Virtualization company Parallels says that while Parallels Desktop installs and virtual machines operate stably on the MacBook Neo, the experience will depend on what a user intends to run inside the virtual machine. While most Mac currently being sold run on more powerful M-Series Apple Silicon, MacBook Neo uses the A18 Pro chip, which is ARM-based Apple silicon but is not part of the M-series chip family.
Parallels says full validation and performance testing is ongoing, and for light, occasional use will likely provide an acceptable experience. However, users hoping to run CPU- or GPU-intensive Windows applications should look to a Mac powered by a more powerful, M-series chip.
In addition to concerns about the processors overall performance, the MacBook Neo’s memory configuration is also of concern. The Neo ships with a mere 8GB of unified memory, which is shared between macOS and any virtual machine running inside of Parallels Desktop. Since Windows 11 requires a minimum of 4GB of RAM to operate, leaving limited memory resources for running macOS and Mac applications alongside each other.
Cooling is also a concern, as the MacBook Neo uses passive thermal management, dissipating heat without a cooling fan. While the A18 Pro was designed to use this passive system, a sustained CPU or GPU load could result in reduced clock speeds to stay within temperature limits.
Parallels says users with demanding Windows workflows should instead use a Mac with 16 GB or more of unified memory, such as the new MacBook Air M5 or MacBook Pro, as those machines will provide a significantly better experience with Parallels Desktop and Windows.