture.
My guess is that in 5 years the competition between the RISC and CISC architectures will be over, and nearly all PCs will run on ARM. Microsoft wants to remain in the OS business whether their Surface laptops continue to be offered or not, so my guess is that the future of the Windows ARM64 is secure. (https://www.laptopmag.com/news/apple-m1-vs-intel-cpu-this-is-the-best-processor-for-your-laptop)