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I am trying to set up a project to develop an iPad application for the company I develop for. I am relatively new to iOS development and just recently got a not too old, not too new either iMac. My problem is that it is not intel-based and therefore I can't install the latest SDK on it. Not to mention that the new Xcode requires intel-based processors too. I have been doing some digging and found the possibility of running OSX and its applications through a virtual machine. Everywhere I have been searching for alternate options, this is the only other I can find. My question is: is it better or more recommended to develop iOS applications using a Mac vs using a virtual machine? If so, what makes it better to develop on one as opposed to the other option? Personally I am about to just tell my boss to get a couple of intel-based macs, but I need to back my suggestion up.
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That said, if you already know which path you're taking, the decision will be easier. If you want to develop iOS apps, then a Mac is a must, but if you're into game development a PC would be a better option.
The combination of the Unix-based operating system along with the gestures and cross-platform capabilities of macOS is what won over my heart from Windows to Mac. Out of the box, macOS offers the most diverse set of tools for any developer to start developing software.
Apple silicon and macOS make virtualization possible on Mac using a combination of hardware and software technologies: At the hardware level, Apple silicon allows for the sharing of CPU and memory resources.
To run Windows in a virtual machine within macOS, use Parallels Desktop , VMware Fusion , or VirtualBox . This method will allow you to run Mac and Windows applications concurrently, though the virtual machine does not support as much Windows functionality as a dual-boot configuration.
It will be a lot easier to just go ahead and get some Macs. You might be able to get some sorta Hackintosh thing sorta working on a VM, but the hours you and your colleagues spend getting all that stuff to work and supporting it will probably cost more than just buying a couple of Mac Minis or MacBooks.
Also, installing Mac OS X on a VM on non-Apple hardware is forbidden by Apple's licensing terms. Does your boss want you to violate copyright laws? If so, would your boss's bosses concur?
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