The hype for the 3.0 version of the iPhone OS got me motivated this week to do something I haven’t done in a long time – write code.  I’ve been rockin’ an iPhone 3g since last summer and have loved/hated it like any user familiar with the missing features and poor memory management of the 2.x firmware.

3.0 feels like the second coming, and I’m hoping with all the new APIs available out there, the development community can come up with some fantastic stuff.  So a starting point. Not too difficult to find is the noobs guide to enlisting in the apple development community.  Good beginning.

I registered using my pre-existing Apple ID, and within minutes I’m a card toting apple developer.  I quickly noticed that to get access to the 3.0 SDK I needed to pay the $99 annual developers fee.  A little trigger shy, I decided to wait on that until I could get my feet wet with what’s already available to the public – the 2.2.1 SDK.  First stop, clicking the big blue “DOWNLOAD ME NOW!!!!!!!!” button, which is really small round and grey, but wow does it pop out.  Next  is the boilerplate “SDK Readme” PDF file just below the download link.

Disappointment sets in . . .

iPhone SDK requires an Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X Leopard version 10.5.4 or later. Xcode 3.1.2 is also available separately for Mac-only development and is compatible with Intel and PowerPC Macs running Mac OS X Leopard 10.5 and later.

Now, like most technophiles, I’m well versed in both Windows and Linux, but never saw a particular point in purchasing an overpriced piece of hardware with a simplified user experience OS.  (no offense to any Mac users out there)  The real problem is, most corporate or even personal computers come with some flavor of windows, and generally anyone that wants to dig into the nuts and bolts a bit more will opt for a free copy of Linux.  Like anything worth doing, it seems this is going to require more effort.  Next on the project list – The Hackintosh.

To be Continued . . .

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