Advice Please. What Mac should i be looking to get?

Hi,
I am looking at getting a mac to do some development work on.
I need it to be running (at least) Snow Leopard as I will need to be using xcode but apart from that I have no idea what i should be looking for.
I'm looking for the cheapest option i can get, which will at this point probably be ebay but there are so many options and different models, I dont know where to start.
It doesnt need to be mega fast so an older model will be fine.

Can someone please point me in the right direction of the miminum model i should be looking at?

Thanks

Gimbal

Knowing how much cash do you have to splash would help.

as little as possible ideally.
I'm kinda looking to see how much i would need to spend to see if the project I want it for is worth doing.
sorry to be vague but I'm not sure how much cash I have to play with as yet.

Well that's not really much help, I'm afraid.

You could buy a used Macbook on eBay for around $500 dollars that's capable of running Snow Leopard. Although I think you'd be better off running Lion, seeing as the new OS is around the corner.

Have a look on eBay, and then post some links of Macs that you CAN afford, and then hopefully, people will tell you if they are suitable/worth having.

Until we know how much you've got to spend, this is a very open question. Because with "as little as possible", you aren't going to get very much.

Thanks for the reply.
I understand i was asking a really open question but my point was that even if i knew how much money i had, I still wouldnt know what I should be looking for.
I dont need an up to date machine running the latest software, i just need a mac that will run (at least) snow leopard and xcode.
I've heard mention of G3's and G4's and powerbooks and iMacs and i really dont know which models would be suitable.
If i had a couple of grand spare I would go out and get a brand new laptop that i know would run what i wanted. But realistically i'm looking at a few hundred pounds.

I used the phrase 'as little as possible' because that left it open for someone to say you need this model and it will cost you approx £500, or to say i need to spend closer to £1000.

This is for a project I've been offered and im not sure if i shall ever use the mac again after its finished (but you never know, I may become a convert) so dont want to spend more than i need to (whatever that amount may be).

For dev work you need an intel Mac.

If you have a screen/keyboard/mouse you can pick up a decent Mac mini on ebay for around $400. If you want a Macbook then, as mentioned above, you need to be looking at a MacBook more in the realms of $500-600

Gimbal said:

I am looking at getting a mac to do some development work on.

I need it to be running (at least) Snow Leopard as I will need to be using xcode but apart from that I have no idea what i should be looking for.

Click to expand...

Gimbal said:

I dont need an up to date machine running the latest software, i just need a mac that will run (at least) snow leopard and xcode.
I've heard mention of G3's and G4's and powerbooks and iMacs and i really dont know which models would be suitable.

Click to expand...

Firstly...to run Snow Leopard (OS 10.6) you need a Macintosh with a Intel CPU. This means any model Mac made since about 2006. So you can forget about "G3's, G4's, G5's, iBook's, Powerbooks, pre-2006 Mac-mini's, and pre-2006 iMac's".

Macintosh models with Intel CPU's which can run Snow Leopard are...MacBook's, MacBook Pro's, Mac Pro's, 2006+ iMac's, 2006+ Mac-mini's.

BTW...which version of xcode will you be using?

- Nick

Thats great thanks.
Will pc monitors and keyboards etc work? or are there different connections?
(See? told you I was a noob)

Gimbal said:

Thats great thanks.
Will pc monitors and keyboards etc work? or are there different connections?
(See? told you I was a noob)

Click to expand...

Yes they will work...but you will probably need a video adapter to use the monitor, and although a USB Windows keyboard will work...there are some "Mac-specific" symbols & control keys on "Macintosh keyboards".

BTW...Apple currently only sells one "Mac-specific" monitor for Apple computers...so ALL OTHER monitors out there can be "Apple or Windows" monitors.

- Nick

Thanks for your replies.
as long as the monitor will work, I think i can stretch to a new keyboard.

as for the version of xcode, I'm not really sure.
I read somewhere that it needed at least snow leopard to run so that was what i was looking at.
and the narrowing down of the models that i need to look at helps enormously.

Thanks for all of your help. I'm off to ebay to go shopping.

Gimbal said:

as for the version of xcode, I'm not really sure.
I read somewhere that it needed at least snow leopard to run so that was what i was looking at.

Click to expand...

Have you done any internet research yet?...before moving forward with your "development project" or considering the purchase of a Macintosh computer? If not...it may answer a lot of your questions/concerns...and provide a better plan towards achieving your goals.

Read this concerning xcode:

Xcode - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Xcode has been around since 2003 (well BEFORE Snow Leopard)...so there are certainly versions of xcode out there that do not need Snow Leopard to run. So it all depends on your project goals.

- Nick

I admit I'm confused by your post.

If you're doing development work (that is, I presume, that you're interested in making applications for the Mac or iOS), you're going to need to have a machine capable of running the latest OS, since that is what you'll need to run the latest XCode, which is what you'll need to actually make a product that is going to be sold to users (most of whom will be running Lion or iOS 5 by the time this proposed application comes out!).

I'd suggest you look for a refurbished Mac Mini, and use your existing monitor mouse and keyboard. You should be able to find one for around $600, though I read today that some online resellers are getting closer to $500 in price for a basic but current model.

An older Mac running an older OS might do for getting your feet wet, but won't last as long and thus wouldn't be IMO a good value for development dollar.

Which Mac to buy?

One of each?

Sorry, just messing with ya. The Apple addiction is alive and well so if you get a Mac, plan on getting others soon LOL.