is mac mini good for making apps?

Discussion in 'Public Game Developers Forum' started by Bigglesworth266, May 9, 2010.

  1. Bigglesworth266

    Bigglesworth266 New Member

    Apr 27, 2010
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    :confused:I'm planning to get one soon so I need some expert opinion.
     
  2. Marc Vaughan

    Marc Vaughan Well-Known Member

    Apr 15, 2010
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    I'd have thought it'd be fine - although possibly a little slow depending on how complex the apps you're making are.

    (I've used both a MacBook pro and an iMac and the only difference is how much patience is required imho)
     
  3. Mondae

    Mondae Well-Known Member

    Feb 26, 2010
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    Perv, why do you care?
    Hello and Welcome!

    Welcome to Touch Arcade! Hope you have a great time at your stay here! The forums are a great place to interact with consumers about your future apps. Hope to see you back here soon! :D
     
  4. KGameLover1

    KGameLover1 Well-Known Member

    Dec 27, 2009
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    Kind of off topic, but yeah, welcome!

    It is a little bit slower, than, say, a MacBook.
     
  5. Uptown Arts

    Uptown Arts Well-Known Member

    The mac mini will work fine. It just has to run the SDK. If you already have a faster Windows machine, you can do your content creation and editing on that if the mini is too slow. But it's obviously easier if you can do everything on one computer.
     
  6. lazypeon

    lazypeon Well-Known Member
    Patreon Bronze

    I have an older Mini (about a 1.5 years old, only 1GB RAM) and it works okay -- I've released several apps that I developed on it. I'm positive the newer Minis are more than capable. Mine is a bit slow at times with multiple XCode windows, Safari, etc... but it's good enough.

    I agree having a second 'content creation' machine is a must (for instance if you're using Photoshop). I do all my content creation on my Windows PC and use Dropbox to sync with my Mac.
     
  7. Eastbound

    Eastbound Well-Known Member

    I bought my mini last November, and it works like perfection. However, I too do graphics on my PC, and transfer items manually via jump drive (hard labor, I know).
     
  8. Foursaken_Media

    Foursaken_Media Well-Known Member
    Patreon Indie

    You should really check out dropbox, which is INVALUABLE imo for using multiple machines. If you're unfamiliar with it (its free btw), its basically a system of sharing where you designate a folder on each machine to automatically upload and download anything you put in that folder. So if you put a file in your windows folder, then it will automatically upload to your mac dropbox folder, and vice versa.
     
  9. Eastbound

    Eastbound Well-Known Member

    Thanks, I'll definitely check it out. I knew there were applications like this that I probably should be using, I was just never bothered enough by jump driving to search for one. :p
     
  10. BlueSolarSoftware

    BlueSolarSoftware Well-Known Member

    Oct 9, 2009
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    The first thing I did after getting my mac mini was to upgrade the ram to 4gb. Just having a few windows open (xcode, gimp, and safari) with 1gb of ram would cause the hard drive to thrash. I also bought a 22" monitor and a comfortable, ergonomic chair.
     
  11. The prez 12521

    The prez 12521 Well-Known Member

    Aug 17, 2009
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    how much is the ram? like US dollars wise?
     
  12. JoshCM

    JoshCM Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2009
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    I have a mac mini and its what I use for development. Works great.
     
  13. simplymuzik3

    simplymuzik3 Well-Known Member

    Aug 12, 2009
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    I use the base MBP which has the exact same specs as the mini. The only thing I did was upgrade to a SSD. The speed is perfect for me. The only thing that takes a while is compiling/building large projects. You might have to wait a little bit depending on the complexity. Otherwise, I use the computer for everything (graphics, sound, coding), and I never notice slowdown. I would HIGHLY recommend getting multiple monitors though. When you program, it makes a HUGE difference to see multiple things (Interface Builder, multiple Xcode windows, etc). I use 3 monitors with my computer for a total of 4 (including the laptop screen). If you get the mini, you already have the ability for dual monitors. I would really consider using at least 2 monitors for development.
     
  14. GlennX

    GlennX Well-Known Member

    May 10, 2009
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    Genuine Apple RAM is expensive.

    I've done all of my dev on a macbook with a similar spec to a mac mini and upgrading to 4GB was a huge improvement. I bought Kingston RAM on eBay for, I think, under £100 (maybe $150) which was less than half what Apple wanted and about 1/3 of the price adding an extra 2gb while specifying the machine. On the Macbook you can't just buy another 2GB, you have to replace 2x1GB sims with 2x2GB. I'm not sure if the same is true for the mini, if it isn't an upgrade to 4gb could be even cheaper.
     
  15. The prez 12521

    The prez 12521 Well-Known Member

    Aug 17, 2009
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    so, then im looking at a mighty mouse and a nice apple keyboard? then more ram? Well i have 4 monitors ready....haha wouldn't it be easier just with an iMac or such?
     
  16. lazypeon

    lazypeon Well-Known Member
    Patreon Bronze

    Nah, I use generic USB mouse/keyboard on my Mac and it works fine. It's a little weird with no Apple button (mine maps to Alt) but it works fine. Unless you care about the Apple aesthetic, don't buy Apple accessories; overpriced for what you get.

    The newer Minis come with 2GB RAM, which I think is enough based on my experience with 1GB. If you DO decide to upgrade your RAM, it's actually not that easy. The easiest way would be to find a shop to do it for you. The Mini is not meant for hardware upgrades of any kind.
     
  17. The prez 12521

    The prez 12521 Well-Known Member

    Aug 17, 2009
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    understandable, but is 2gb RAM enough for 3 monitors, with 3 programs open? I have vista on my computer right now, as well as one with XP, and one with Linux. My vista SCREAMS for help when i just open Adobe Illustrator or the like....wouuld a mac handle it better?
     
  18. jclardy

    jclardy Well-Known Member

    Dec 10, 2008
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    It depends on the three programs, I think it should be fine for Illustrator, XCode and a browser. I don't use Illustrator but I often have photoshop open on my current gen mini with 2GB of RAM and it runs fine.
     
  19. The prez 12521

    The prez 12521 Well-Known Member

    Aug 17, 2009
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    cool! May have to pick one of these devils up! We've been needing an XP replacement, and after playing with the ipad, my family is just in love with Apple. It is so simple! MY mom got freaked when there were no instructions and i said mom, use your finger, it will do ANYTHING! :D
     
  20. schplurg

    schplurg Well-Known Member

    I believe 3 gigs or ram is about $150.

    I have a mac mini with only 1 gig and it's not really enough. Opening a few programs at the same time swallows it all up.

    My set up is the mini, and a quad core PC for content creation. I use a KVM switch to switch between the 2 computers (KVM switch lets you connect one monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers to both computers and switch between the 2 instantly). The 2 computers share a folder over my network. I love this setup.

    The best would be to have a real fast Mac though and use it for everything. I like my setup because I hate Macs. i only use it for iPhone stuff.
     

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