When you create and run virtual machines, they borrow resources, such as RAM and processing power, from the host machine-your Mac.

Check out our list of the best virtualization software for Mac to find out who they’re and which one is right for you. If you’re interested in doing this on your Apple system, you have plenty of choice, but there are a few main players. Virtual machines can be deleted instantly, just like any other kind of file on your Mac. This is great if you want to use programs that available for macOS or if you just want to try a different OS.Īll this happens without touching the main operating system. For example, you could set up a virtual machine on your MacBook Pro, install Windows on it, and then run Window apps. That means you install a different operating system and apps to the host computer.

This is a type of app that lets you create virtual computers, which you can then use like real physical systems.

That’s just one of the many ways you can use virtualization software, also known as hypervisor software. When is a PC not a PC? When it’s a virtual machine running on a Mac.

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