czar, previously to target iOS in XE 2, you had to make several intermediate steps and then use FreePascal for compilation. Now, when you press F9, the application is run directly on iOS device (or iOS simulator, if you like), and it supports latest iOS SDKs, including 6.1.x. The requirement of Mac for iOS development is dictated by Apple and their terms, since this is the only way to use Apple's own LLVM compiler along with its code optimizations.

I'm surprised about the comments about XE 2, as I think it was one of the biggest achievements (when compared to Delphi 2009, 2010 and XE), including 64-bit support and OS X compilation. Now it's a next major step for Delphi - native iOS compilation, and Android is going to follow.

I know there are several trial programs for XE 4, including so-called "instant" trial. I'd suggest trying those and see the coolness of Delphi apps running on iOS.