Update on Apple's Development Transition Kit

Last week I posted about Apple's Development Transition Kit (DTK), and how they were proving a $200 USD credit that expired at the end of May, 2021. There were some developers who were fine with what Apple offered, while there was a contingent who were a bit miffed at what Apple offered. On Friday, Apple sent an email that states:

Thanks again for participating in the Universal App Quick Start Program. 

We heard your feedback regarding the 200 USD appreciation credit mentioned in our last email. Our intention was to recognize the tremendous effort that you have put into creating amazing universal apps. By partnering with us early, you showed your commitment to our platform and a willingness to be trailblazers. 

So instead of the 200 USD credit that expires in May, we are giving you a 500 USD Apple credit and extending the time you can use it to get a new M1 Mac through the end of the year. If you already purchased a new M1 Mac, the Apple credit gives you the flexibility to purchase any Apple product to help with your app development work. 

We’ll share details soon about how to ship the Developer Transition Kit (DTK) back to Apple. Note that the DTK will no longer receive publicly available software updates after macOS Big Sur 11.2. We encourage you to return it as soon as possible so that your development work is not interrupted. And once you return the DTK, you'll receive your Apple credit. 

Thank you again for making the Mac with M1 launch such a great success. 

As I stated in my post

An alternative to providing an extension would be to extend the length of time that the code can be used. Maybe make it expire at the end of the year instead of the end of May. I am sure that some developers might still not end up using their code, but it would provide a bit more time for some developers to be able to purchase a machine

I am glad to see Apple extending the credit until the end of the year. Not everybody would have the means to purchase an M1 Mac prior to the end of May, depending on their business. Having it extended until the end of the year is definitely better. Honestly, I would have been fine with them just extending the amount, but I am not going to argue with $500 credit for those who had the DTK. In particular, for those whose DTKs stopped working after a few months and did not get any anywhere near the full usage of the devices.

What is even better though, is that if someone did purchase an M1 Mac already, then it can be used for other things to help with their development. I hope Apple ends up releasing a non-XDR monitor, but only time will tell if that actually happens or not.