Software and hardware requirements for iOS development

Question

What are the options for developing iPhone apps?
Currently I've tried to install gnu kit for Linux without success! Too many steps, and at the and I was unable to compile a single app.
The Apple SDK seems to be much more easy, but I don't have a Mac.
So am I missing something?

Answer 1

You need a Mac, no question. You also need an iPhone or iPod Touch to develop on as although the simulator is pretty good, it is not perfect - I have example code that works fine in the simulator but fails on the hardware. The hardware also has to be modified to add development keys to it so there is a certain risk to using a real iPhone - many people testify that it's safe enough but myself I chickened and purchase an iPod Touch for development. Keys also have to be installed on your Mac and integrated into Xcode - and that's tricky enough to get right even with the standard Apple setup. Xcode is free and really quite a decent IDE.

Your minimum requirements are therefore

An Intel Mac running the latest Mac OS. Cheapest option there is a Mac Mini - $599 although you could probably pick up one on Ebay that would work just fine for $400 or less.

An iPod Touch (or an iPhone if you need the camera/phone features for your app) - $229

A developer licence from apple so you can get they necessary keys - $99

To emphasize, you absolutely have to test the code on real hardware and the amount of pain you will go though trying to use anything else but a Mac and Xcode will easily eat the cost of buying a Mac.

Answer 2

Yes, the Mac. It's probably not worth the effort without the tools. Especially without the emulator. Apple designed the iPhone, it runs a version of OSX, and they have made the tools. It's not even like all you need is the complier because you don't have the tools to debug, load and manage the applications.