Cheap Mac for latest the Unity version question.

I know this question has been asked in the past, but given that Unity keeps updating itself, I'm wondering what's the oldest Mac I can get just to promote my game to the Apple market. Some people say it's more about XCode than Unity. Will an older Core 2 Duo be enough? I'm thinking of Mac Mini as an option.

Thanks.

 

You need to support the latest XCode which always requires the latest OS. Whichever model supports the latest OS is the one you're safe to go with just keep in mind that if you go with the oldest you can buy you may find yourself having to purchase a newer one the next time they update the OS.

For determining which one supports which OS I use EveryMac. Just pick the category the unit falls into and then find it based on model number, processor type, year, etc.

http://www.everymac.com/

For example here is a Mac Mini 2010 Core 2 Duo that supports the latest OS.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Mac-M...2D-DVD-CD-Mac-OS-X-10-12-Sierra-/132125460477
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_mini/specs/mac-mini-core-2-duo-2.4-mid-2010-specs.html

 

Thanks Ryiah,

I don't like how Apple is so restricted, I was actually looking at this one:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAC915M92887

I'm not sure if it supports the latest XCode or not, I'll have to double check that.

 

It supports the latest OS.

http://www.everymac.com/systems/app...-13-early-2011-unibody-thunderbolt-specs.html

 

The 4GB of that Macbook are not enough.

I would go with the Mac Mini 2.6 GHz with 8GB RAM (I use that Mac with a external USB3 SSD as my start drive which works fine). It is from late 2014 but they still sell it, it should be supported for a long time.

 

It's upgradeable at least. Two slots with both normally filled. Up to 8GB officially supported but third parties report 16GB.

Of course unless you just have the memory lying around you're likely spending more than if you had bought a better unit.

 

Yes, you are right. I forgot that because Apple likes to solder RAM these days.

 

I'm just using it to upload my game to the Apple store, it won't be a development machine, I have a hard time believing that this will be a problem.

 

A Mac with less than 6GB and without an SSD feels pretty slow even when using a browser. I currenly have 4.36 GB free (of 8GB, right after a fresh reboot, Safari browser and the email app running only)

When I open Unity and a project I usually have 1 of 8 GB free. The 8GB works just OK for me because of the SSD.

I guess you should know that Xcode needs longer to build your game than Unity needs and it uses a lot of disk space while doing that.

Of course, if you like swapping memory all day on an outdated 2.5“ notebook drive while waiting for Xcode, just to figure out after building that you have to change some things in your Unity build, then this might work for you. I’m making Mac and iOS titles only and I frequently have to wait for Xcode over and over again. This is terrible boring especially when you run into performance problems, problems with a shader or something just explodes and you have to figure out why. Those things happen.

 

It won't be a problem. Will it be slow yes, but for only uploading it's perfectly fine. I still use a lesser 2009 version for that.

Really, when your only using a machine for something like this the question really should be how many years will this be acceptable for (meaning it still gets the latest OS and xcode). Based on the slow creep of recent, I would think that this 2011 model will be good for about 2 to 3 years.

 

Honestly I have to blame that more on the lack of an SSD than on the lack of memory. For a while I was trying to make use of an old MacBook with 2GB of RAM and a 160GB HDD. Just about every task, including simple ones like Spotlight, were very sluggish until I replaced the HDD with an SSD. Then suddenly the laptop just took off.

Edit: Whoops. It's Spotlight not "Find".

 

Got to agree. I have 8gigs in my Mac Mini and it feels downright sluggish compared to my 4gig Macbook Air.

 

I ran into this issue of not being able to update my mid 2009 iMac to the latest OSX and Xcode. I was also thinking about buying a used older Mac just so I could get the latest SDK, etc.

I accidentally stumbled on this tool, which patches the OSX Sierra installer and enables it to be installed on some officially unsupported Macs. He has a walk through video here that, coincidentally, uses the same model iMac as I own.

It worked on my iMac without any issues. This saved me from having to buy a replacement Mac for a little while and I recommend it for anyone else in similar circumstances.

I also highly recommend this asset for anyone doing iOS development on a PC. It's saved me countless hours compared to building on my iMac or UCB.

 

I believe OP is getting his first Mac, but yes this is an option for those that eventually get sunset.

 

Generally speaking, most of the Intel-powered macs are able to be updated to the latest version of osx and XCode. If you get a PowerMac, you've gone back too far. Most systems that were released after about 2010 should do you proper. I have a Mac Mini from around that time, and it has the latest version of OSX and XCode updated on it.

I've actually been meaning to get a new Mac Mini. I've just been putting it off because it's not all that urgent for my current projects. The minis are a good option for budget-minded developers who want to spend less. They are one of the cheapest options, perform fairly well, and allow for access to the SDK. Ever since they switched over to the aluminum bodies, they are also much quieter.

 

Happy to have stumbled onto this thread, as I, too, am thinking of getting an Mac Mini. To be clear, all coding and development will happen on my PC (which handles Witcher 3 on max settings at 90fps) - I need the Mini only to rebuild the build in Xcode and to submit it to the App Store.

Will the cheapest Mini option work, or is 8GB an absolute necessity? Just to be clear, we're talking about getting the latest model from the store, not picking up something older and second-hand. The specs would be as follows:

• 1.4GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 2.7GHz)
• 4GB 1600MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM
• 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
• Intel HD Graphics 5000

 

I wouldn't recommend below 8gb at all.

 

Do you know what the biggest problem is with the newest models? Memory modules are soldered to the board. For older models you could have opened them up and upgraded them but with new models you need to buy the model that comes with the quantity you want.

At least the storage drive is upgradeable though the steps necessary to do so may discourage you from trying.

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac+Mini+Late+2014+Hard+Drive+Replacement/32815

 

Again, if it's only for building for the store that model or even older ones are fine. If your actually going to use it for other things then it would be a factor.

 

Bumping this post for 2021, no need to make a new one. What's the cheapest option these days? The game itself is only a small mobile game.