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iOS Can I begin developing an Iphone App on windows then switch to Mac?

R

Rbethell11

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 6, 2011
8
0
Hey all,

I have an app idea that I would like to start developing immediately. Problem is my macbook air is completely busted, and I am waiting until Christmas to get a new Macbook Pro. I currently have a rather powerful PC, and was wondering if I could START developing on the computer, then transfer the code over to my new mac when I get it.

Any programs or advise would be much appreciated
 
Well, you could type the source code in a text editor on Windows just like a text editor on Mac. But Xcode makes your life so much easier. There's no such thing as Xcode for Windows.

UI could be modeled with UI planning tools.

Can you develop on Windows? Sure. Will there be any tools to help you? Not many.
 
Rbethell11 said:
Hey all,

I have an app idea that I would like to start developing immediately. Problem is my macbook air is completely busted, and I am waiting until Christmas to get a new Macbook Pro. I currently have a rather powerful PC, and was wondering if I could START developing on the computer, then transfer the code over to my new mac when I get it.

Any programs or advise would be much appreciated
Click to expand...

Your only real option for developing native iOS apps (aside from the other poster's suggestion of typing code into a text editor and doing screen design) is to set up your PC as a "hackintosh" (A PC with bootleg Mac ROMs and running Mac OS.) I don't know anything about the particulars of setting one up, but if you search on that term you should find some good information.

There are some cross-platform development tools that let you develop once using abstract tools and then deploy on different devices. Appcellerator and PhoneGap come to mind. There again, I don't have much specific knowledge.
 
Jet Brains makes an alternative IDE for iOS and OS X called App Coda. Unless I'm mistaken, the IDE is written in Java and so should work on PC.
 
I've heard of "Mac in the cloud" as a service you rent. I understand it to be like a remote desktop and I've heard it's about $20 a month. I've heard some that can't afford a Mac computer use this.

The Hackintosh is an excellent option because it makes OSX think it's on a Mac.

You can buy the Intel processor, video card, just like used on the Mac, then research which board and other options to buy. People list the computers they've got it to work on.

It works on notebook computers as well but you're best to check which one to get as some work better than others.

You might have to do things like flash BIOS to get it to work. You will have to use a OS loader (boot loader).

It's usually not so easy, but when done right, it works the same as a Mac.

One upside is that with the price difference, you can get things like an SSD drive and extra RAM, faster CPU... you can even save enough to run 2 displays and you can boot back to Windows as you want.
 
Mac in a Cloud sounds like it could be a great solution, but it has been my experience that services like that tend to have noticeable and very frustrating lag.

IE, I hate using Microsoft Remote Desktop because of how tedious it is trying to precisely scroll and click.
 
Building a Hackintosh is about dead simple anymore. You don't even need the "recommended" stuff if you can exit and inject kexts and flash BIOS's.
 
I think you can get GNUstep for windows, which would give you a working environment like Cocoa to develop in. Might be more convenient that doing a Hackintosh.
 
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