There is a Windows PC, there is an iPhone.

What is the least expensive equipment needed to write software for the iPhone?

As such, a programming language (objective-C, C #, etc.) or a development environment (for example, Xamarin) does not matter.

  • If you are given an exhaustive answer, mark it as correct (a daw opposite the selected answer). - Nicolas Chabanovsky ♦

2 answers 2

Officially, the iOS SDK (development toolkit) is available only under Mac OS X, and it, in turn, is officially available only on Macs. To build any applications, unfortunately, it will be required, including for building applications based on Xamarin, Unity - all these frameworks only create projects for Xcode that you already need to build under Mac OS X.

The cheapest Mac Mini in Russia now costs 40990 (it also needs a monitor). As another alternative, you can take a look at Mac rental services like MacInCloud (I did not use it myself, really). You are given a remote access to the Mac, on which you can already build the application.

  • one
    and what prevents to collect from "Hakintosh"? In addition to moral and ethical reasons. - pavel
  • @pavel, most likely the fact that the hackintosh does not pass the iron check in the AppStore. Accordingly, xCode - do not deliver. At least I heard on the latest MAC axis like this. - Alexis
  • And Hakintosh not put on all hardware. Faced problems not supporting some processors and video cards. - V. Rotenberh
  • one
    I personally have a virtual machine on vmware with xCode and even an iphone emulator in it starts up. But I’m asking for training purposes without publication. - pavel
  • 2
    @Alexis 10.11.4 - pavel

Good afternoon! To build iOS apps anyway, OS X is needed. There are several options for how to get it.

  • The easiest and most expensive is to buy any poppy. The cheapest solution is poppy mini. But I’ll say right away that on the cheapest models it’s not very comfortable to make applications - xcode slows down places.

  • Put Hakentosh. Now put on almost any iron. With an adequate configuration, the PC will fly. Although legally it is not legal, but no more than legally than a pirated Windows. All tools will be installed and will work 100% even on the latest version of os x.

  • os X in virtualk (wmvare or virtualBox). has the right to life, but as for me the choice of masochists. It works dully, everything slows down and terribly not convenient. Hakentosh is much better.

  • Web server with os x. Honestly did not try, I can not seem to do anything. Probably not a bad option.

As a conclusion. I would recommend a powerful poppy mini or hakentosh if money is a problem.