Is it possible to create iPhone apps using a PC? I'm running windows vista and I want to learn objective-c, what better way can you be motivated then the potential to create something that someone, somewhere might use.
Edit: Are there any hacks that allow would allow me to make the apps?
Unfortunately this is not supported. Developing for the iPhone requires Xcode and Apple's gcc tool chain, and it is only supported on Intel Mac OS X (although some have gotten it to work on PPC Mac OS X).
NilObject is right that you can only develop for the iPhone officially on a recent (last few years) Mac with OS X.
That said, Objective-C isn't tied to the iPhone. You can write programs for your PC in Objective-C, which would give you experience without needing the iPhone and Mac. Objective-C is a standard part of the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC). It's rather easy to install with Cygwin.
If you really want to make iPhone applications, you should consider a Mac. You'll get all sorts of experience and can also program for OS X then. Since laptops were just released, many people are selling their previous models because they have upgraded. If you can find an old Intel chip based Mac Mini, it won't cost you much at all (a few hundred), but it won't be fast. The recent Minis haven't been updated in a very long time and are not a very good value anymore for their new price (in my opinion), but they may be available cheap too.
Don't bother. I had a hackintosh and while it worked, Apple can (and does) regularly update the SDK's minimum platform requirement, which means your hackintosh won't be able to keep pace with the new cool features in the SDK, since Kalyway and whoever else need time to reverse engineer kexts or whatever to figure out the new OS.
If you're serious about iPhone, get a Mac. You could probably find a first gen Mac mini (intel) for a couple hundred bucks. Or spring for a macbook and be psyched. The new ones are awfully nice.
actually, there's an unofficial toolchain that works in windows and linux. you'll need cygwin installed on your pc to be able to work with it in windows.
here's a link to the basic setup: link
though this will not allow you to publish to the AppStore, it's just a good way to mess around with the SDK. Also, whenever Apple updates the iPhone firmware, you'll need to find/wait for the updated toolchain or do some hacking of your own to get the updates headers, etc...
Lucas Aardvark wrote:
I am going to get a mac. Just gotta save up a little money ;-)
Although I thoroughly agree with the consensus: get a Mac, I just wanted to add a little based on this comment you left:
If you are planning to enter the iPhone arena to do one of those Cinderella ten-million downloads at a buck a pop stories you hear about, you'll need a killer app, something new and exciting. Good luck with that; I'm not gonna share my ideas with you, 'cause I'm trying to do the same. :)
That said, I'm in the same boat as you -- I don't have the extra green to buy a Mac -- so I will share some general advice that might help.
Rather than enter the iPhone arena, I've been looking into leveraging my Java skills on the Android phone first. Once I make a few bucks doing that, I'll buy a Mac and learn Objective-C and port my program(s) over. Since Android uses Java and is free/open source, I'm only out the twenty-five bucks to create a publisher account; I can do the rest with Eclipse on any platform I have.
I don't know if it will help you much, but it might be a more cost-effective way to write your Cinderella story. :)