Mac Mini

[d000hg]

My 2008 MacBook, used almost exclusively for iOS development, is starting to creak a bit. Much as the iMacs are very tempting, the Mac Mini seemed just so much cheaper. But I assume for XCode use, I really would be better with 8Gb or even 16Gb RAM. And does anyone know how good the Fusion drive is compared to straight SSD... they offer a 1Tb Fusion or 256Gb SSD for the same upgrade price... and are these especially helpful for coding?

I hear iMac is very hard to upgrade but what about the Mac Mini? Can I easily buy 16Gb RAM to replace the 4Gb it comes with? Can I get a comparable disk drive... actually the upgrade cost of £160 doesn't seem unreasonable BUT they only offer these on the i7 model which is £180 more than the i5 version! And I figure an i5 with 16Gb RAM and SSD/Hybrid would be better than i7 with a spinny disk for the same cost. Plus, £900 for a Mac Mini is starting to get pretty pricey!

So, any thoughts on the subject? For dev work is SSD a big deal, or would an i7 make more difference (note I'm coming from a 2008 MacBook so both are going to be a big step up!) I prefer to trade-off on the best compromise, not go the "money is no object" route since iOS development is only a sideline.

[amcdonald]

I'd spend the money on an SSD and more memory if it's mainly used for coding,an i7 is nice but you won't really notice it

[stek]

iMac memory is easy to upgrade, four slots in the bottom of the unit covered by a plate. 32gb cheap too.

[Netraider]

The memory can be changed on the new Mac Minis. Just unscrew the bottom plate.

A Mac Mini was my first Mac. For ios development I think it would be ideal.

[eek]

The fusion drive just keeps frequently used files on SSD rarely used files end up on the hard disk.

The choice is really more about how full will your hard disk end up being. I'm hard pressed to fill 256gb with a twin mac / osx boot so I don't think you need much more.

You could always build a hackintosh for the same money. £500 buys you an awful lot of mac if you shop carefully.....

[d000hg]

I've always been put of a hackintosh for two reasons

a)I really hate mucking about configuring software to work properly
b)I've read that since certification and key-chains are such a big part of iOS development, this is an extra hassle - it might run fine as a Mac but could make getting apps into the AppStore an extra hurdle.

But I didn't look into it recently so maybe these things are all mature and easy? I like how his site has pre-configured PCs but what I'd really prefer is someone to charge me £100 to build me a Hackintosh to an approved spec, and provide some sort of warranty it will work as intended!

[DaveB]

iMac memory is easy to upgrade, four slots in the bottom of the unit covered by a plate. 32gb cheap too.

Not on the new ones. No longer upgradable due to the new case design.

EDIT: Meant to say thats just for the 21" versions. 27" is upgradeable.

[eek]

I've always been put of a hackintosh for two reasons

a)I really hate mucking about configuring software to work properly
b)I've read that since certification and key-chains are such a big part of iOS development, this is an extra hassle - it might run fine as a Mac but could make getting apps into the AppStore an extra hurdle.

But I didn't look into it recently so maybe these things are all mature and easy? I like how his site has pre-configured PCs but what I'd really prefer is someone to charge me £100 to build me a Hackintosh to an approved spec, and provide some sort of warranty it will work as intended!

try EssEff Computers - Custom Built PCs & Hackintoshes

personally i like building my own pcs but I know that is personal preference.

[d000hg]

Not on the new ones. No longer upgradable due to the new case design.

EDIT: Meant to say thats just for the 21" versions. 27" is upgradeable.

I'm not looking at an iMac