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626

answers:

3

I'm new to mac and iPhone programing. I got a mac computer with os 8.5 from a friend, can I program iPhone applications on this computer? If not, what should I do?

+24  A: 

No, sorry. Developing iPhone applications requires an Intel Mac, and Mac OS 8.5 is a PowerPC operating system, which means that any computer which runs OS 8.5 is not an Intel mac (needed for the iPhone SDK).

Your best bet from here would be to buy a Mac Mini, which sells for $599 at apple.com.

igul222
It would be good to add a link to Apple's iPhone SDK information to this answer.
S.Lott
The key thing is not that it's a PowerPC Mac but that it's an *old* PowerPC Mac that is very unlikely to be able to run any version of OS X. You need OS X to use the iPhone SDK.
Ned Deily
check ebay for a mac mini too!
Adolfo
Ned: the iPhone SDK specifically requires an Intel mac. A PPC mac running OS X won't do.
igul222
+1  A: 

You can program on any computer, but you need an intel based mac to do iPhone coding. I would highly recommend dishing out $119 for snow leopard and/or a new intel based computer. You can get a used mac-mini for less than 300 on eBay.

coneybeare
snow leopard wont run on a mac that runs OS 8.5
Dolphin
You can do iPhone coding on anything that supports a text editor. You just can't compile or use the dev tools. :-)
ceejayoz
+14  A: 

Ironically, the iPhone probably runs faster than that Mac OS 8.5 computer does.

jbrennan