Recommendation for minimal Mac to run iOS Simulator I am rather new to Mac and iOS. I have been a Linux, Windows and iPad user to this point. 

I am considering getting a Mac, mainly for the purpose of running an iOS simulator. (I am sure I will discover other joys of being a Mac user, but simulating an iPhone is my top priority.)

Is there any known minimal CPU/RAM/storage capacity needed to be able to run up to 2 parallel iPhone simulators?  Is Xcode required for this purpose?

Any pointers would be appreciated.
All current Mac models are capable of running the iOS simulator (and yes, you need Xcode for that, but you'll need Xcode anyway for development). 

Apple has a website for developers at https://developer.apple.com, where you should be able to find more or less anything required to get started.