All that is needed to get the applicable driver file for any Intel MAC.
Boot Camp Assistant, a utility included with your Mac, adds a new partition to your Mac's startup drive to install and run Windows in an actual Windows environment (not emulated or virtualized).
Boot Camp Assistant also provides the Windows drivers needed to use Apple hardware, including camera, audio, networking, keyboard, mouse, trackpad, and video. Without these drivers, Windows functions, but you can't change video resolution, listen to audio, or connect to a network. While the keyboard and mouse or trackpad work, these only provide simple capabilities.
With the Apple drivers that Boot Camp Assistant provides, you may discover that Windows and your Mac hardware are one of the best combinations for running Windows.
This information applies to Boot Camp Assistant 6, which is required to install Windows 10. It is included in macOS Big Sur (11) through macOS Sierra (10.12). Although the exact text and menu names may differ, Boot Camp Assistant 5 and 4 for Windows 8 and 7 are similar enough that you can use this guide with those earlier versions.
Boot Camp Assistant's Three Tasks
Boot Camp Assistant can perform three basic tasks to help you get Windows running on your Mac or uninstall it from your Mac. Depending on what you want to accomplish, you may not need to use all three tasks. We would use only the second step in order to get the driver files needed for Windows PE.
Create a Windows 10 install disk: Boot Camp Assistant can use a USB flash drive or an external USB drive to create an install disk from a Windows 10 ISO image file. There are various ways to acquire the ISO image file of Windows, but the easiest is to download the image file from Microsoft.
Download the latest Windows support software from Apple: With this option, your Mac downloads the latest Windows 10 drivers and supporting software that allows Windows to work with your Mac's hardware. The support software is copied to the USB flash drive you are using for the Windows 10 install disk.
Install Windows 10: This option either creates a Windows partition on your Mac's startup drive or removes a Windows partition if one is present. The name of this option changes if you have a Windows partition on your Mac to Remove Windows 10.
Apple partnered with a bank in 2021 to let small businesses lease new M1 Macs for as low as $30 per month, with easy options to upgrade if and when more powerful devices are released. Now that’s no longer being offered, and businesses that had signed up will now have to sign up for a different program from CIT Group, the bank Apple partnered with, or go another route to get their computers.
A business that reached out to The Verge shared an email from CIT Group (aka First Citizens Bank) confirming the Mac Upgrade Program has ended. Now the bank is requesting the business to switch to its FMV lease or continue to lease the equipment at the same monthly rate — though it would run indefinitely with no buyout option. The Verge contacted both CIT and Apple to confirm the program’s status, but neither has responded at time of publication.
While the Mac Notebook Upgrade Program is no more, CIT Group still has Apple hardware leasing options that include a “$1 buyout lease.” Although the terms are not fully disclosed on the page, Apple has an active business financing page that seems to describe CIT’s offering.
The current offering includes “flexible” leasing options, 12 / 24 / 36-month terms, a $4,000 order minimum, financing for up to 25 percent of the value on accessories, and buyout options. The now-defunct program offered low monthly payments starting with the 13-inch MacBook Air for $30, 13-inch MacBook Pro for $39, 14-inch MacBook Pro for $60, and 16-inch MacBook Pro for $75. Immediate upgrades were available if a new MacBook Air or Pro with newer chips were released at any time after the first 90 days of the lease.
It also seemed like a part of Apple’s overall service-oriented shift, following the iPhone Upgrade program that has existed for consumers for several years, bundling AppleCare Plus and the ability to swap your phone annually, or the also consumer-aimed Upgrade Plus financing setup Apple offers for laptops purchased from Best Buy. It’s unclear if this program has shut down due to a lack of interest or a change in strategy, but there was a rumor that Apple might launch a full subscription program for the iPhone, perhaps by the end of this year.
Although Apple and CIT Group aren’t offering the Mac Upgrade Program anymore, Apple is still supporting small businesses on the services side with its Business Essentials IT management package. Businesses (and K-12 / High Ed) can also still order hardware directly from Apple’s special Business or Education store site and build POs — but normally for the full price.
Apple is also expected to launch its buy now, pay later service this year. Whether it launches or not, individuals — and perhaps individuals that own a small business — could always use an Apple Card and pay 0 percent financing on new Apple computers.
