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View Full Version : Mac Mini's Good for iPhone Dev?



MetKiller Joe
September 4th, 2009, 09:39 AM
I'm thinking of getting a cheap Mac Mini for iPhone dev. It would be too much trouble for me to install a hackintosh on my desktop.

Anybody have one or know anything about it? My only concern is the one I'm getting, the 1.24 Ghz one, may be too slow, but I'd probably only be doing the coding on it and doing the assets on my main desktop where I have more horsepower to do intensive stuff on.

flibitijibibo
September 4th, 2009, 09:58 AM
Doesn't the iPhone SDK work with other OS's?

Well, either way, a friend-a mine is a Mac guy, so here's his advice:

The Mac Mini is really just a laptop without the attached screen. The only thing I'd worry about is RAM. For some reason, they start at 1GB, so bump it up to 2. The SDK will need it. As for the processor, I don't think they sell under 2GHz anymore. I worked on what I think was a 1.5GHz mini, and that didn't give me too much trouble, so whatever.

TheGhost
September 4th, 2009, 11:44 AM
You're going to want to get the better one for ~$200 more, if you can spare it. Are you a student and can get the student discount? I think that chops $50+ off the price. Also if you're a coder hook it up to a big monitor.

Yes my brother has one it is pretty decent. I think it's overpriced for its specs, but then again what Mac product isn't?

TheGhost
September 4th, 2009, 11:45 AM
Doesn't the iPhone SDK work with other OS's?

It works on Mac OS X 10.5+

MetKiller Joe
September 4th, 2009, 12:20 PM
Damnit. The one I was going to get has 10.4. It also has a PowerPC architecture, which a friend told me either can't run xcode or can't run some emulation software *shrug*.

I can afford 150 - 200, but nothing over 200 at the current moment. The cheapest I'm seeing them on ebay for is 200.

I'll wait on this a bit then.

Cortexian
September 4th, 2009, 02:39 PM
One of my buddies JUST bought a mac mini for iPhone development... I had to shake my head and sign.

PC Supremacy.

legionaire45
September 4th, 2009, 07:23 PM
Hackintosh D: (http://lifehacker.com/software/hack-attack/build-a-hackintosh-mac-for-under-800-321913.php)