I've run SolidWorks on Apple computers for 15 years and with BootCamp everything was always resolved and worked. I tried the M1 last year and it did not work. I just purchase a new machine 8 weeks ago and SolidWorks made it work ok via Parallels. The only big problem I had was Parallels could not utilize any of the Graphics Cores and only use RAM, which I have 32 GB. I tried many settings, they say don't use more than half for various reasons, but every setting was terrible. My 2017 15.4" MacBook runs much better. But then MS installed an update and everything locked up. I went back 3 days in Parallels SnapShot and found a version that worked, but Parallels ran an update and lost all my data for those three days. Fortunately, I found a copy on my Apple TimeMachine when I dug in deep. However, SolidWorks still didn't run after those first 4 weeks. SolidWorks spent dozens of hours trying to help. Parallels was a little bit of help. Of course the MS support was a big NEGATIVE. The one way I could get everything to work was to have every update of every link from M1-Parallels-Windows11-Solidworks 2022. For those of you who use SolidWorks, you know they are only compatible one year back, and many companies, including the one I was contracting with, don't update their SolidWorks every year such as 40 seats at $6000 per seat. So I had to run SolidWorks 2020. There is NO path I could find after three weeks of research and trials to make it work. The biggest change was MS dropped their Windows10 ARM compatibility, and Windows11 latest update does not work. MS support 10 minute response was buy and new computer and a different software; TYPICAL. SolidWorks is not Windows11 compatible except 2022 and 2023. MS dropped Windows10 which was compatible and will not support, even though I'm on their Insider Program. Parallels hasn't gotten through all aspects of compatibility. Apple has let their customers down by no longer having a dual boot option or by working with a third part VM company to assure we can use all software.
Since Apple does not support third party software, not the links with VMs, they have declined to get involved. Now that I have a computer that I paid $4000 for, which worked for 4 weeks, I'm stuck with another boat anchor.
Apple did let us down this time.
