Why Not Run Windows-only Applications on Your Mac?

Mac lovers are a tight knit group who will likely never be tempted to move away from the seamless beauty of a Mac machine to the – what they perceive to be – clunky and traditional look of a PC. In this way they are not unlike Linux users who can never be swayed towards the market saturated brand of Windows. But Mac lovers the world over still hold many of the same needs as do those who use PCs, including games, business and personal applications. So if this is the case, why indeed would a Mac user not run Windows-only applications on Mac. 

Some years back, hackers developed the tools to allow Mac owners to run Windows-only applications on Mac. These days, this area of technology has moved to be far more main stream and as a result, Mac users can now purchase legitimate applications that allow them to run all sorts of Windows based applications.  

Let’s take a few moments to consider in more detail, why a Mac user would want to run Windows-only applications on Mac.  

Firstly Mac users run Windows-only applications on Mac so that they can play Windows based games. Mac users do this by installing on a Macintel type system that allows them to boot into Windows to play a game and then boot back out again for their day to day needs. These dual boot type systems make switching between the Windows and Mac Operating Systems as easy as flicking a switch between the two. 

But the reality is that there are many Windows based applications that simply cannot be run on a Mac at this stage. Many developers have yet to make the jump in terms of releasing a Windows version and simultaneously offering the same application to be loaded and run on a Mac. This means that Mac users are unlikely to purchase the Mac option when you have used something like a Macintel machine to run Windows-only applications on Mac in the interim. With a space of what can be up to 12 months between the Windows and Mac releases, industry analysts suggest that it could almost spell the end of Mac only versions.  
  

The fact remains that being able to run Windows-only applications on Mac would be ideal for individuals who are constantly on the go. Rather than having to operate two laptops – one Mac and one Windows – if applications for sectors including property and banking - were ubiquitous and could be used via an Intel based Mac, then many users would simply gain enormous workplace and cost efficiencies as well as increased satisfaction from being able to tap into their preferred operating system.  

The problem with this of course is that Mac users are finding ways to run Windows-only applications on Mac using Macintel type systems and as a result, analysts predict that developers are increasingly unlikely to expand their portfolio of games that run on both Mac and Windows operating systems. This can only spell bad news for Mac users in terms of choice and price point.