Is a Windows 7 PC an appropriate envrionment to develop Ipad Apps?

[dragon499]

I have some ideas for Ipad apps and am considering paying Apple the $99.00 for a development license. I have an Ipad 2, but do not have MacBookPro or Mac Desktop. I have a 64 bit Windows 7 system. Are there development tools that I can use on my pc to create Ipad apps?

I have a few other questions as well:

Can I assume that with the developer license, I will be able to sync my apps to my own ipad for testing. Is there an official Apple Ipad emulator that I can use to test my apps on my pc? Also, in order for Apple to approve the app, do I have to give them my source code?

Thanks

 

[garanth]

You really need to use the apple developer tools such as Xcode to help you develop your apps. However Xcode will only run on Apple pc's / laptaps. i.e. under OSX.

I sometimes develop on my windows 7 PC, using VMWare player to host an Apple OSX Lion operating system , but it is quite a bit slower than doing on my mate's Macbook Pro. (hoping Santa will be bringing me my own Macbook this year !).

Using Xcode on OSX , (free Download), and the IOS SDK (again free download), you can try out your app on your Ipad/Iphone. It also has an Iphone/Ipad emulator.

 

[martinj]

The only officially supported way is by using xcode on apple hardware. Ofcourse you can always use vmware or a hackintosh...

 

[col.bris]

The long and short answer is no One great option is a Mac mini perfect and powerfull plus low cost. One can also install win 7 if needed.

And as above

You really need to use the apple developer tools such as Xcode to help you develop your apps. However Xcode will only run on Apple pc's / laptaps. i.e. under OSX.

 

[smcneilly]

Hey dragon499, I'm asking the same question, myself.

If you watch this video by Adobe, tv. adobe. com/watch/learn-flash-professional-cs5/flash-professional-cs55-publishing-content-to-ios-devices/ it states that Flash CS5.5 enables you to export your Flash content to a compiling system that boils it down to an iPad app (note... I can't post links on this forum yet, because I'm new, so remove the spaces in the address above). Adobe states that it's not Flash running on an iPad; it's an iPad app, which was compiled using Flash as the IDE.

In other words, I think Adobe is boiling-down the Flash-IDE-created content to bytecode, which is then put through an X-Code-compatible compiler, which Adobe's Flash handles completely. Again, watch the video above.

Now then... Flash is really easy to learn/use. Its ActionScript language is essentially the same as Javascript, and Flash is a graphical environment. And, the Flash IDE is available on Windows, as everyone knows.

So, it would seem that:
1) It IS possible to develop via Windows, and
2) There are easier ways of developing sophisticated apps using tools other than X-code. I must admit, though, I've never used X-Code, and I'm simply going by what others have said on other forums. I've read that X-Code and Objective-C are pretty heavy-duty, with really steep learning curves. If that's true, then I can state that Flash really is pretty easy, if you just get a book and read it.

I hope that helps -- if anyone has a rebuttal to my statements, please comment. Thanks.

 

[clothesfee]

If you want to develop Apps and put them on to the App Store, a Mac with latest Xcode installed is the only choice. Otherwise you may put your app under the risk of being rejected by Apple.