Fusion 360 on MacBook Air M1

As a user who has experience with bare metal imaging, I was excited to try out Fusion 360 on my MacBook Air M1. Specifically, I wanted to see how well it would perform and whether it would allow me to configure the VM to meet my needs.

One of the things that caught my attention was the ability to specify a network (PXE) boot order in the Boot Manager menu. However, despite configuring the VM to do so, I couldn't get it to show up in the menu. This wasn't a major issue for me, as I don't expect to perform any hard-coded tasks in the VM.

In terms of configuration options within the VM, everything was pretty much as expected. I was able to access the firmware menus and configure my environment to meet my needs.

I have been using Parallels Desktop on my MacBook Air M1 for a while now, and I must say that it has performed well. The performance is quite reasonable, and I've been able to do everything I need in the Windows VM. Additionally, the Parallels Tools get updated regularly, which ensures that my VM stays up-to-date.

One of the things that sets Parallels apart from other virtualization solutions is its ability to integrate with Windows 11. Not only can it download and install various flavors of Linux, but it also provides support for UEFI, Secure Boot, and virtual TPM 2.0.

When creating a new VM, you're presented with a screenful of information that helps clarify what you can (and can't) emulate on an M1 Mac. This is particularly useful given the confusion surrounding ARM64 and Intel emulation.

In terms of competition, VMware Fusion has also released a tech preview for its own virtualization software. While Parallels was initially the only option for running virtual machines on M1 Macs, VMware Fusion is now available as well.

Overall, I'm impressed with what Fusion 360 has to offer on my MacBook Air M1. Its performance is good, and it provides a range of features that make it easy to use and configure. If you're in the market for a virtualization solution for your M1 Mac, Parallels Desktop is definitely worth considering.

Fusion 360 on macbook air m1