Windows 11, which was not supposed to have a Windows version, was announced on June 24th. It will be released this fall. Outwardly, Windows 11 is just a picture. Those who have already tasted it are delighted with it. But the requirements of the new version to the computer hardware make it incompatible with any Intel Mac. Windows 11 is also ruthless to Windows users. Although the first public build “not for everyone”, released on June 28, works without problems even where it shouldn’t. Not on Macs. On a Windows PC that does not meet the Windows 11 requirements. For example, a 2017 Surface Pro. But there is no hope that these indulgences will remain in the final release.
Microsoft promises to support Windows 10 until at least 2025. But the requirements stated by the company are intriguing – it is not without reason that they are so strict. The new Windows is almost nothing like Windows (although it has recognizable features), and in some ways, they say, it is even prettier than macOS. Before we discuss the inhuman demands of Windows 11, I’ll explain why this version shouldn’t have been.
Fun fact about Windows 11
In 2015, at the Ignite conference, Microsoft employee Jerry Nixon announced that Windows 10 is the latest version of the glorified system. There will be no new versions. New builds and updates will be distributed. Microsoft’s leadership, florid and not too intelligible, confirmed these words. By informing them that they reflect their point of view. Windows was planned to be turned into a service, Windows-as-a-Service (WaaS). But something did not grow together, and everything remained in its place. Windows 11 has been announced and will be out by the end of this year.
The system has a new design language. It is ergonomic, simple, and understandable for the user, logical, and insanely beautiful. Almost everything Windows 10 has been criticized for has been fixed. It will not be easy for third-party developers, but it will be interesting – they are waiting for new APIs (programmer interfaces) and new requirements for the design of application programs. Windows 11 will be able to install and use Android apps. Apple’s example was contagious. Something from Windows 11 is likely to be borrowed by Apple. The companies have an open-ended contract allowing them to copy whatever they like from each other. But it’s time to move on to the bad news.
Windows 11 system requirements
Windows 11 will be installed on a computer with a 64-bit processor (x86-64 or ARM64), with a clock speed of at least 1 GHz and at least two cores. With 4 GB or more of RAM. With a storage capacity of at least 64 GB. UEFI. TPM (Trusted Platform Module) version 2.0. A graphics processor with support for DirectX 12. This is only part of the requirements, modern Intel Macs meet all of them, but with TPM 2.0 and with DirectX 12 it is an ambush.
Another ambush is that the compatibility of operating systems developed by Apple and Microsoft with “foreign” computers is not interesting for both companies, to put it mildly. Both companies are exclusively interested in their ecosystems. They will not go towards each other. Microsoft will almost certainly not give permission to install Windows 11 on Intel Macs.
What is TPM 2.0 Crypto Processor
If you are not in the know, you will not believe: in Windows, the threat of digital evil is an order of magnitude higher than in macOS. TPM 2.0 performs roughly the same functions as the Apple T2. Keeps keys in a safe place, monitors the integrity of the system – stands on guard. Unlike the Apple T2, TPM 2.0 isn’t nearly as cryptic. You can read about how this module (cryptoprocessor) works and how to interact with it in the open documentation. This does not cause any damage to the security of the computer it protects. Some Intel processors in Macs of recent years have a cryptoprocessor module.
It is inactive, it is not a trivial task to activate it on a Mac. So far, as far as I know, no one has succeeded. Before Windows 11, there was no need for this. In Windows, the TPM can be turned on and off using the operating system software. Some older Windows PCs that do not have a TPM in their processors can add one. Apple will not tackle this issue – the era of Intel Macs is drawing to a close. But it’s not so bad: the TPM can be replicated in virtualization software.
DirectX 12 support
The likelihood of Apple releasing another Mac with Intel inside is not zero. But very close to zero. The likelihood of DirectX 12 support in the GPU of a hypothetical Mac with Intel, at least as a paid option, is also slim. In fact, this requirement turns Windows 11 on the Mac into a pipe dream. Almost unrealizable. Virtualization software vendors are working to address this issue. So far they only support DirectX 11, but they hope to master DirectX 12 by the time the official version is released. Hopefully. Therefore, there is hope to try Windows 11 on your Intel Mac.
