Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

iOS Objective-C Basics (Retired) Fundamentals of C Anatomy of a C program

Posted by Leanne Millar
Leanne Millar
459 Points

I don't have a MAC. Where can I find the software to code in C for Windows 7?

This is the first time i've looked into App development. I have an iPhone 5 but i'm still a Windows girl. Is there an alternative tutorial for windows users?

5 Answers

Kevin Lozandier
Kevin Lozandier
Courses Plus Student 53,747 Points

C code can be done through Visual Studios on Windows.

If it's towards iOS development, you're better off getting a Macbook Air or Macbook Pro.

Even illegal ways of attempting to do iOS development on Windows extremely reliant on very specific hardware that makes it pointless as the costs and time needed for such methods are essentially equal to or more then just getting a Macbook Air or Macbook Pro in the first place.

Leanne Millar
Leanne Millar
459 Points
Leanne Millar
Leanne Millar
459 Points

Thanks for the answer Kevin.

I'd like to learn C for purely personal reasons however it is not the high price of a MAC which is the reason I won't buy one, it's the fact that I personally feel that they are not worth the cost, are a product of excellent marketing and up until tonight when I fancied learning how to build and iPhone app i've never really needed one either. I bought the iPhone 5 and have regretted it ever since. I'm afraid despite every attempt from my peers and Microsoft's disastrous Windows 8, I still remain unconverted. I shall download Visual Studio's and have a bash at this "C" code. Thanks again for your help and such a quick response :D

Michael Hulet
Michael Hulet
47,913 Points
Michael Hulet
Michael Hulet
47,913 Points

You should definitely get a Mac (I won't get into the whole Mac vs. PC argument, but my lowest-end Mac is much better than my relatively high-end PC from around the same time), especially since it's the only option to develop for the iPhone (the only one that can be legally done without a ton of hardships, that is). If you insist on learning C on Windows, though, don't use Visual Studio, as it costs more than some Macs. A much better idea would be Code::Blocks

Kevin Lozandier
Kevin Lozandier
Courses Plus Student 53,747 Points

Doh, I forgot Visual Studios costs money (college students such as myself get it for free throughout their academic career); thanks for pointing that, Michael.

Michael Hulet
Michael Hulet
47,913 Points
Michael Hulet
Michael Hulet
47,913 Points

It's ok.. I got it free, too, through Microsoft's DreamSpark program for High Schoolers

Kevin Lozandier
PLUS
Kevin Lozandier
Courses Plus Student 53,747 Points
Kevin Lozandier
Kevin Lozandier
Courses Plus Student 53,747 Points

No problem, glad I can help in some way quickly; that's what I'm here for!

Juan Santa Cruz
Juan Santa Cruz
5,596 Points
Juan Santa Cruz
Juan Santa Cruz
5,596 Points

Another great IDE which you debug/compile C/C++ code http://www.codeblocks.org/.

Leanne Millar
Leanne Millar
459 Points
Leanne Millar
Leanne Millar
459 Points

Thanks everyone.... I've downloaded the trial for Visual Studio's will now download Code Blocks too. If I could hire a MAC to try properly other than the old MACS available at my old Uni I would possibly give them the time of day. From what I've used of them so far I haven't been too impressed.

Reasons not to buy a MAC

  1. Extremely high price to pay out only to probably find that I was right all along and justified in my dislike.
  2. I have always been able to do everything I need to do on my PC which has higher specifications and cost about a 3rd of the price.
  3. I'm comfortable with the operating system for Windows. I know how to do most administrative tasks. It would be like learning to ride a bike again without stabilisers.

Reasons to buy a MAC

  1. They look nice (I am a girl) - NOT REALLY A GOOD ENOUGH REASON
  2. VIRUS/ SPYWARE apparently not as big as an issue as with PC. (This is my main interest in switching)
  3. Some software exclusive to MAC that looks like I would find really useful
  4. People might stop going on at me to buy a MAC. - AGAIN NOT REALLY A GOOD ENOUGH REASON

As you can see the negatives for my argument currently outweigh my positives in terms of the justification of spending the best part of £8000.

I do know that they're not all that expensive but if i'm going to make an investment I want to get the top of the range so that I won't have to make that investment again for a considerable amount of time.

Feel free to try and convince me otherwise as i'm looking into a major new purchase of hardware in the next 6 months.

I'm also a little scared of stepping away from my comfort zone. I can't afford to be wasting time struggling to learn how to use a computer all over again.

Anyway guys I really appreciate your comments, support and feedback. Take care and happy coding x

Michael Hulet
Michael Hulet
47,913 Points
Michael Hulet
Michael Hulet
47,913 Points

First, they're not nearly as expensive as you think. I'm using a currency converter from the US store, but the highest end MacBook £1,517.97. That's definitely short of "the better part of £8,000". The lowest end MacBook you can get is £546.08. For a comparable PC laptop (to the highest end MacBook Pro with Retina Display), the Digital Storm Krypton, is £1395.26. That does save you £100, but I personally think it's worth it.

My next argument is actually that it's a lot cheaper to maintain a Mac than a PC. To buy Windows 8.1 right now would be £95.85. OS X is free. If you wanna develop on a Mac, Xcode is entirely free, and the full version of comparable PC IDE, Visual Studio, is £10,623.24. Might I reiterate that getting a Mac could save you £10,623.24! Development on a Mac is also much more similar to production systems than Windows, especially in the field of Web development, and it's always good to write your code on a system as similar as possible as to what said code is going to ultimately be installed on. To continue the cheapness argument, when you get a Mac, you get Pages, Numbers, Keynote, iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand for free. To get a similar set of software on Windows would put you out another £133.02. That means that if you were to get a similar setup, a Mac would save you at least (as some of the software I looked up are paid either on a monthly basis, or per-update) almost £11,000.

Also, getting a Mac would integrate really nicely with your iPhone. When OS X 10.10 Yosemite and iOS 8 come out (both for free), not only will you be able to sync your phone and computer with iCloud, but they can also detect when they're near each other, and they'll let you pick up what you're doing on the other device, and all you have to do is click (or touch) a button. That's just one of the many ways your iPhone is more awesome with a Mac, and vice versa.

You'll get used to using a Mac really quickly. You'll effortlessly be able to do all administrative tasks on a Mac (not just some) in no time. They're designed to be super easy to use, but still be really powerful, and it really shows. Not only have I always been able to use OS X much better than Windows, but my lowest-model Mid-2011 MacBook air can today handle far more tasks far more quickly than my relatively high-end PC from the same time, and my Mac is running a beta of OS X.

To be honest, that's all I care to research and type out right now, but if you want me to provide more reasons or delve any deeper into the ones I gave, I'd be happy to