UTM 4.1 is the latest version of the free and open source software that allows you to install Windows 11 on any Apple personal computer, the previous ones with an Intel processor or the new ones with ARM including the latest SoC M2.
There are compelling reasons to use Windows over Mac and vice versa as we saw a few days ago, but why not use both? Running Windows on a Mac is nothing new and with Intel processors the best option was the native and officially supported installation by Apple that Bootcamp provided, but it is no longer available for Macs with ARM.
UTM 4.1
The solution goes through virtualization. UTM doesn’t offer anything special that you can’t find in others like Parallels Desktop, but there is a fundamental difference, UTM 4.1 is open source software and completely free if you update it manually. If you want automatic updates, or just want to support the project, you can pay $10 in the Mac App Store.
It must be said that UTM is a fork of another virtualization platform, QEMU, designed specifically for macOS and iOS. Yes, mobile is also supported and you can run virtual machines on an iPhone. Among its advantages, highlight that UTM 4.1 provides an easy-to-use interface and has some features that you will not find in its rivals.
And it is that you can choose between virtualization or emulation, which allows other CPU architectures to run, albeit with less performance. This has its advantages, since means that new Macs with ARM M1 and M2 chips can not only run ARM-based versions of Windows and Linux natively, but can also run Intel virtual machines (x86/x64), and vice versa on Intel-based Macs. It is also possible to run other architectures, including MIPS, PPC and RISC-V, which opens up access to all kinds of classic operating systems, including versions prior to OS X.
Another interesting point of UTM 4.1 (particularly about VirtualBox) is its ‘gallery’, where you will find fully working virtual machines ready to download for several popular operating systems. You’ll also find detailed instructions for other operating systems, including Windows 10 and 11.
UTM 4.1 is available as free download for macOS 11.3 or higher and compatible with Intel and ARM machines. There is also available an iOS version for iPhone and iPad with iOS 14.0 or later.
