Developer Transition Kit

The Developer Transition Kit (DTK) refers to two prototype Mac computers made available to software developers by Apple. The first DTK was released in 2005 before the Mac transition to Intel processors to assist developers during the transition from PowerPC processors to Intel x86-64 processors. A second DTK was released in 2020 before the Mac transition to Apple silicon as part of Apple's transition from Intel processors to its Apple silicon platform based on the ARM64 architecture.

Intel (2005)

Intel DTK logic board

During the Mac transition to Intel processors, Apple provided software developers with an Intel-based DTK. At the 2005 Worldwide Developers Conference, then-CEO Steve Jobs described the hardware as a non-commercial: "This is a development platform only. This is not a product; this will never be shipped as a product. It's just for you guys to get started in development. You actually have to return them by the end of 2006. We don't want them floating around out there. These are not products."

The DTK identified itself as "Apple Development Platform" and contained a 3.6 GHz Intel Pentium 4 Prescott 2M 660 processor, 1 GB of DDR2 SDRAM, a 160 GB SATA hard drive, and an optical disc drive. Its components were housed in a modified Power Mac G5 enclosure with changes to the cooling system. Connectivity included USB 2.0, FireWire 400, and Gigabit Ethernet. The DTK included Xcode 2.1 and a version of Mac OS X 10.4.1 which runs on Intel's x86 architecture.

The Intel DTK was provided to software developers through a loan program. Developers were required to return the prototype computers to Apple by the end of 2006. Eligibility required membership in Apple's Select or Premier Apple Developer Connection program, with membership fees starting at US$499 (equivalent to $820 in 2025) per year and an additional US$999 (equivalent to $1,650 in 2025) payment for the DTK. Apple later offered developers a free Intel-based iMac in exchange for returning the DTK.

Apple Silicon (2020)

The Apple Silicon DTK was housed in the same enclosure as the unibody Mac mini

At the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 22, 2020, Apple announced a second DTK to assist software developers during the Mac transition to Apple silicon.

Informally described as "an iPad in a Mac mini's body," the DTK identified itself as "Apple Development Platform". It included an Apple A12Z Bionic processor, 16 GB of RAM, a 512 GB solid-state drive, and ports for USB-C, USB-A, HDMI 2.0, and Gigabit Ethernet in an enclosure based on the unibody Mac mini. It supported Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) and Bluetooth 5.0. Unlike commercially available Macs at the time, it did not support Thunderbolt 3.

In an interview following the announcement, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, said the DTK used the A12Z chip from the iPad Pro rather than a processor intended for future Mac products: "Even that DTK hardware, which is running on an existing iPad chip that we don't intend to put in a Mac in the future, it's just there for the transition, the Mac runs awfully nice on that system. It's not a basis on which to judge future Macs, but it gives you a sense of what our silicon team can do when they're not even trying, and they're going to be trying."

To receive a DTK, developers enrolled in Apple's Universal App Quick Start Program, which cost US$500 (equivalent to $620 in 2025) for a one-year membership. Membership included technical support and the use of a DTK loaned by Apple.

The DTK was required to be returned to Apple one year after enrollment, or earlier if requested by Apple. The terms of use prohibited actions including disassembling the DTK, running unauthorized benchmark tests, and using it for purposes unrelated to software development for the Apple silicon transition.

In February 2021, Apple informed developers that it was requesting the return of DTKs by March 31, 2021, before the end of the one-year program period, while allowing other program benefits to continue until their original expiration dates. Apple also provided a US$200 (equivalent to $240 in 2025) discount code toward the purchase of an M1 Mac before May 2021 after the DTK was returned.

Some developers criticized Apple's decision, saying they needed more time as the DTK had more issues than expected, making it "unusable" in development. Developers also criticized the value of the discount compared with the earlier Intel transition program.

On February 5, 2021, Apple increased the discount code to the full $500 of the program membership, expanded its use to other Apple products, and extended its expiration date through the end of 2021.

Specifications

References

  1. 1 2 Hackett, Stephen (January 16, 2019). ""This Is Not a Product": The Apple Developer Transition Kit". MacStories. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  2. ↑ "DTK de 2005, le seul Mac en Pentium 4 : retour sur la transition d'Apple vers Intel". next.ink. October 26, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Marsal, Katie (June 23, 2005). "Inside Apple's Intel-based Dev Transition Kit". AppleInsider. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  4. ↑ "WWDC 2005 Keynote Address". Apple.
  5. ↑ "Apple Developer Transition Kit Return Program". {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  6. ↑ "Apple's Intel switch: Jobs' keynote transcript". Cnet. June 15, 2005. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Apple offers free iMac upgrade to Developer Transition Kit owners". engadget. January 11, 2006. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 "Apple announces Mac transition to Apple silicon" (Press release). Apple. June 22, 2020. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  9. ↑ Smith, Ryan (June 22, 2020). "The Next Phase: Apple Lays Out Plans To Transition Macs from x86 to Apple SoCs". AnandTech. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 Slivka, Eric (June 22, 2020). "Apple's $500 Developer Program Includes Tools and Resources for Transitioning to Apple Silicon, Plus a Loaner A12Z-Based Mac Mini". MacRumors. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  11. ↑ Rossignol, Joe (June 22, 2020). "macOS Big Sur Listed as 'Version 11.0' in System Preferences". MacRumors. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  12. ↑ Welch, Chris (June 22, 2020). "Apple announces Mac mini powered by its own chips for developers". The Verge. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  13. ↑ Gartenberg, Chaim (July 8, 2020). "Apple promises to support Thunderbolt on its new ARM Macs". The Verge. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  14. ↑ Gruber, John (June 24, 2020). "The Talk Show Remote from WWDC 2020, With Craig Federighi and Greg Joswiak". Daring Fireball. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Universal App Quick Start Program". Apple Developer. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  16. ↑ "1-on-1 Developer Labs - Universal App Quick Start Program". Apple Developer. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  17. 1 2 "Universal App Quick Start Program" (PDF). Apple Inc. June 22, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  18. 1 2 "Apple Mac mini Developer Transition Kit (DTK) Specs". EveryMac. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Apple Asks Developers to Return DTK Mac Minis in Exchange for $200 Credit Toward M1 Mac". MacRumors. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Apple Asks Developers to Return DTK Mac Minis in Exchange for $200 Credit Toward M1 Mac". MacRumors. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Apple Ups DTK Mac Mini Return Credit to $500 After Developer Complaints". MacRumors. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  22. ↑ "DTK de 2005, le seul Mac en Pentium 4 : retour sur la transition d'Apple vers Intel". Inpact Hardware. Retrieved November 2, 2021.