- Explore the world of Mac. Check out MacBook Pro, iMac Pro, MacBook Air, iMac and more. Visit the Apple site to learn, buy and get support.
- TL;DR; Go with a cheapest 15” Macbook Pro with 4 cores. I’ve used 13” for iOS development for some time, and switched to 15”. The difference is night and day. It’s incredibly different that it’s super odd that no one really talks about the real di.
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Answers
Bringing the iOS app store model to the Mac has ruined good software development on the Mac. IOS software mentality is that the app is either free or very cheap, it is single purpose, and there.
- edited January 2015
You're going to have to work on it to use the Simulator and to plug in devices for debugging. The Simulator doesn't run on Windows, it runs on a Mac. You'll have to work on it regularly if you're going to be writing iOS applications, even if you develop with Visual Studio. But to answer your question, a Mac Mini will suffice.
- Accepted Answer
Hi @MarkFredrickson,
As @rmacias has stated, a Mac Mini is more than adequate for developing Xamarin.iOS apps.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks,
Kevin
- edited January 2015
Also, for what it's worth, I've bought several refurbished Macs and all of them have been great. Like brand new. It'll save you a few bucks.
Thanks for the info. I can get a Mac Mini with Lion for $160. If I hook it up to a KVM switch, can I switch between my Windows and the Mac for development or do I need a separate monitor/kb for the Mac?
XCode 6 doesn't support Lion. You'll need at least Mavericks. If the Mac Mini is capable of running at least Mavericks, you're good, but if not, you'll need a newer Mini.
I personally would use a separate monitor and have it side by side with your Windows Monitor. It's easier interacting with the simulator and stepping through code than constantly switching a KVM. At least, it's easier for me. I guess it's preference though.
If you know which version of the Mini you're looking at, this chart should help you determine the latest OS version it can run.
I was able to get an iMac (silver 2009) for around $270 on amazon. Works GREAT and supports latest Mac-OS
Must have apps for macbook. A first-class performer (like Apple Mail) offers fully automated scripting for common tasks, snazzy backgrounds, fonts and colors, and the ability to create HTML-format messages with embedded images and objects. (In plain English, a thread groups replies so that they can be read as an actual discussion.) Anyone who frequents Usenet newsgroups or web discussion sites recognizes a threaded view as easier to read than a traditional sequential display, especially when your mail is heavy on replies and includes ongoing conversations with several folks involved.It’s free, it’s fun, and it’s fashionable — go, Apple Mail, go! Are you seeing a pattern here?One great feature in Apple Mail is the ability to organize your messages by threads.
@rmacias - thanks for the links. I think Xamarin ought to update this link which is what I was going by.
But I thought Lion was Mountain Lion. Didn't realize it was different. Wonder why they didn't call it Cougar instead of Mountain Lion, or named Lion African Lion.
That Mac Mini is too old so now I know what to look for I can look around. I'll check Amazon too. Chirp software mac os x.
- edited January 2015
Yeah, looks like the doc needs to be updated. Under the hood, Xamarin relies on XCode and the Apple Developer tools to build iOS Apps. One thing you'll learn is that Apple is very aggressive when it comes to dropping support for older tools and operating systems. And this happens every year when a new version of iOS or Mac OS comes out. In turn, new versions of XCode are required, thus new versions of Xamarin are needed to support the newer tools. And Apple is very aggressive in dropping support for older operating systems when updating XCode.
Good luck with your search! iOS development is a completely different beast, especially if you have a .NET (C#) background, but once you get the hang of it, it's kind of fun actually.
All,
Thanks for point out the issue with the Getting Started guide. I've updated those to bring that up-to-date with the current requirements.
Thanks,
Kevin
What about a MacBook Air? A 2009+ runs Yosemite and a 11' wouldn't take up much desk space. Or would a 13' be better?
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