Prior to the release of the Mac M1, Apple provided developers with a developer transition kit that included a Mac mini equipped with an A12Z Bionic chip first used on the iPad Pro, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD , two USB-C ports, two USB -One port and one HDMI 2.0 port.
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These DTTs were temporarily offered to developers who paid $ 500 for access and were intended to provide developers with a way to create universal applications to prepare for the transition from Intel processors to Apple’s silicon chips.
Apple already is asking the developers to return their developer transition kits in exchange for a one-time code that will provide a $ 200 discount on a Mac M1.
Thank you for participating in the Universal Application Quick Launch Program and your continued commitment to creating great Mac applications. The response to the new Macs has been amazing and we love the fantastic experiences that developers like you have already created for Mac users.
Now that the new MacBook Air, Mac mini and MacBook Pro with M1 technology are available, it will soon be time to return the developer transition kit (DTK) that was sent to you as part of the program. Locate the original packaging for use in the DTT return. In a few weeks, we will send you an email with instructions for returning the DTK.
In gratitude for your participation in the program and for assisting you in the continued development of Universal applications, you will receive a one-time use code for $ 200 to use when purchasing a Mac with M1, once the DTK return has been confirmed. . Until your subscription to the program expires one year after the start date of your subscription, you will be able to continue accessing other benefits of the program, such as technical support incidents and private discussion forums.
Apple shipped transition kits to developers for the first time in late June, so developers have had them on hand for the past seven months. Developers were supposed to have a year with DTT for application development purposes, but other benefits that include a private discussion forum and technical assistance will continue to be available for the full 12-month period.
Some developers are dissatisfied with Apple’s compensation, given the $ 500 starting price of the DTK program and the experienced bugs that made it difficult to use the DTK. The last time Apple had a similar program for the transition from PowerPC chips to Intel, Apple provided developers with the first Intel-based Mac for free.
TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS? That’s not even a third of the way to the cheaper Mac M1. Covers almost 4 months in which the DTK of the 12-month lease you paid could be used – Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) February 3, 2021
$ 200 and use in late May. Extremely poor considering the disabling of the DTK you already had to buy a M1. Very, very disappointed – Neil Kerr (@nfjkerr) February 4, 2021
It’s an absolute joke. It’s been almost three months since I waited for my unusable DTK to be replaced with one that could still be used, though the silence of Apple’s radio after agreeing to replace it. Along with the fact that it must be used before May 31st. Very disappointed: Alpha (@AlphaNDB) February 4, 2021
“Hello, we ask for your DTK that you paid $ 500 to borrow. As a token of our gratitude, here is enough money to buy 1/6 of a Mac M1. Thank you!” – Adam Bell ( @ b3ll) February 4, 2021
The $ 200 credit can be used for any Mac and the $ 699 “Mini Mac” would be the cheapest option available for developers who want to get a new Mac M1 for continuous development. The credit is due to be used in late May.