There's No Windows for Arm Macs Yet Because Microsoft Has Secret Exclusivity Deal With Qualcomm

[MacRumors]

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.

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According to XDA-Developers, Arm-based Windows has only been made available on devices with Qualcomm SoC's because of a previously unknown deal between the two companies.

Two people familiar with the deal told XDA that the deal is "set to expire soon" but there is no specific word on when it will end. When the agreement between Microsoft and Qualcomm does conclude, it will allow other chip vendors to create machines using Arm Windows, and it may perhaps free up Microsoft to make Arm Windows available on Apple silicon Macs.

Apple silicon Macs do not offer Boot Camp and there is no official Windows support at the current time, leaving M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max owners with few options for accessing Windows on their devices. In September, Microsoft said that an Arm version of Windows 11 for Apple silicon Macs through virtualization or otherwise is not "a supported scenario," so there's a chance that it still won't happen.

Apple silicon Mac owners who need Windows access can use Parallels 16.5 or later to run Insider Preview builds of Windows 10 and 11 that have been created for Arm hardware, but there are often issues to deal with. Parallels continues to be the only solution because Microsoft has made no licensed retail version of Arm Windows available for Apple silicon Macs.

Article Link: There's No Windows for Arm Macs Yet Because Microsoft Has Secret Exclusivity Deal With Qualcomm

 

[anshuvorty]

Well, it's not a secret anymore...

 

[joelypolly]

Not a surprise given the behavior of Qualcomm in the past

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Hahah! Good luck! Windows will be releasing in Mac in the future soon.

Not so much of a secret anymore.

There was a time Microsoft saved Apple. There will be a time Apple will be saving Microsoft

https://twitter.com/x/status/900773256147480577

When Microsoft saved Apple: Steve Jobs and Bill Gates show eliminating competition isn't the only way to win

“Apple wasn’t going to beat Microsoft. Apple didn’t have to beat Microsoft,” Jobs said about the partnership.

www.cnbc.com

 

[coolajami]

and the pieces of the puzzle start coming together.....

 

[TinyMito]

Meanwhile at Intel x86...

 

[Freeangel1]

If Nvidia buys ARM it could get worse for Windows ARM on a Mac.

APPLE should have bought ARM.

Still think they should have bought Adobe. fine tuned the software and made some programs Mac only.

 

[DHagan4755]

And the plot thickens. Seems like Microsoft kinda painted themselves into a corner. What will their hardware partners think, like Intel & AMD, who may wish to someday make their own ARM chips?

 

[coolajami]

And the plot thickens. Seems like Microsoft kinda painted themselves into a corner. What will their hardware partners think, like Intel & AMD, who may wish to someday make their own ARM chips?

The question here is how long ago MS got to this deal. if Apple ARM chips were not around, it made sense to do this back in 2016-2017.

 

[obamtl]

The challenge with Windows on ARM (or Apple Silicon) extends further to how well X86 is emulated on Windows on ARM, as well as support from third party software. Microsoft's Surface Pro X was a poor experience for that reason. Not sure Windows on ARM running on Mac would be much better.

 

[icanhazmac]

Hopefully this is good news and can be considered a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[macfanboy]

Everyone’s up in arms with Apple about “antitrust violations” while Microsoft and Qualcomm are the real antitrust violators here

 

[andrewxgx]

nope
might be a reason, but its not the reason
MS has become data collection company lately, and worst than google on it. why do you think win11 doesnt work without a MS account? they don't want you to use some apps as secondary OS on a mac. now money made that way. they want you to use this as your primary OS, collect data, sell ads and so on.

 

[dguisinger]

.... why would Microsoft hitch their wagon to a company that hasn't delivered great performance. I wonder how old this agreement is, I wonder if it predates Windows RT

 

[Nozuka]

If Nvidia buys ARM it could get worse for Windows ARM on a Mac.

I don't see the connection. Nvidia still won't have any say about Windows.

 

[leman]

It would be great if Microsoft would sell standalone W11 ARM licenses, and it would be even better if they would eventually support M1 configurable memory order for their x86 transpiler. I don't think that anything else in the real of possibility. I am puzzled that some people still seem to expect Bootcamp on ARM Macs... as if Microsoft is interested in spending $$$ to rewriting their kernel (and drivers!) to support Apple's custom hardware, and as if Apple is interested in giving Microsoft tech documentation to do any of these things.

 

[Nozuka]

nope
might be a reason, but its not the reason
MS has become data collection company lately, and worst than google on it. why do you think win11 doesnt work without a MS account? they don't want you to use some apps as secondary OS on a mac. now money made that way. they want you to use this as your primary OS, collect data, sell ads and so on.

This is not how MS makes their money. They make their money from paid services.
You can't just make up stuff like this and sell it as a fact.

 

[Realityck]

According to XDA-Developers, Arm-based Windows has only been made available on devices with Qualcomm SoC's because of a previously unknown deal between the two companies.

Two people familiar with the deal told XDA that the deal is "set to expire soon" but there is no specific word on when it will end. When the agreement between Microsoft and Qualcomm does conclude, it will allow other chip vendors to create machines using Arm Windows, and it may perhaps free up Microsoft to make Arm Windows available on Apple silicon Macs.

Whatever happens it will be good if this can be worked out and run on Apple Silicon eventually.

 

[toobravetosave]

would love to bootcamp windows on arm

 

[_Spinn_]

I'm surprised that this wasn't widely known. I was already under this impression and could have sworn that Microsoft announced this when they first announced Windows on ARM a few years ago. Plus I'm pretty sure Qualcomm developed the x86 ISA emulation themselves - no other ARM manufacturer would have that so Windows on ARM for those chips wouldn't be any better than the poorly received Surface RTs.

 

[Vjosullivan]

Everyone’s up in arms with Apple about “antitrust violations” while Microsoft and Qualcomm are the real antitrust violators here

Really? How many non-Apple platforms is macOS available on?

 

[C.clavin]

Amazing the newest version of macOS runs on Apple Silicon AND Intel right now and Windows 11 only on Qualcomm chips. How the opened / closed platforms have changed!

 

[Vjosullivan]

This is not how MS makes their money. They make their money from paid services.
You can't just make up stuff like this and sell it as a fact.

Apparently, you can.

 

[andrewxgx]

This is not how MS makes their money. They make their money from paid services.
You can't just make up stuff like this and sell it as a fact.

they offer a browser add on that does nothing except tracking you for some stupid reward points.

Free gift cards and sweepstakes with Microsoft Rewards

Get quick access to daily offers and see your points balance any time with our browser extension for Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox.

www.microsoft.com

it might not be how MS makes money now, but they certainly expect that this is how they will make money in the future, at least for those people who dont want to pay for their services. OS business for retail doesnt really work anymore, everyone expects this to be free.

 

[nathansz]

nope
might be a reason, but its not the reason
MS has become data collection company lately, and worst than google on it. why do you think win11 doesnt work without a MS account? they don't want you to use some apps as secondary OS on a mac. now money made that way. they want you to use this as your primary OS, collect data, sell ads and so on.

windows 11 works fine for me without a microsoft account