Craig Federighi: Native Windows on M1 Macs is 'Really up to Microsoft'
Following the release of the M1 Macs Apple executives have been doing interviews with a range of publications, and today, Ars Technica published another interview with software engineering chief Craig Federighi, hardware technologies lead Johny Srouji, and marketing VP Greg Joswiak.

Much of the interview focuses on topics that the three have already covered in prior discussions, but there is an interesting tidbit from Federighi on Microsoft and Windows on the M1 Macs. Right now, the M1 Macs do not support Windows and there is no Boot Camp feature as there is on Intel Macs, but Windows support is a feature that many would like to see.
Federighi says Windows on M1 Macs is "up to Microsoft." The core technologies exist and the Macs are capable of it, but Microsoft has to decide whether to license its Arm-based version of Windows to Mac users.
As for Windows running natively on the machine, "that's really up to Microsoft," he said. "We have the core technologies for them to do that, to run their ARM version of Windows, which in turn of course supports x86 user mode applications. But that's a decision Microsoft has to make, to bring to license that technology for users to run on these Macs. But the Macs are certainly very capable of it."
Federighi also suggested that Windows in the cloud could be a possible solution in the future, and he highlighted CrossOver, which is able to run x86 Windows apps on M1 Macs using Rosetta 2.
Federighi, Joswiak, and Srouji also discussed developing the Apple Silicon chips, designing the M1, the M1's performance, unified memory architecture, running iOS apps, and more. The full interview can be read over at Ars Technica.
Related Stories
Parallels today announced the release of Parallels Desktop 16.5 for Mac with full support for M1 Macs, allowing for the Windows 10 ARM Insider Preview and ARM-based Linux distributions to be run in a virtual machine at native speeds on M1 Macs.
Parallels says running a Windows 10 ARM Insider Preview virtual machine natively on an M1 Mac results in up to 30 percent better performance compared ...
Classic puzzle game Myst has been revived on the Mac and an optimized version of the title is now available for M1 Macs.
Cyan has undertaken a rework of the game that takes advantage of Metal 2.1 and AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution for a 50 percent performance boost on M1 Macs that does not impact game quality.
Myst for M1 Macs features improved modeling, textures, and dynamic lighting...
Microsoft today offered OneDrive users a pre-release version of its OneDrive syncing client for macOS that is optimized to run natively on Apple silicon.
The official support for M1 Macs should make the OneDrive Arm preview run faster on Apple's latest machines, since the client will no longer need to go through Apple's Rosetta 2 translation layer. OneDrive users need to be in the Office ...
With the launch of the new Mac Studio that replaces the higher-end 27-inch Intel iMac, Apple has just two Intel Macs left in its lineup - the Mac Pro and the Mac mini.
Though the Mac Studio appears to be something of a Mac mini and Mac Pro hybrid, Apple has not discontinued the high-end Intel Mac mini and it remains in the lineup. This suggests a new version of the high-end Mac mini is...
Microsoft has released a new version of its Office for Mac productivity suite that includes an updated Excel app with 100% native support for Apple silicon machines.
According to the release notes accompanying version 16.57, Excel will now run natively on Macs powered by Apple's M1-series processors without having to use the Rosetta 2 translation layer, which means anyone using a Mac with an ...
Parallels Desktop 17.1 for Mac has ">just been released, offering improved support for Windows 11 virtual machines and added stability via the default implementation of Virtual Trusted Platform Modules (vTPMs) for "all future and past Windows 11 VMs." Parallels 17.1 also fully supports macOS Monterey as a host OS and improves the user experience when running macOS Monterey in a VM on M1 Macs. ...
A YouTuber has successfully made the M1 Mac mini 78% smaller and added MagSafe in a unique DIY project, highlighting Apple's iterative approach to the current entry-level Mac mini ahead of the expected launch of a redesigned high-end model.
When Apple introduced the M1 Mac mini in November 2020, it retained the exact same unibody design that the company has used since 2010. Subsequent teardow...
Microsoft has declined to make a version of Windows 11 available for Apple's M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max Macs that are built on an Arm architecture, and now we may know the reason - a secret exclusivity deal with Qualcomm.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. According to XDA-Developers, Arm-based Windows has only been made available on devices with Qualcomm SoC's because of ...
Popular Stories
Leaker Jon Prosser today shared ostensibly accurate renders of the iPhone 14 Pro, providing the most accurate look yet at what the device could look like when it launches later this year.
In the latest video on YouTube channel Front Page Tech, Prosser revealed renders of the iPhone 14 Pro made by Apple concept graphic designer Ian Zelbo, highlighting a range of specific design changes...
Last year's iPhone 13 Pro models were the first of Apple's smartphones to come with 120Hz ProMotion displays, and while the two iPhone 14 Pro models will continue to feature the technology, their screens could well boast expanded refresh rate variability this time round.
To bring ProMotion displays to the iPhone 13 Pro models, Apple adopted LTPO panel technology with variable refresh...
Amazon is marking down a wide variety of 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models this week, with prices starting as low as $749.00 for the 11-inch tablet. You'll find the full list of sales below, all of which can be found on Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep...
Apple appears to have recently updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID.
If you receive an App Store or Apple Store gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that was previously visible in the App Store and Apple Store apps. As of today, the Apple Account balance can also be added to...
Apple in February unveiled a new "Tap to Pay on iPhone" feature that will allow compatible iPhones to accept payments via Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets, with no additional hardware required.
Apple began testing the feature at its Apple Park Visitor Center earlier this month, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has tweeted that the feature will begin...
Apple today confirmed that the keynote event for the Worldwide Developers Conference will begin at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on June 6, the first day of WWDC. The keynote will be an online-only event, though a select number of developers have been invited to the Apple Park campus for a viewing event.
In addition to confirming the keynote date and time, Apple has shared the full WWDC 2022...
Top Rated Comments
So expect 2021 to run Windows