Am considering putting Parallels on my MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019), 2.6GHz 6-Core Intel i7. Not that I have a need personally but want to learn about the PC software so that I can offer more help (hopefully) to my son. Does this seem a reasonable thing to do?
Parallels gets good reviews so it's a good way to run Windows programs (I haven't used it personally).
If you want to learn more about using a PC (and seeing the apps in their natural habitat), you can just use Apple's Bootcamp that lets you choose at start-up whether to boot into macOS or Windows. The beauty of Parallels is that it makes the PC apps work with (and a little more like) Mac apps.
Either way, you'll need a copy of Windows (that might be an additional purchase).
On M1 and later Apple SoC (arm) Macs 'Bootcamp' isn't available (yet?). However Parallels has announced that the latest Windows 11 'arm' version does now run as a virtual machine, and Linux has (almost) been adapted too.
One Parallels feature is that it can run Windows concurrently with macOS so that the two can be used seamlessly together.
A 90-year old friend uses Parallels this way without difficulty, if that is a recommendation, and yes, you do need a Windows licence.
The information I'm about to give you is quite old so may no longer be the case.
Parallels creates a Windows virtual machine when it runs. This is absolutely fine but the virtual machine and Windows data is likely to be upwards of 30 GB. The reason I mention this is that if you run Parallels and put a full stop or other trivial change in a file, Parallels will save the whole 30 GB virtual machine. If you are using Time Machine your Mac will then be continually backing up 30 GB plus every time it runs and it's easy to fill up your Time Machine drive.
The sensible option would be to ask Parallels if this is still the case or tell Time Machine not to back up the Parallels virtual machine.
Many thanks for all the contributions. Will have to think about the pros/cons and cost of course. Feeling a little doubtful now! Could be best to wait for a free MacBook to come up on offer and persuade son to leave Windows!
Roy Rainford 