How to Get Windows 10 on a Macbook Air

If you want to have a Macbook and a Windows computer in one, there are ways to install Windows OS on a Mac. The first one is downloading and installing Windows with the help of Mac’s own Boot Camp Assistant. The second one is installing a virtualization app and then installing Windows inside that application. Popular virtualization apps for macOS are Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion and VirtualBox. This articles will help you learn pros and cons of Boot Camp, VMware Fusion, VirtualBox and Parallels.

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The MacBook Air 2020 definitely can get hot. It may be even a little hotter than it would otherwise be as most of the tests I have done were in the first 2-3 days of having the laptop, so I’m hopeful overtime and maybe with some software updates it won’t get. MacBook Air 2020 - Virtual Machines. Have anyone tried running the base model i3/8gb/256 with virtualbox? I would only need debian running with 1 core and 1gb RAM. View Entire Discussion (7 Comments) More posts from the mac community. Continue browsing in r/mac. Just upgraded from a MacBook Air I had for about 6 years to the 2020 version. I guess I just assumed it would have a standard USB port, so I wasn't looking into that aspect buying it. So am I just out of luck now that I see it changed to USB 4.0? Whatever the new ports are? CPU overcranks on Macbook Air i5 early 2020 after sleep (either guest OS or host) Reported by: dmnorth: Owned by: Component: other: Version: VirtualBox 6.1.6: Keywords: sleep suspend race overheat: Cc: Guest type: Linux: Host type: Mac OS X: Description Debian and Ubuntu guests operate normally until after waking from sleep - either suspending.

Option 1: Download Windows 10 on a Macbook Air With BootCamp

Boot Camp comes with your Macbook for free, and it allows you to install Windows alongside macOS, so you can choose which of them to boot on startup. Mac’s Boot Camp Assistant will help you install Windows, partition the startup drive and install necessary drivers.

If you install Windows via Boot Camp, Windows will have all of your Macbook’s resources and can run programs with the maximum possible performance. That’s why dual-booting is ideal for running resource-intensive programs like video-editing software or high-end games.

On the other hand, only one operating system will be able to run at the same time, so you will have to reboot between them depending on which apps you need to run at the moment. Another possible drawback is fact that Windows and macOS use different file systems, and you will not be able to open Mac files on Windows or vice versa unless you install specific third-party drives for it. That is not a problem when using virtual machines.

Macbook Air 2020 Virtualbox Download

Option 2: Run Windows 10 on a Macbook Without BootCamp, Using a Virtual Machine

Virtual machines allow you to install and open Windows 10 in a window on your Mac desktop. Windows will “think” it’s running on a real computer, when it is running inside an app. With virtual machines you run both macOS and Windows at the same time, which is handy if you want to open a single Windows program alongside your Mac applications. However, when you run a virtual machine, your computer’s resources are split between the two operating systems, so everything may run slower than usual.

Install Windows 10 on a Macbook Air With Parallels Desktop

Parallels Desktop is very intuitive and easy-to-use for regular computer users. The app will configure everything for you, even download Windows 10 or utilize the one you already downloaded via Boot Camp. You can open Windows in a separate window (including a full screen mode), or you can turn on Coherence mode. In Coherence mode the virtual machine will run in the background, while Windows programs can run alongside your Mac apps. You can even put Windows programs on your macOS desktop or pin them to Dock. Parallels Desktop allows you to copy and paste or drag and drop between Windows and macOS without any problems.

Parallels Desktop prices start at $79.99, however there is a free trial period available.

Get Windows 10 on a Macbook Air With VMware Fusion

Macbook Air 2020 Virtualbox

VMware Fusion is another popular virtualization software for Macbooks. It is close to Parallels in terms of functionality and pricing, but VMware’s Fusion supports a larger number of operating systems than Parallels. On the other hand, Parallels is easier for beginners, and runs a little smoother. Otherwise, these two programs are approximately on the same level.

VMware Fusion offers a free trial period to its users, same as Parallels, so you may try both for free and decide which one you like better, before committing.

Virtualbox Macbook M1

Install Windows 10 a Mac Via VirtualBox

Macbook Air 2020 Virtualbox Software

If you don’t plan to spend extra money on virtualization software, there’s always VirtualBox by Oracle. VirtualBox is a pretty decent free alternative to paid software if not slower, less polished and missing some handy functions. If you need to run some resource intensive Windows programs, VirtualBox might not be the best choice for you. VirtualBox also requires more technical knowledge than, for example, Parallels, as users need to tune some settings themselves when installing it. However, if you are a power user already or don’t mind doing a little more work, and you are not going to run latest Windows games or video-editing software, VirtualBox is a good (and free!) alternative.