That might be the normal cost of one of 50 different Dell laptops but for Apple it's their lowest end unit and it lacks a display.
> Most platforms require you to have an instance of the platform available to you.
Nope they don't, but it is better if you do. It's also considerably cheaper.
> I can't think of a case where this has happened – can you give an example?
The PPC MacBook after the Intel Switch, the first gen Core Duo MacBook after the 32-64bit switch, non-retina iDevices... I'm on a phone or I'd keep going.
> I'm trying to put the cost/benefit into perspective. The cost of iOS development is minuscule in context.
If your context is "successful developer with a hit app" then yes, but the reality is that the majority of devs won't be anywhere near that successful.
> Again, you seem to be holding Apple to different standards than other platforms.
See that's where you're confused. I'm holding them to the same standards. Microsoft offers tons of free tools for managing large pools of enterprise machines, maintaining their patch levels, group policies, access control, etc. Linux has similar support.
Apple on the other hand makes you invest in countless 3rd party tools to achieve the same level of control. And at the end of the day it's still Flaky and error prone.
> That might be the normal cost of one of 50 different Dell laptops but for Apple it's their lowest end unit and it lacks a display.
Now you're shifting the goal from the cost of the toolchain to the cost of Apple's lineup as a whole. It doesn't matter what the top of the range Apple lineup costs, to get started with iOS development, you just need the cheapest Mac mini.
> The PPC MacBook after the Intel Switch, the first gen Core Duo MacBook after the 32-64bit switch, non-retina iDevices... I'm on a phone or I'd keep going.
Wait, you've moved the goalposts again. We're talking about the ability to buy a computer and continue to use it for development for a reasonable period of time. We're not talking about your computer not being the latest model. Just because Apple introduced retina screens on the iPhone 4, it doesn't mean that you had to go out and buy a new Mac to develop for it.
> If your context is "successful developer with a hit app" then yes, but the reality is that the majority of devs won't be anywhere near that successful.
I'm talking about typical professional iOS developers. The majority of them are successful. I suspect you're talking about app entrepreneurs, which is a whole different ballgame. Most iOS developers aren't making their own applications, they are making applications for other people. And yes, the cost of iOS development is trivial for them.
It's true, lots of applications don't make money – that's because they fit into the business in other ways. For instance, your bank's application is free, but I can assure you that the developers who built it aren't worried about the cost of an entry-level Mac mini.
The context is this: If you do this professionally, then you can afford the developer toolchain easily. If you're not employed as an iOS developer and you're just making applications for yourself? Sure, I can see how you'd consider it a moderately expensive hobby if you didn't already own a Mac. But we're really talking about two different things there.
> I'm holding them to the same standards. Microsoft offers tons of free tools for managing large pools of enterprise machines, maintaining their patch levels, group policies, access control, etc. Linux has similar support.
You've shifted the goalposts again. You were talking about having to hire somebody to manage Apple computers. IT manpower is required for any platform, so singling Apple out as special for requiring IT manpower is holding them to a different standard.
I really don't think the enterprise is relevant to your argument here. If a company employs enough iOS developers to require large pools of machines and more than a basic $2/month MDM solution, then they really aren't going to consider a $499 machine "incredibly expensive", whether it comes with or without a monitor.
That might be the normal cost of one of 50 different Dell laptops but for Apple it's their lowest end unit and it lacks a display.
> Most platforms require you to have an instance of the platform available to you.
Nope they don't, but it is better if you do. It's also considerably cheaper.
> I can't think of a case where this has happened – can you give an example?
The PPC MacBook after the Intel Switch, the first gen Core Duo MacBook after the 32-64bit switch, non-retina iDevices... I'm on a phone or I'd keep going.
> I'm trying to put the cost/benefit into perspective. The cost of iOS development is minuscule in context.
If your context is "successful developer with a hit app" then yes, but the reality is that the majority of devs won't be anywhere near that successful.
> Again, you seem to be holding Apple to different standards than other platforms.
See that's where you're confused. I'm holding them to the same standards. Microsoft offers tons of free tools for managing large pools of enterprise machines, maintaining their patch levels, group policies, access control, etc. Linux has similar support.
Apple on the other hand makes you invest in countless 3rd party tools to achieve the same level of control. And at the end of the day it's still Flaky and error prone.