Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Which Mac for iOS programming?

A

ashmanq

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 24, 2011
78
0
I am planning to start programming for ios having no prior knowledge of ios programming. I have learned to program Delphi, C++ and c coding before. I have never owned a mac before so am looking for my first mac for ios programming.

I'm prepared to pay for a mac but at the same time I dont to spend too much. I've already got a capable windows pc so the mac won't really be replacing a pc, I'll mainly be using it for coding purposes.

I've looked at the mac mini and MacBook air/pro laptops as an option but what do you recommend for a someone just starting out in the mac Os/iOS programme world?

Thanks in advance!
Ashmanq
 
A mini is fine. Invest in a large monitor - the largest you can afford.
 
as stated above a mini would be a great option because of its low investment cost, if you do not care about portability then I would get that. However if you think you might want to do iOS code work in places other than your home I would get the lowest cost macbook pro. In either case you are going to want to get a second screen for working at home.
 
ashmanq said:
I am planning to start programming for ios having no prior knowledge of ios programming. I have learned to program Delphi, C++ and c coding before. I have never owned a mac before so am looking for my first mac for ios programming.

I'm prepared to pay for a mac but at the same time I dont to spend too much. I've already got a capable windows pc so the mac won't really be replacing a pc, I'll mainly be using it for coding purposes.

I've looked at the mac mini and MacBook air/pro laptops as an option but what do you recommend for a someone just starting out in the mac Os/iOS programme world?
Click to expand...

Any Mac will do just fine performance and storage wise, so you should just pick what is the best for you. MacMini takes no space at all, MacBook Pro or MacBook Air are very nice laptops, iMac comes with a very nice monitor.

Having a large monitor or two monitors is very useful. If you have a PC with a large monitor already then check whether you can attach it to the Mac (DVI should be no problem); in that case MacMini or a laptop has an advantage. Cheapest MacBook Pro with a 1920 x 1080 monitor isn't bad for software development at all, and a lot cheaper than the bigger MBPs.
 
Merkyworks said:
as stated above a mini would be a great option because of its low investment cost, if you do not care about portability then I would get that. However if you think you might want to do iOS code work in places other than your home I would get the lowest cost macbook pro. In either case you are going to want to get a second screen for working at home.
Click to expand...

Would my dell ultrasharp u2410 have the right port for the mac mini? It comes with display port, hdmi and DVI-D ports?
 
ashmanq said:
Would my dell ultrasharp u2410 have the right port for the mac mini? It comes with display port, hdmi and DVI-D ports?
Click to expand...

Yes your dell ultrasharp u2410 will easily plug into a mac, practically every modern mac will have a display port, there are display port to hdmi adapters available too. However if your buying a more modern mac there should be a thunderbolt port which doubles up as a display port; this too will work, there are display port to vga adapters available too so there is another alternative.

In terms of which one to buy, well it depends on if you would rather a laptop or desktop, but to be honest any mac will handle Xcode programming just fine. Even a hackintosh running in a VM will be fine. Its the graphical heavy activities which show off the lower priced mac's shortcomings. I myself am planning to buy the 15" Macbook Pro very soon.

And by the way, in contrast to the first reply, I'd advise not to get the Mac Pro, its way too pricy for both what you get and the sounds of your needs.
 
Thanks for all your advice, after some thought and taking your advice into account I've decided to play it safe and go for a mac mini.

At this stage I think a low end mac will do me fine for my needs and I dont need something portable as of yet. The price point also swayed me.

Thanks

Ashmanq
 
For iOS projects, Xcode doesn't take too much ram, but eventually you'll want at least 4GB. (I also would recommend the mac mini as others have, but noticed the cheapest mini has 2GB)

In terms of upgrade path, once you've gotten at least 4GB of memory, get an SSD. It's certainly not vital when you start. I'm just saying this as a long term thing. The CPU will be enough for years to come, so don't worry about that.
 
hchung said:
For iOS projects, Xcode doesn't take too much ram, but eventually you'll want at least 4GB. (I also would recommend the mac mini as others have, but noticed the cheapest mini has 2GB)

In terms of upgrade path, once you've gotten at least 4GB of memory, get an SSD. It's certainly not vital when you start. I'm just saying this as a long term thing. The CPU will be enough for years to come, so don't worry about that.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up. I've ordered the cheapest mac mini (with 2GB RAM). I plan to add 8GB of RAM at a later stage when I feel its needed.
 
ashmanq said:
Im based in the UK so would be tricky ordering from that site, do you know of any UK sites you would recommend? Ive noticed Crucial have a site up selling Mac RAM has anyone used them?
Click to expand...

Crucial UK are good, and guarantee to work. KRCS is also good if you live near their stores.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back