Apple sends out $500 promo codes for returned DTK units

Developers who sent their Developer Transition Kits to Apple are now receiving digital vouchers worth $500, a credit for returning what the company deems "leased" equipment.

Apple officially recalled the DTKs last week, saying developers who took part in the Universal App Quick Start Program would receive the equivalent of $500 for the return of the custom A12Z Bionic-powered Mac mini.

Program participants have until March 31, 2021, to return the loaned units to Apple, though some have already sent their DTK back and are now receiving the promised credit. As noted by MacRumors, Alireza Khoddam sent his DTK to Apple on March 1 and today received a one-time-use promo code for the company's online store.

"In appreciation of your participation in the Universal App Quick Start program and to help with your continued development of Universal apps, we'd like to provide you with a one-time-use promo code for C$635 toward the purchase of a new M1 Mac or other Apple products ordered through the Apple Store Online."

The code is not applicable to Apple Gift Cards and AppleCare+.

Apple initially offered a $200 promotional code for the purchase of an M1 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or Mac mini, but later increased that sum to $500 — the cost of a DTK lease — after developers expressed disapproval of the original plan. For some international developers, the figure is less than what they paid to lease the device.

5 Comments

sdietric 7 comments · 15 Years

About 3 years ago

Is there any question that this was not leased equipment? The article says Apple deems this “leased” equipment. I am sure it should be abundantly clear with the contract developers signed when they received the hard if it is or not leased.

imagladry 105 comments · 13 Years

sdietric said:

Is there any question that this was not leased equipment? The article says Apple deems this “leased” equipment. I am sure it should be abundantly clear with the contract developers signed when they received the hard if it is or not leased.

Maybe so. Though, when Apple transitions to Intel, the developers who returned their DTK got a return with coupons and spiffs greater than what the paid for the DTK. And the terms back then were far more general, 1 1/2 years to get the computer you wanted as opposed to buy from the current line up. I am pretty sure that was at least part of the basis of the uproar.

EsquireCats 1268 comments · 8 Years

sdietric said:

Is there any question that this was not leased equipment? The article says Apple deems this “leased” equipment. I am sure it should be abundantly clear with the contract developers signed when they received the hard if it is or not leased.

It was announced and written in every possible location, even the relatively short press release still went to some detail to highlight that the kit must be returned.

Quick Start Program Lets Developers Get Started Today
Apple Developer Program members can start moving their apps to Apple silicon today by applying for the Universal App Quick Start Program. The program provides access to documentation, forums support, beta versions of macOS Big Sur and Xcode 12, and includes the limited use of a DTK, which will enable developers to build and test their Universal 2 apps. The DTK, which must be returned to Apple at the end of the program, consists of a Mac mini with Apple’s A12Z Bionic SoC inside and desktop specs, including 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, and a variety of Mac I/O ports. Developers can apply to the program at developer.apple.com, and the total cost of the program is $500.

$500 for the total program, including loan hardware, is pretty reasonable. The cheapest M1 mac is well above $500, so the idea that they'd get early access, support and hardware for less than that was never a reasonable conclusion. The idea that Apple engineers should be available for free, that they should get some sort of prize for optionally participating and effectively a full refund is also not reasonable - but it's where we are now, not because it's right but because squeaky wheels get the oil. The entitlement on display in various developer forums was sickening. It read more like hobbyists who wanted early access to a new toy rather than professional developers who would have found real value in that offer - it wasn't surprising that the complaints were driven from developers of no merit.

There was also a lingering argument that the developers were doing Apple a favour by being the "guinea pig" for the beta SDK. That argument might apply if this was Apple's first time delivering a SDK, the maturity of the SDK was never in question. I agree that there is a symbiotic relationship between the two, but that doesn't justify the b/s that went on.

jdb8167 626 comments · 16 Years

sdietric said:

Is there any question that this was not leased equipment? The article says Apple deems this “leased” equipment. I am sure it should be abundantly clear with the contract developers signed when they received the hard if it is or not leased.

There was absolutely no ambiguity. It was stated in multiple places that the equipment must be returned to Apple. You would have to be blind or deliberately obtuse to miss it.

MacQuadra840av 207 comments · 4 Years

16 years ago was a much different time. Not one developer complained about the $999 Intel DTK, which was a Power Mac G5 chassis with a Pentium 4 CPU. When developers returned that DTK, per the contract, Apple provided them with an Intel iMac as a thank you. Now you have a bunch of whiney millennials demanding their money back when they knew by signing the contract that the A12Z DTK was to be returned at the end of the period. No one forced them to lease it. They could have waited until the first M1 Macs arrived, pay more for one of those (owning it), update their software, and risk losing customers by being late with their app. Now they all want something for free because they think they are entitled.

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