Best Mac for app development: getting an Apple Mac to create iPhone and iPad apps

Which Apple Mac should you get to begin app development? With Xcode 6 and Apple Swift ready to hit the mainstream, it's going to get a lot easier to developer iPhone and iPad apps. This is the Mac you should get.

Many Mac owners are interested in developing their own apps, and Apple makes it incredibly easy to create and build (and sell) apps for both the Mac OS X and iOS platform. In this feature we look at which Mac users should buy to develop apps.

Apple is gearing up to release a whole new programing language called Swift, which will make it even easier to develop apps for both Mac, iPad and iPhone. Thanks to Swift and the popularity of the Mac platform we could be looking at a fresh new wave of exciting app development. If you're keen on learning app development this article will also give you some pointers as to what you need to develop apps, and what features are less relevant.

Best Apple Mac for app development: balancing power

Choosing the right Mac for development can be a challenge. Apple creates a whole range of Mac laptops and desktop computers. All Apple Macs are great computers but some are better suited to app development than others.

Apple has recently refreshed most of its Mac range, and introduced lower prices for its MacBook and iMac computers.

With this in mind we’ve created this guide to buying the right Mac for app development. In this article we take a look at what a computer requires to be truly great for creating apps, and the features you pay more for. We then look closely at the range of Mac computers available, and the custom built to order options available that make sense for developers.

Finally we will look at some of the accessories, software and learning resources available that will help keen developers get started.

Developing apps on a Mac: how do you create a program on a Mac

Apple goes to great lengths to make it easy to develop apps (or small programs) for both Mac OS X and iOS. The development environment used to create apps for both is called Xcode, and this is a free download from the Mac App Store.

With Xcode you can build apps using two programming languages, the old Objective-C language, and the new Swift programming language.

The latest edition is called Xcode 6. At the time of writing Xcode 6 is currently only available in Beta form to developers signed up to the Apple Developer Connection. It is expected to be released alongside the Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite update in September. Xcode 5 is available for free from the App Store.

Uploading and selling Apps via iTunes requires a yearly subscription to the Apple Developer connection, but it's good value at $99 per year (approx £60). You only need this to upload and distribute apps via the Mac and iOS App Stores however, you don't need to pay this fee just to test and create apps.

You do need a Mac to develop apps for the iPhone and iPad. You can't code the programs using a Windows or Linux PC. But once you've got a Mac, any current model, you are pretty much good to start.

Developing apps on a Mac: how much power do you need?

Software development scales up depending on the size and complexity of the program you are making. Macs vary in power from the entry-level MacBook Air right up to the new Mac Pro.

If all you want to do is start to learn development and get a regular app onto the app store then you can use any Mac you want.

If you're an independent developer, creating a small iOS app then you can use just about any Mac (it doesn't even need to be a particularly recent model). Unlike creating video or music; creating code doesn't use up huge amounts of hard drive space. And if you're creating iOS apps you don't need a lightning fast processor, or a high-end graphics card.

In short: any Mac will probably do. So then it becomes a question of how much money you want to spend, and which will provide the best coding environment.

Apple’s Mac range for developers: what do you really need to program

Because coding is a high-end and complicated task, you may be tempted to veer towards Apple's pro line-up. You don't need the fast innards of the Mac Pro or MacBook Pro to develop apps.

What is useful for software development, however, is screen estate. Coding is a complex task that sometimes requires intense focus, but more often it requires research and tracking. Coders often need to have several programs and windows open at once: the Xcode developer environment, web browser, and perhaps a separate text editor, SQL Database editor, and much more. Development seems to be one of a task that requires everything Mac OS X has to offer.

So you need a Mac with a big screen, or you need to attach a big screen to your Mac. With this in mind we're going to rule out all of Apple's MacBook range. Let’s be clear: if you value a notebook and portability is important to you, then a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro with Retina display will do just fine for app development, and you can attach a monitor to these models for larger screen estate. But with a MacBook Air or Pro you pay a lot extra for a small screen that will feel cramped when programming.

Apple’s Mac range for developers: Mac mini is best value

The Mac Pro is overkill for most developers so the choice is between an iMac or Mac mini with separate display.

At £499 the Mac mini is the best value Mac, and it offers more than enough power and storage for app development. What it doesn't come with is a display, so you'll need to source one separately.

Normally the idea with the Mac mini is that you attach an old display, keyboard and mouse and it represents top-flight Apple computing at a fraction of the cost. However, for app development we suggest that you get a large display, so you might want to consider Apple's 27-inch Thunderbolt Display. Then again, at £899 you might want to shop around.

A good alternative would be this AOC Q2770PQU widescreen display. At around £425 it's half the price of the Apple Thunderbolt display, and has a 27-inch display with the same resolution of the Apple Thunderbolt display.

There is now a huge range of sub-£200 monitors that offer 27-inch displays. Some developers suggest picking up two 24-inch displays and placing them side-by-side.

Apple iMac: Best Mac for large-screen app development environment

If you are looking for a powerful Mac with a big display then Apple has you covered in the form of the iMac. You should get a model with a 27inch display, which starts at £1,449. It's not as cheap as the Mac mini but you do get a lot of extra for your money. The 27-inch iMac is a veritable powerhouse: a 3.2Ghz Intel i5 processor, 1TB hard drive, discrete NVIDIA graphics card with 1GB video memory, and of course that massive 27-inch IPS display. If you’re looking for a large-screen Mac that also has enough power for gaming then this is the one to go for.

Which Mac to get for App development?

We'd advise most new developers to go for the Mac mini with the AOC display. The Mac mini is a cheaper option than the iMac and the extra cash can be put towards software or training courses.

The 27-inch iMac is a better Apple Mac and you get a lot of extra features: such as the fast processor, large 1TB hard drive and NVIDIA graphics card. They're nice features, for sure, but they offer little towards developing apps. Mind you, if you’re also planning to use a Mac for gaming and general all purpose computing you might appreciate the extra power.

Apple Mac accessories and software for developers

Developers don't need as many accessories as other Mac users. A good Mac, a decent sized display and a good reference library and you're good to go. The only exception we'd make is to invest in a good backup system in case there are any problems. Apple's own Time Capsule is a great solution. Alternatively invest in a good USB external hard drive and use Apple's Time Machine software to perform regular backups.

There is also wealth of software that's good for developers. Here are some recommendations:

• Acorn: A powerful image editor that's a fraction of the cost of Photoshop
• BBEdit: Industry favourite text editor
• CodeRunner: Great alternative to Xcode for light programming tasks.
• Dev Color Picker: Makes getting colours out of programs and into your apps a breeze.
• Dropbox: Great for syncing files for remote access.
• Evernote: Perfect place to store programming notes.
• Little Snapper: Ability the take detailed screen grabs of programs and websites.

App development for Mac: learning Xcode and Swift

If you are planning to start App development for Mac or iOS, then you will need to learn Apple’s new programming language Swift. There is a range of new courses becoming available, and you will be able to quickly get up and running with Swift.

How to prepare your iPhone & iPad for iOS 8: How to upgrade to iOS 8 & advice about whether you should

We bring you advice about how to prepare for the release of iOS 8 next month, including installation tips and advice about whether you should upgrade or not

iOS 8, the next version of Apple's operating system software for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, is expected to be released to the public alongside the iPhone 6 in early September. Here, we bring you advice about how to prepare for the release of iOS 8, including tips about the upgrading process and advice about whether iOS 8 is right for you. See also: 8 new features in iOS 8 that we can't wait for

Many users have been caught out, one way or another, by iOS upgrades in the past. Some have upgraded recklessly and found that they don't like the new iOS, but can't go back because they didn't save the right files beforehand. Others have upgraded on launch day and hit massive server overload, making the process last for hours and occasionally losing apps in the process.

However, we hope that you'll be able to fully prepare for iOS 8 by reading this article and taking the necessary actions to help make upgrading a smooth and pleasant process. See also: Everything you need to know about the iOS 8 beta versions

How to prepare for iOS 8: Which devices are compatible with iOS 8?

First things first: will you be able to download and run iOS 8 at all?

Apple has revealed which devices will be able to run the new software, and we've explained everything you need to know about whether your device is supported in ourWill my iPad or iPhone be able to run iOS 8 article.

How to prepare for iOS 8: 3 things to do before you upgrade

1. Check your connection

Once you've double-checked that your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad is capable of running iOS 8, you'll need to decide how to install the OS. If you plan to install wirelessly, confirm that you have an available WiFi connection.

If you intend to install via iTunes, you need your computer and the latest version of iTunes.

2. Back up your device

To make a backup using your computer, you can go through iTunes. Just plug your device into your computer (or use the WiFi Sync option) and open iTunes.

Once the program is open, click the Devices button, select your device and scroll down in the summary section to Backups. There, under 'Manually Back Up and Restore,' click Back Up Now.

To make a wireless backup directly from your device, you need an iCloud account. Once you're logged in to iCloud, make sure your device is connected to a WiFi network – you can't create a backup over a cellular network. See: iCloud backup tricks for the iPhone and iPad

After you've done so, go to Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup, turn on the iCloud Backup toggle and tap Back Up Now.

Also read: How to manage iCloud Storage and Backup Settings for iOS

3. Make sure you're up to date

We'd also advise you to check that you're up to date with the current iOS 7 updates before iOS 8 arrives. This should help speed up the upgrade process when iOS 8 becomes available. Make sure you've backed up your device as described above, then go to Settings > General > Software Update. Your device will check for updates, and if there are any available you'll be able to click 'Install Now'.

See also: 10 amazing new Messages features in iOS 8

How to upgrade to iOS 8

When iOS 6 launched, Apple somehow underestimated user demand, and its servers struggled to cope. People found that upgrading took them hours and hours. Worse still, some discovered after the upgrade was complete that they had lost some apps.

These days losing apps is less of a worry because most of us download them through iCloud rather than syncing with a Mac. If an app disappears during the upgrade, track it down on the App Store on your iDevice and you should be able to redownload it at no cost. If this doesn't work, get in touch with Apple.

But for the lesser issue of slow upgrades, we’d suggest waiting at least a day before upgrading. This fits in with our general message of caution - you want to read about users’ experience with the new software and try it out on a friend's device or in an Apple store, so it makes to wait. See also: iOS 8 FAQs

How to prepare for the iOS 8 launch: What if I hit problems? 

If even all this preparation isn’t enough to protect you from an unexpected problem - you can't check everything, and it's possible that you didn’t notice some small but crucial element of iOS 7 that's been altered - then don't despair.

Check online for discussion of the problem you’re having, since it's unlikely that you’ll be the only one experiencing it; other users may find a workaround, and there’s a good chance that Apple will deal with the issue in a subsequent update.

Finally, what we said to many iOS 7 haters who discovered that they couldn't downgrade was this: give it a chance. If there are major aesthetic changes, it's likely to feel weird at first. But when we go back to iOS 6 these days it looks horrible. Operating systems can grow on you. See also: New features coming in iOS 8's Camera app

How to prepare for the iOS 8 launch: Downgrading, and saving your blobs

Will you be able to downgrade from iOS 8 to iOS 7 (or, for that matter, iOS 6 or earlier)? Yes, probably - but it won't be easy, if history can teach us anything.

You could downgrade from iOS 7 to iOS 6 in the first weeks after it was unveiled but then the window clanged shut. Right now, the only way to downgrade is if you use one particular model of iPhone, and happened to save your blobs at the right time. Don't know what 'blobs' are? Lots of people don't.

If you're planning on upgrading to iOS 8, it might be worth finding out what they are, and getting into the habit of saving them - although, as I said, it's possible that you still won’t be able to downgrade because you're using the wrong hardware, or because Apple finds a way to close this loophole. Here's how to save your SHSH blobs.

Now, there's been so much annoyance at Apple's strict downgrading policies that it's possible that things will get easier for iOS 8. But don't bet on it. We would suggest reading our article on downgrading from iOS 7 to iOS 6 carefully, to see what files you would need to have saved to pull off that process - maybe you can prepare for the next upgrade in such a way that downgrading is possible. But this isn't guaranteed to work; indeed, reading the article will also give you an idea of how hard it can be to reverse the upgrade, so you know what you're committing to.

Once we know more about iOS's details, we'll update our article How to downgrade from iOS 8 to iOS 7.

How to prepare for the iOS 8 launch: Read the reviews, and try it out if possible

Ultimately the best plan for the iOS 8 launch is to frequently check tech sites you trust for reviews (our iOS 8 review based on the beta is already available to take a look at), with details of new features and design changes from iOS 7, and then if possible (and if one of your friends takes the plunge) try the new software on a friend's device. See also: New features coming to the Mail app in iOS 8

Bear in mind that hardware on the lower fringes of the compatibility list may only just be able to run iOS 8; iOS 7 caused performance problems with the iPhone 4, for instance, and you not get all the new features. Check for user reports from people using the same generation of iPhone or iPad as you.

In other words, make your mind up as far as possible, then upgrade. You don't want to be looking for ways to downgrade afterwards. It may be a free upgrade, but you should treat iOS 8 as a massively expensive purchase - because if you hate it, or your device struggles to run it, you've spoiled your experience with a piece of consumer hardware worth hundreds of pounds.

How to delete any app from your iPhone or iPad: Remove Apple stock apps, hide icons and more iOS tips

We discuss the difficulties involved in deleting Newsstand, Stocks, Game Center and other pre-installed Apple apps on the iPhone and iPad, together with ways to get round Apple's restrictions.

How to delete an iOS app or game from your iPad or iPhone

Okay, let's start with the basic deletion process. (This is for the beginners. If you know how this works, skip ahead to the next step.)

Start your iPhone or iPad and go to the Home screen (press the Home button below the screen, or touch all five fingers to the screen and draw them inwards like a claw.) Find the icon for the app you want to delete, and press and hold it for a few seconds. It (and all the other icons on the screen) will start to wobble gently, and a small cross will appear in a grey circle by each. Tap the cross, then confirm you want to delete the app.

The app icons start wobbling...

Tap the cross and it'll ask you to confirm the deletion

And this is what it looks like in iOS 6:

How to delete an iOS app from iTunes on your Mac

If you sync your iPhone or iPad with a Mac on a regular basis, you'll need to remove the app from the Mac too. Open iTunes, make sure you're in the library section (if you're in the iTunes Store, click on Library at the top right of the screen), then select Apps from the dropdown menu at the top left. Find the icon of the app you want rid of, right-click it and select Delete.

How to recover a deleted iPhone or iPad app in iTunes

If you ever change your mind and want to get the deleted app back, don't worry - Apple's App Store will remember that you've bought it already. Find the app on the App Store and it will offer the option to download it once again, instead of the usual price tag or 'FREE'. Click download and you won't be charged again.

Can I delete an app from my App Store account permanently?

But what if you want to remove the app from your App Store account permanently?

This might seem like an odd thing to ask, but when you're updating apps, you don't want your list of purchased apps to be clogged up with free apps you tried once then deleted. If you wanted to reinstall an app you deleted a while ago, you may find yourself skimming through a huge list of tried and discarded apps, particularly if your app attention span is as short as ours.

Apple fans have been crying out for this feature for a while, but sadly at present it isn't possible.

If you don't want your updates clogged up with deleted apps, however, you can just look at the ones on your iOS device. If you're looking at a view of updates with 'Purchased' at the top, hit the 'Updates' button at the top left.

If you're worried about other people who use your iPhone or iPad (or share your iTunes account) seeing embarrassing or adult apps on your purchase history, the best policy is probably to log out from your iTunes/App Store account when you hand over the device. Then if they need to download an app you can type in the password for them.

How to remove Newsstand, Game Center and other pre-installed stock Apple apps

Not everyone likes Apple's own apps, but it's not easy to get rid of them; Apple doesn't allow you to simply delete Newsstand, Safari, Notes, Game Center and the rest. (We think this is rather inconsiderate policy, and it's one of the things we discuss in this article about Apple's 'monopoly'.) You can get around that, but it may not be worth the effort.

What we do, as a far simpler workaround, is hide the icons for the Apple apps we don't use, in a folder called 'Apple stuff'.

To organise apps into folders, press and hold the icon for one of them until it starts wobbling, then drag it on to the second app you want to be in the folder. iOS will automatically generate a title for the folder based on the apps' descriptions, but if you tap this name you can rename it.

Once again, here's the slightly different look in iOS 6:

Newsstand in iOS 6: For the iOS 6 users out there, you'll find that the exception to this is Newsstand, which Apple evidently loves so much that you're not (currently) permitted to hide it away in a folder. (Although some hotshots on an Apple forumreckon it can be done if you're fast enough. We haven't managed it in a dozen attempts, which suggests that our fingers are old and slow, or that Apple has patched this workaround since then.)

The original thinking may have been that Newsstand acts like a folder in its own right, and you can't nest folder inside other folders in iOS.

Other than updating to iOS 7 (which, among its many larger benefits, allows you to place Newsstand in a folder), the best solution may well be to hide Newsstand in ascreen of its own, rather than a folder. Once again, press and hold any app icon to go into the wobbly mode, then drag Newsstand to the right of the screen and hold it there until the iPhone or iPad takes the hint and moves you on to the next screen. Continue until you get to your right-most screen, then do it once more and iOS will generate an extra screen, where you can drop Newsstand.

From now on you won't even need to see Newsstand, unless you accidentally swipe too far. Phew! (You could dump the 'Apple Stuff' folder here too.)

Okay, but how do you actually delete Newsstand, Game Center and the rest of Apple's stock apps?

Officially you can't delete Apple's own pre-installed iOS apps, leaving most of us with the slightly unsatisfactory hiding methods described above. But if you're willing tojailbreak your iPhone or iPad (disclaimer: we wouldn't recommend that, since it's likely to obliterate any warranties you have with Apple and may even make your device stop working if you foul up the procedure) then you can do pretty much what you like.

Jailbroken iOS devices can access the Cydia marketplace for unauthorised iOS apps. You can search for apps related to Newsstand, but one that's used successfully by a large number of users is called NoNewsIsGoodNews. Install this app and run it, and the Newsstand 'folder' icon will be deleted. Any magazine apps you had inside Newsstand will appear loose on your home screen, and can be placed in folders as normal. Here's some more explanation of the process.

Again, if you want to delete Apple's other apps you'll need to jailbreak the iPhone, and one possibility you'll find on Cydia is called iFile, which lets you access (and delete) all the system and application files on your iPhone. Here's a video of the procedure, but as the man says, remember to back the files up before deleting them, in case you make an error and delete something vital to the running of your Apple device.

If either of these Cydia apps disappear, or you're not happy with them, run similar searches on Cydia, which has plenty of apps for reorganising the files on your iPhone or iPad. But as we've said, be cautious: you're outside Apple's fenced-in ecosystem now.

Is there any way to delete Apple apps without jailbreaking?

Having said that you need to jailbreak, there do appear to be a couple of tweaks out there that will at least temporarily delete pre-installed apps from your iPhone or iPadwithout jailbreaking, but they all involve visiting sites and accessing files that may carry risks, just as jailbreaking does.

One possibility is a site called rag3hack: accessing this site from an iOS device gives you the option to 'delete' stock Apple apps (actually it just changes the settings so that these apps will get the black cross mentioned above, letting you delete them manually). However, the next time you restart the device they'll have returned, so we're not sure this is a solution either.

Complete guide to using the iOS App Store for iPad and iPhone

Here are five ways to find what you're actually looking for in the App Store (and not get side tracked by the rubbish!) Plus we look at the changes coming in iOS 8

With around 1.2 million apps currently available in the App Store, actually finding what you’re looking for is a lot harder than it should be.

Sure, it’s pretty easy to find those brand name apps, like Twitter or Instagram - but unless the one you want has made it to the top of the category, been featured or you know the exact name of what you’re looking for, things can get tricky.

At the moment there’s doesn’t seem to be one ‘best’ way to find apps, so I’d like to outline a few different ways that have worked for me.

Read:

• 8 things we hate about the App Store & iTunes Store and how Apple should improve them
• How to delete any app from your iPhone or iPad
• Future of Apps in iOS 8

1. Use Google

It seems a little ironic, using Google to search Apple’s database, right? But a few handy Google operators might remind you why this is still the world’s favourite search engine…

Here’s an example search for social media apps

1. Google: site:itunes.apple.com/gb/app “social media”

2. Scroll through the results and click on a link to be taken to the iTunes link for the app

3. (optional, but sometimes useful) you can use the ‘Search tools’ feature under the browser bar to order your results by date, or to search for apps that came out within the past year, or month.

How it works

The ‘site:’ operator ensures that Google searches only site:itunes.apple.com/gb/app– which is the app section of the UK iTunes

Whereas “social media” (parentheses included) will give you pages that match the exact term ‘social media’)

So, for example if you wanted to search for apps that mention the phrase 'photo editing' you'd write...

site:itunes.apple.com/gb/app “photo editing”

You can also remove the ‘gb’ to make a search across the entire app store – so that search would now be site:itunes.apple.com/app “photo editing”

2. Ask in Apple Discussions

Apple discussions is a great place to find a lot of often helpful, often vocal Apple users.  And, in terms of finding what you want, sometimes it's best to save yourself the time searching and ask for a personal recommendation.

So - for example, if you wanted an advice on apps that are best for managing your social media you could ask on the forums.

There's two ways to do this, you can choose the section you want to post in, or pose your question, Google style, in the search bar.  The second option will pull up similar threads, if they exist, and/or suggest a good section for you to post your search in

3. Use Vionza

Vionza provides a somewhat less overwhelming way to carry out a search of the App Store. It's also got some filtering around factors like price and rating, along with the ability to arrange results.

Here’s how to use it:

1 Visit http://mac.vionza.com/uk/index.php

2 Change the flag at the top right hand corner to 'UK Store’ if it's not already (this will ensure that it searches the UK App Store)

3 Enter your keywords and choose the category you want to search in, then click search

4 If necessary, arrange your results using price and rating filters on the left side of the page.

4. Use Fnd

Like Vionza, Fnd is another website that searches the app store for you. Fnd has a slicker interface, but seems to lack the filtering that Vionza offers - so I like to think of it as a second choice, if I can't find what I'm looking for in Vionza.

1 Navigate to https://fnd.io/

2 Change the flag at the top left corner to British if it’s not already (this will ensure that it searches the UK App Store)

3 Enter the keywords you wish to search with

4 Choose the ‘apps’ tab from your search results

5 Scroll until you find something that interests you

6 Click ‘view in app store’ to go the app's page in the app store

5. Be Persistent!

If you’re searching within the App Store itself, often it pays to be persistent and try a variety of methods…

Try a variety of search terms

For example - if you were looking for 'social media' related apps,  you might want to try related keywords such "social networking" "social media management" or even something that seems redundant like "social media app" . There's often very little logic to it, but when it comes to searching, persistence pays.

Try the developer’s name

If you know the developer creates good apps - and that they create apps in the category you're looking for, try searching by. Often, the developer’s is specific enough to come up as an exact result.

Use ‘App Discovery’ sites / apps

There's a number of third party websites and apps that are geared around covering the immense app store marketplace. They're more oriented towards discovering new and on-sale apps, and not so good at direct search.

This is usually a last option for me as it takes longest and feels like I'm meandering at this point.

However, if you have the time/inclination to browse through a bunch of curated categories - try a few of the sites/apps on this Alternativeto list.

App Store changes in iOS 8

We know that iOS is going to add additional features, which we're hoping will make things easier. Here's a few things to expect in iOS 8's App Store.

Explore Tab - The Explore Tab bar sits at the bottom of the App Store app and provides a more streamlined means of browsing the App Store's various categories and subcategories - at current these can only be accessed via the Categories option at the top of the Featured tab.

Search Tab - Changes to search will show you, Twitter style, what all the current trending searches are - showing you what's popular and what apps people are talking about.

Related Search Terms - App Store will now show you search terms related to what you just searched for. This should hopefully save you some time coming up with alternative search terms if you can't find what you want, making your search easier.

Scrolling Search Results - iOS8 will return a continually scrolling list of results, including app information and screen shots for each one. This is opposed to you having to swipe across each one, like in iOS7 - which should save you a lot of swiping!

Editor's Choice Icon - Any app that has ever made 'Editors Choice' will be identifiable with an Editor's Choice icon - this way you know that at one point this app was good enough to be picked out by Apple, even long after it's been highlighted.