Running iOS on a VMware environment for an iPad (not an iMac)
Running iOS on a VMware environment for an iPad (not an iMac)
can't set it up in a VM yet, but the app still works elsewhere
Technically it's a virtual machine, but more like something else. I experimented with it during the 2010 iOS period.
If you managed to mimic the hardware that iOS anticipates, it would work. However, in reality it won't be feasible. Both OSX and iOS are designed for a narrow selection of devices, so they only function with specific hardware setups. Even if you could replicate an entire ARM environment, it would need to match iOS's requirements closely to remain stable.
MacOS isn't reliable unless you manage to load SMBIOS data during startup. It generally works with most Intel PCs from Core I series, though AMD CPU support is possible but complicated and limited. Driver or Kext compatibility is very restricted. Most Apple devices have native support, but only a handful of makers create kexts for their hardware on MacOS. The Hackintosh community has made Realtek HD drivers, Atheros NIC drivers exist, and some WiFi makers provide drivers plus Nvidia support up to Maxwell. Outside these cases, unless it's used in Apple products, it won't be supported. Scanners, printers, and webcams are exceptions. iOS isn't available for download, and even developers can't get a complete version for development. It's likely the system will be programmed to require very specific hardware and will refuse to start otherwise. Emulating ARM is straightforward thanks to QEMU, and Apple’s ARM CPUs could be handled with the right expertise. Profiling Apple’s CPUs might also be challenging. You can find emulators that run iOS apps on other systems, but they rely on abstraction layers rather than real hardware simulation.
It seems you're referring to the limitations of certain features in devices. There are community-driven tools for audio, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet, but most other functionalities are restricted to Apple products.
Essentially it will start, but only if it finds an Intel Core processor. Older models like Pentiums or Celerons usually work as long as they’re newer than the P4 line, though I can’t confirm that. If there’s no Intel CPU at all, the system won’t boot and you’ll see a kernel panic.