macOS Minimum requirements for Xcode

[MrMister111]

What is minimum requirements as in specs for Xcode?

I don't code at moment, but it's a maybe sometime. I'm just wondering what is the specs required.

Also could the 2018/2019 Air cope? Does anyone code on a MacBook? It's just I have a 2012 iMac but thinking of selling and going MacBook route.

Thanks

 

[09872738]

Also could the 2018/2019 Air cope? Does anyone code on a MacBook? It's just I have a 2012 iMac but thinking of selling and going MacBook route.

Thanks

2018/2019 Air can run Xcode easily. I have no information on the official requirements, but any halfway modern Mac should have no issues.

I run it on a 2013 MBP without problems

 

[MrMister111]

2018/2019 Air can run Xcode easily. I have no information on the official requirements, but any halfway modern Mac should have no issues.

I run it on a 2013 MBP without problems

That's good thanks. MBP do have more grunt than Air's though.

I can't see on Apple site what minimum specs are which is strange...

 

[09872738]

That's good thanks. MBP do have more grunt than Air's though.

I can't see on Apple site what minimum specs are which is strange...

Probably because its depending on the OS version. E.g. the latest Xcode(beta) requires Catalina; so by and large I guess its safe to assume the latest Xcode for the operating system you are running is just fine

Only thing I noticed taking some time is the iDevice simulator starting up.

 

[Mikael H]

That's good thanks. MBP do have more grunt than Air's though.

I can't see on Apple site what minimum specs are which is strange...

The minimum specs are "whatever can run a modern version of macOS".

If you're just beginning coding and want to try out Xcode, an Air will do just fine. If or when you start making money off your coding it's time to invest in lowering build times. If you want to write programs, the best thing you can do is get started as soon as possible and get as much practice as you can. Don't put it off "until you have the correct tools" - that's a guaranteed way of never getting started.

 

[EnderBeta]

I’m a coder by trade but very unfamiliar with Xcode. Build time reduction is great to a point. Once the difference is a matter of seconds for compilation the extra cost in hardware is not entirely justifiable unless you need the performance for other applications like gaming or whatnot.

Screen real estate feels more important in Xcode. I felt pretty constrained with my early 2015 13” MacBook Pro screen compared to my 2012 Mac mini at 1080p without adjusting the scaling on the MacBook Pro to make everything super tiny.

XCode is at it’s best for me on my Late 2015 27” iMac 5K, mostly because of the screen real estate. I don’t feel too constrained with the mini or 13” MacBook Pro from a performance perspective. For reference my Mac Mini is a 2.3GHz i7 and the MacBook Pro is a 2.7GHz i5 and is dual core with hyper threading. Neither of these machines are overly fast by today’s standards and they do fine for me learning.

Of course when at a desk using a external monitor the 13” MacBook screen won’t be a issue at all.

I second the start learning the tools with the gear you have.

 

[NewUsername]

The current version of Xcode (Xcode 10.3) requires macOS 10.14.3, that's all.

The current beta version of Xcode (Xcode 11 beta 7) requires macOS 10.14.4 (or macOS Catalina beta 7).

If you don't have Mojave yet, you could even download older versions of Xcode from Apple's website. But in that case, you might want to consider upgrading your system first.