Apple requests return of Apple Silicon Developer Transition Kits, offers $200 toward purch...
Apple on Wednesday said it will soon request developers who took part in the Universal App Quick Start Program to return their Developer Transition Kit, a custom Mac mini powered by an A12Z Bionic system-on-chip.
The company in an email notified developers that it will "soon be time to return" the DTK, hardware issued to prepare app makers for the release of Apple Silicon Macs.
"Now that the new MacBook Air, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro powered by M1 are available, it'll soon be time to return the Developer Transition Kit (DTK) that was sent to you as part of the program," Apple says.
Fitted with an A12Z, the Mac mini was equipped with 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, two USB-C ports, two USB 3.0 ports, HDMI 2.0 and Gigabit Ethernet, trappings designed to mimic the first M1 Mac computers. It came loaded with a beta version of macOS Big Sur and Xcode 12.
Developers accepted into the Universal App Quick Start Program were charged a $500 fee for access to the DTK. Apple is not refunding the $500, though it is offering a $200 promotional code that can be used toward the purchase of a new 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or Mac mini equipped with an M1 chip. Codes will be sent out upon receipt of returned DTKs and must be redeemed by May 31, 2021.
Some app makers are not pleased with Apple's compensation structure. As noted by Steve Troughton-Smith, $200 doesn't cover a third of the cost of Apple's cheapest M1 Mac, the $700 Mac mini.
Apple says developers can expect to be contact in the next "few weeks" with instructions on how to return the test box.
The company in an email notified developers that it will "soon be time to return" the DTK, hardware issued to prepare app makers for the release of Apple Silicon Macs.
"Now that the new MacBook Air, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro powered by M1 are available, it'll soon be time to return the Developer Transition Kit (DTK) that was sent to you as part of the program," Apple says.
Fitted with an A12Z, the Mac mini was equipped with 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, two USB-C ports, two USB 3.0 ports, HDMI 2.0 and Gigabit Ethernet, trappings designed to mimic the first M1 Mac computers. It came loaded with a beta version of macOS Big Sur and Xcode 12.
Developers accepted into the Universal App Quick Start Program were charged a $500 fee for access to the DTK. Apple is not refunding the $500, though it is offering a $200 promotional code that can be used toward the purchase of a new 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or Mac mini equipped with an M1 chip. Codes will be sent out upon receipt of returned DTKs and must be redeemed by May 31, 2021.
Some app makers are not pleased with Apple's compensation structure. As noted by Steve Troughton-Smith, $200 doesn't cover a third of the cost of Apple's cheapest M1 Mac, the $700 Mac mini.
TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS? That doesn't even go a third of the way towards the cheapest M1 Mac. It just about covers the 4 months the DTK was usable out of the 12 month lease you paid for
-- Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith)
Apple says developers can expect to be contact in the next "few weeks" with instructions on how to return the test box.
Comments
Did the $500 cover a 12-month lease? Is that in writing somewhere, and now Apple is asking for the units back early? Or were they sent out late? I don't understand the complaining. Apple is not a charity. It costs money to run a business (in terms of the developer being in business... I think some of them forget that).
Followup...
Yes, the DTK does state ONE YEAR, but also states that the program may be terminated early with written notice by either party (developer or Apple). So any developer that was approved for the DTK also agreed to these terms. Therefore, no complaining is warranted.
https://developer.apple.com/terms/universal-app-quick-start-program/Developer-Universal-App-Quick-Start-Program.pdf
The fact that Apple is returning nearly one half of the original fee is more than generous, i say. Again, how can someone complain about this? It's a gift.
Hardly. Apple offered a "free" iMac in exchange for returning the Intel DTK. And those iMacs were $1699 at release, whereas the DTK was $999. But of course that was Steve's developer respecting Apple, not Cook's profit profit profit Apple. Remember without these devs, macOS wouldn't have anywhere near the appeal it does now.
I already bought an M1 airbook to chase down the problem and see if slightly different hardware made it go away. Nope. The bug affected both A12Z and M1. So ouch. A coupon totally sucks unless Apple is willing to apply it retroactively to the airbook.
I'm guessing this might affect participation in Apple's next "you pay us to QA or stuff" opportunity.
I notice you ignored my the part where I mentioned the free $1699 iMac devs got in the Jobs era. Why is that not a thing now, when Apple is vastly richer than back then?
Also, if I give you a gift of a $1600 computer a decade ago, that doesn't mean giving you $200 today wouldn't be a "gift." Except in today's entitled culture I suppose. Get off my lawn.
Nope. It's pretty much routine administrative communication that shouldn't have surprised anyone. Unless you can show me where Apple said "Pay $500 now to get early access to prototype and in a few months we'll hook you up!"
No, but it is called a comparison. It is a pretty measly "gift" compared to an iMac, which Apple said at the time was in appreciation of the work devs put in to recompile their apps. Yes, very "entitled" to expect the biggest company in the world to look a little more favourably on the devs who make their platform as diverse, the devs who ultimately help Apple vacuum up money. Unfortunately for you, this isn't your "lawn," it is a forum to discuss. You do not set the rules nor decide who can post nor what.
I'm not saying that Apple should be lauded for giving out $200. But they also would have been fully within their rights to just mailed developers a postage paid box with instructions for returning them at the end of the agreed upon term. Developers paid to get early access for a year to these devices. Anything above and beyond that (in this case $200) is gravy. No one ever said, "pay us $500 and you can be a Mac OS developer without ever buying a modern Mac.' I expect Apple's logic in giving out $200 was strictly to increase the odds that people would actually return them. I expect a large percentage won't be returned, and I expect Apple is ok with that too.
Ideally, Apple would send us DTK leasers a 16GB M1 Mac mini, then have us send the DTK back to them in the same box. I'd be willing to pay some dough for the price difference. But the current offer is a joke.
I've been an Apple dev since 1980... though I now dev on Android more than iOS... frankly I have a choice of platforms and though still an Apple fan I feel like being an Apple dev is now more like being in Scientology.
Once upon a time Apple used to support devs technically and with 50% HW discounts... now I know that level can't happen in today's world (even though they have far more cash now than then)... nor do they need to... but it's cheap insurance and keeps devs happy.
And what Jobs understood is the need for the best developers create the best products... and guess what the best devs are entitled... they're rock stars (sans groupies)... in the long run if another platform entices them you'll start slipping long term.
It would have cost Apple a comparative penny to do the swap and endear devs to continue to develop and promote the best apps on macOS (not to mention acknowledge what a buggy/wonky PITA the DTK was/is)