When we buy a computer, a fundamental section to take into account is the operating system that we are going to use. Windows is the most widely used option worldwide, with macOS and Linux as alternatives to Microsoft‘s system. If we have been Apple users for a long time and now, we have decided to move to a Windows computer, we may miss macOS own applications that we would like to be able to use on Windows as well.
Moving an operating system like macOS to Windows is not always easy for many users. The interface, the handling, the type of application are not always the same in one operating system or another. When you have been on macOS for a long time when switching to Windows you may miss certain applications of our day to day life. Although Apple only develops applications for itself, it does have versions of some of its most popular options so that they can be used natively in Windows.
Why use Apple programs on Windows?
Apple is one of the most important companies at the level of computer software, with macOS as one of the main alternatives to the hegemony of Windows as operating systems. The Cupertino company develops its own applications so that they are perfectly integrated and can be used to their maximum performance on Mac computers. Therefore, if we want to enjoy them on our Windows PC, we can only install macOS, which is not relatively easy to do either. perform.
However, Apple has some of its own applications that it does allow to be installed natively on a Windows 10 computer. As we have mentioned, these applications have been designed to be used on Mac, and get the most out of it, so your use in Windows is usually not that effective, so it is not usual that we need to do it.
The most likely case that we will need to install Apple applications on Windows is because we have just switched to Microsoft’s operating system after a long time at Apple, so we do not want to lose total contact with those applications that we used daily on macOS, despite the fact that its performance and optimization are not the same as expected. This is something that we can verify by looking at the ratings of users in the Microsoft Store for applications such as iTunes or iCloud, which barely reach two stars, which suggests that satisfaction and performance are usually far from what is desired. . Even others like Safari can still be downloaded, but it has not been supported by Cupertino for years.
Windows Compatible Apple Applications
Next, we are going to talk about those applications that have been developed by the Cupertino company and that can be used natively on our Windows 10 computer.
Safari, the unsupported Apple web browser
We are talking about the web browser developed by Apple in 2017, specially designed to be used on macOS, iPadOS and iOS. Apple also developed a version for Windows, which has not been updated since 2012 , 9 years ago. Despite this, it can continue to be installed, although, logically, it is not the most recommended. Not only because of what so many years without support mean, but because of the large number of Windows browsers that we have available.
This browser was born as a good alternative for those users who wanted a light, innovative and fast application. However, time has not passed in vain on him. Its interface is quite obsolete and many of the websites do not work correctly since its engine has not been updated for years. It also does not get along with certain JavaScript code and has trouble rendering CSS content. Also, it lacks support for audio and video formats such as .vp9 and .ogg. To all this, we add all the possible vulnerabilities that it may contain that invite you to discard its use.
As we have mentioned, years ago Apple abandoned the development of Safari for Windows , although it is still possible to download the installers, although they are obsolete. Yes, despite everything, we want to download the Safari web browser, we can do it directly by clicking here.
iCloud, to sync cloud storage
We are talking about the cloud storage system developed by Apple in 2011, and which has its own version for Windows. This application allows us to keep all our content such as photos, videos, emails, calendar and other information up-to-date on our Windows PC. This software will allow us to have all the content stored updated and accessible on any device including our PC, to be able to access them whenever we want. We can also save and synchronize our passwords on the PC, using Chrome and the iCloud password extension.
However, not everything is pretty in iCloud, and there are not a few users who complain that their functions in Windows do not work as promised . It offers many problems when downloading the photos to the PC, at other times it is not updated and at other times it does not work directly. It also puts obstacles when it comes to validating mail, contacts, calendars and tasks. In addition, it consumes a lot of CPU, even when it is idle without doing anything.
When using iCloud on Windows, you need to have Outlook 2016 or later installed (for Mail, Contacts and Calendars), as well as Internet Explorer 11 or later, Firefox 68 or later or Google Chrome 80 or later for bookmarks. We can download Apple’s cloud storage system, directly from the Microsoft Store.
iTunes, media player and store
We are talking about the media player and multimedia content stores developed in 2001 by Apple in order to be able to reproduce, organize and synchronize iPods, iPhones and iPads devices , as well as buy multimedia content. It is an application praised by some and banished by others, which will help us to enjoy our music, movies or television shows on our Windows PC. Within iTunes we will also find Apple Music to listen to millions of songs and download them, with the possibility of trying it for free.
That iTunes is a tool specially indicated to be used in Apple devices should not be in doubt. And there are many users who complain about the use of this application in Windows , with unexpected closings and inability to access the files. It also has difficulty in recognizing devices such as the iPhone or iPad, making it impossible to make backup copies.
If we want to use iTunes on our Windows PC, we can download it directly from the Microsoft Store.
QuickTime, multimedia framework compatible with Apple devices
It is a multimedia framework developed by Apple in 1991 and has been supported for Windows for some years. It consists of a set of libraries and a multimedia player that since its version 7 offers compatibility with the MPEG-4 standard. With this application we will be able to reproduce a whole set of audio and video files associated with a set of libraries and transmit them between Apple devices over the Internet.
The application is compatible with video files such as AVI, FLV and 3GPP, among others, as well as the H.264 codec to be able to play DVD and Blu-ray movies. It also has compatibility with audio files such as AAC, WAV or Audio CD, among others, and image files such as JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF, etc.
We can download QuickTime for free from this link .
