Boss wants requirements

[veggieCoder]

Hi Everyone,

My company needs to write some samples for one of our APIs that can be used on a Mac, iPhone and iPad. We have traditionally been a Windows shop, and everyone in my group, including myself, is Mac illiterate :-( My boss has asked me to research to see what we should purchase for this project.

I think I've determined that I'll need to run XCode, Interface Builder and possibly DashCode. And, it looks like the system requirments for that are an Intel Mac with Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

Beyond that I'm lost. I have visited Welcome to the Apple Store - Apple Store (U.S.) and browsed to the Mac section. I'm thinking an iMac might be what we need, but I also see the Mac Mini and Mac Pro.

Can anyone recommend a complete system (including monitor, mouse, keyboard, etc.) that we can use for this project? Also, if there are any mac developers reading, have I correctly assesed the development tools I will need? Are there others? (In a nutshell, the app will connect to a remote server, retrieve data and display to a GUI.)

Thanks very much in advance!

 

[toMACsh]

Any Mac on the market now will have an Intel processor, and Snow Leopard. The Mini does not come with a monitor, nor a keyboard and mouse. An iMac will probably be fine, but you want to find out if processor speed and RAM are issues, as different models of the iMac have different specs.

 

[ron4mac]

I would suggest you get the low-end iMac $1199 (or less refurbished)

You can get everything you need for development work at: Apple Developer

 

[chas_m]

I second or third the recommendation for an iMac, but the Mac mini is technically quite capable of handling the development work given the outlines you require.

 

[Ben Bledsoe]

Mac mini is quite excellent, I just purchase one its so compact that i can carry it anywhere. Rest of the features on Apple page
Apple - Mac mini - The most affordable, energy-efficient Mac.

 

[veggieCoder]

Thanks!

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. This definitely helps. Now, I just have to learn ObjectiveC...should be easy, right? ;-)

 

[chscag]

Here you go LINK currently on sale at Amazon for $16.97. A bargain at that price.