Is a Mac necessary for iOS Development?

In my company the current development department for iOS/Android development needs to grow from only 2 developers to more than over 20.

We are basically doing Xamarin, but also support multiple native iOS/Android apps and other platforms (unity, cordova) which are developed out-house.


We already had some hazzle with getting the first Mac's in the company, but now as we want to grow the question pop's up again why we really need so many Mac's or more worst if we even need Mac's at all 😮.

I know for someone who love to use a real commandline and to have a hazzle free use of the development tools like me, it should be easy to come up with several good causes, to why iOS development must take place on a mac, but at the moment I am having a real issue to find a 100% waterproof argument.


May be this is not the right forum, but I just hope you can help me out as some of you might had the same struggle with a Microsoft Windows focused IT department in your companies.


Thank you so much in advance for any even small argument.

Wenjie

Replies

If you want to submit to AppStore, you need a Mac. That seems to be a strong argument.


Read here, interesting discussions with more arguments for you :

h ttps://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible-to-develop-apps-for-iOS-using-a-Windows-or-Linux-PC

Could running Mac OS in a VM be another option?

Might be...depends on how far you go towards an 'unsupported' install/configuration. The farther you stray from a standard IDE, the more you're likely to need to self-support.


'Unsupported' meaning if someone contacts dev support, I think Apple tends to ward off participating when something other than a current standard IDE turns out to be part of the equation.

> I am having a real issue to find a 100% waterproof argument.


I don't see that happening, rather it usually devolves into he/she said.


Best to not argue - work as an positive example, instead, and let the tools win them over. They are more likely to come around when it's their own decision, over time.