Cheapest way to be able to do iOS games without Mac?

I really want to make some iOS games, but I only own a PC and a regular laptop. From what I heard you need to have a Mac and possible also a iOS device to test on to.
I was just wondering what is the best alternative for me? I don't feel that happy about going out and buying a Mac just for this and a iOS device (at least not now).
Is there some other way? I heard you could actually develop the iOS game in mmf without a Mac and you just need the Mac to build it? But how about testing? Is there any iOS simulator out there you can use to test the performance and so on for the game if you don't have access to a iOS device so often?

Building an iOS app without a Mac or iOS device would be extremely complicated. The difference between the MMF2 runtime and on device, even on simulator, really would hinder make any app you make.

The trend I've noticed is to buy a cheap Mac Mini and run Xcode on that.

I lucked out, I run Windows 7 and MMF2 in VMWare on my Mac in a window.

I did come across an online rental service for OSX the other day, you basically pay to remote connect and you have your own virtual mac. Interesting but I have no idea how far you could take it, e.g.: getting software installed and USB connectivity. Other options are the Hackintosh route (build a PC to run OSX) if you have the parts and patience.

The answer to your question is you've got to spend some money if you want to get into building for iOS I'm afraid.

You'll need a Mac, preferably capable of running Lion for future compatibility. Then you WILL need a device, an iTouch might be the cheapest option. You can't realistically test via simulation as it's slow, lacks proper multitouch and accelerometer etc and you won't know for sure how your game really performs. If you are developing for a real device you also need to sign up for an Apple Developer account which is $99 per year and this allows you to release your creations through the App Store too.

So there's some investment, but if you want to do it the rewards of getting your games on the device are magical. You also have as much chance as anyone of making some money back. We've been quite lucky to get started, our first game made enough to pay the costs and set up a Limited company (we are now officially Ovine by Design Limited :)). My first MMF game is going through the last days of testing and will soon be released to the wild so fingers crossed. There's also plenty of success stories on the forums, so if making some money is your goal then go for it, but go in with your eyes open. Got to say MMF is the perfect tool to help you realise your iOS creations :D

Incidentally, many of us here run Windows alongside OSX via VMWare or Parallels (as mentioned above) which allows you to quickly create and build in MMF and get your game running on your iTouch, iPhone and iPad. More costs though.

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Originally Posted by AndyH

I did come across an online rental service for OSX the other day, you basically pay to remote connect and you have your own virtual mac. Interesting but I have no idea how far you could take it, e.g.: getting software installed and USB connectivity. Other options are the Hackintosh route (build a PC to run OSX) if you have the parts and patience.

The answer to your question is you've got to spend some money if you want to get into building for iOS I'm afraid.

You'll need a Mac, preferably capable of running Lion for future compatibility. Then you WILL need a device, an iTouch might be the cheapest option. You can't realistically test via simulation as it's slow, lacks proper multitouch and accelerometer etc and you won't know for sure how your game really performs. If you are developing for a real device you also need to sign up for an Apple Developer account which is $99 per year and this allows you to release your creations through the App Store too.

So there's some investment, but if you want to do it the rewards of getting your games on the device are magical. You also have as much chance as anyone of making some money back. We've been quite lucky to get started, our first game made enough to pay the costs and set up a Limited company (we are now officially Ovine by Design Limited :)). My first MMF game is going through the last days of testing and will soon be released to the wild so fingers crossed. There's also plenty of success stories on the forums, so if making some money is your goal then go for it, but go in with your eyes open. Got to say MMF is the perfect tool to help you realise your iOS creations :D

Incidentally, many of us here run Windows alongside OSX via VMWare or Parallels (as mentioned above) which allows you to quickly create and build in MMF and get your game running on your iTouch, iPhone and iPad. More costs though.

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Yes, I am aware of the price for buying the exporter and the Apple Developer account. But to add a iOS device to that and a Mac computer, and it becomes quite expensive.. :P I guess the iOS device would be kind of fun to have anyway, but I dont see much use of the Mac for more then building the apps, considering I use my PC for everything else.

It certainly does get a bit expensive. Maybe take a look at the virtual mac rental to see if you can do what you need, or find a mac owning buddy who's willing to help, or maybe you'll find another way? Good luck if you decide to have a go at ios development :-)

You could sell your current laptop, get a second hand macbook from ebay that runs Lion. That's what I did. If you need windows on your laptop, you might be able to dual boot or something.

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Originally Posted by AndyH

It certainly does get a bit expensive. Maybe take a look at the virtual mac rental to see if you can do what you need, or find a mac owning buddy who's willing to help, or maybe you'll find another way? Good luck if you decide to have a go at ios development :-)

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You can rent a mac virtually here:

www.macincloud.com

However, I haven't actually done this before, but it's just $20.00 a month!

Problem with this is -- How do you test it on a device if your using a MAC over the internet?
You really can't develop iOS games without an actual device to do your testing on.

I have signed up for the free trial at macincloud.com. It was particularly slow, maybe it was just my connection. But with that slowness and the inability to connect an iDevice, it is just impossible to develop for iOS. To do so you absolutely need a Mac, and of course an iPod/Pad/Phone.

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Originally Posted by colej_uk

You could sell your current laptop, get a second hand macbook from ebay that runs Lion. That's what I did. If you need windows on your laptop, you might be able to dual boot or something.

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Just wanted to say I'm a big fan of Mega City. :)